Summer Camps

Tender Tracks Summer Nature Adventure Camps has been in business since the summer of 1995. It is a camp designed for children from the ages of 6 to 12. For one week the children are given the opportunity, through play and adventure, to explore, taste, touch, smell, hear, see and sense the many wonders of our natural world.

Each group is unique and has their own nature that the Guide reads. Through this reading is where a lot of the focus for the camp comes from. The Guide has a “bag of tricks” filled with nature games, resources and possibilities to pull out at any time and, at the same time, the camp is led by the children’s interests. By exploring, playing, adventuring and being together in nature in this way, deeper connections to the natural world are experienced. Some concrete descriptions of what might take place:

  • Blind fold walks and blind fold awareness games
    (check out the picture above and see if you can see what game is taking place)
  • Tracking animals
  • Working with knives to make walking sticks, bows and arrows and tools
    (knives provided and safety techniques taught)
  • Finding and eating wild edibles
  • Camouflage games to enhance blending in with the environment,
    connection to the wild life and touching the earth at a deeper level
  • Walking barefoot to enhance sensitivity to the natural world
  • Silent walks
  • Observation games
  • Creek walking
  • First aid kits made
  • Fire making skills: can you make a one match fire

These are just a very, very few of the things that can take place. The children always choose jobs to make the camp a more unified experience and as a way of taking ownership of their adventure/experience.

Some of the jobs are:
Guardians of the People: They make sure they know where the group is at all times and decide which direction the group should adventure for that day.
Guardians of Safety: They carry first aid kits and are like the First Responder to any of the injuries that might take place.
Guardians of Direction: They learn ways to keep track of where we are and how to get back to our original location.
Guardians of the Earth: They carry an Earth Bag which all trash found is put into.  All students gather trash but the Guardians carry the bag and are the most mindful of our Earth.

Many local and natural areas will be visited and explored in either area.  We are deeply blessed by the rich and alive natural places to roam in this bay area.  For a specific list of places feel free to call for more info.

DATES FOR SUMMER 2013:
June 17-21: filled
June 24-28: filled
July 1-3  pending
July 8-12 filled
July 15-July 19: filled
July 29-Aug. 2: filled

Camps are  arranged by an organizing parent(s) who gets 8 children together of the same age or group of friends or relatives. Sibling camps can also be created.   

FINANCIAL INVESTMENT:
Once the Organizer signs up for a camp slot there is a $100 non-refundable deposit to hold your space.
The camp Organizer is then responsible to gather the checks from all the participants that they gathered and send one check made out to Wendolyn Bird by March 15, 2013,  provide a roster to Tender Tracks and then email all the participants the camp forms. Once a participant signs up there are no refunds unless a suitable replacement is found.  The “suitable replacement” is to be determined predominantly by the Camp Organizer. The camp must have 8 children to make a camp a go. The Camp Organizer receives $40 off of their investment.
Camp Tuition and times:
9 to 2 Monday through Friday
Marin camps:
$320/week
Palo Alto camps:
$330/week

RE-CAP
•$100 non-refundable deposit at time of camp request
•$4o off camp investment to the Camp Organizer
•Full camp investment due by March 15, 2013
•All camp forms due by May 1, 2013
( please note, if forms are not received by this date late fees will begin to accrue at $25/week. If not received  within  one month of May 1, 2013 the camp slot will be forfeited.)
• There are no refunds unless a suitable replacement is found.  Replacement is found by the Camp Organizer
(Camps that are filled can sometimes become available, so if you wish to be on a waiting list to organize a camp, please fill out the wait list form and/or email tendertracks@gmail.com)

Please call Director Wendolyn Bird @ 415. 419. 5274  for further details, if you are interested in this type of camp for your child.