Weekly Themes

Coastal Camp offers a variety of exciting themes throughout the summer customized for students in Kindergarten, Grades 1-6, and Grades 7-9.

Kinder Camp 

Kinder Coastal Camp offers morning (9:15–11:45 a.m.), afternoon (1–3:30 p.m.), or full day (9:15 a.m.–3:30 p.m.) sessions with an optional mid-day lunch. Each session includes a daily snack. Kinder Campers must be entering Kindergarten in Fall 2013 or be at least four years old by December 2012 to participate.

Everyday at Kinder Camp is an opportunity to laugh, play, explore, discover, and make friends in the great outdoors. Weekly thematic programming is designed to help prepare campers for kindergarten by developing social skills and highlighting nature, inquiry, creativity, movement, and music.

Stars of the Sea

June 10–14 Morning, July 15–19 Afternoon, or August 12–16 Morning 

Explore the wonders of the underwater world and meet some of your favorite "sea-lebrities." Feed a sea star in the Marine Lab, visit pinniped patients at The Marine Mammal Center, and see how you measure up to an 82-foot blue whale skeleton.

Imagi-Nature

June 10–14 Afternoon, July 15–19 Morning, or August 12–16 Afternoon

Head out on the trail, take a closer look, and get creative! The Headlands are alive with shapes, patterns, colors, and textures that are sure to inspire your inner artist. Make sculptures out of recycled objects, create eco-art at Rodeo Beach, and get inspired through music, movement, and more.  

Bugging Out

June 17–21 Morning or July 22–26 Afternoon 

Lift a log, sift through mud, and follow the buzz in search of bugs, butterflies, and compost critters. Collect macroinvertebrates from Rodeo Pond, create your very own magnifying bug box, and design vibrant butterfly mosaics.

Growing Up Bird

June 17–21 Afternoon or July 22–26 Morning 

Calling all chickadees, fledglings, and owlets! Join us for birding adventures as we explore the secret lives of birds. Practice bird calls, create the perfect nest, and learn about wings while flying handmade kites at the beach.

The Wild Bunch

August 5–9 Afternoon

Take a walk on the wild side and discover which animals are at home in the Headlands. Check out animal specimens in the Skins & Skulls lab, head out on the trail in search of animal tracks, and create a critter of your very own.

Tales on Trails

August 5–9 Morning

Let your imagination take flight and creativity soar as you hike along trails, listen to tall tales, and create your own nature- inspired puppet to use during storytelling.

Grades 1–6

Oceans in Motion

June 10–14 $380/ week $330/week
July 1–5 (no camp Thursday, July 4th) $305/ week
August 5–9     $380/ week—SOLD OUT

Featuring a Bay sailing adventure! Travel deep into the wonders of our moving ocean, search for natural treasure hidden among the rainbow beach sands, and track the magnificent journeys of marine life that migrate past the Headlands. Your adventure continues with a tasty, edible experiment at Point Bonita where you’ll unlock the tunnel door to a rocky geologic past and have fun identifying passing ships.  On Tuesday, you’ll step aboard the schooner Seaward to observe marine mammals swimming nearby and identify plankton under microscopes, all while you learn to navigate the San Francisco Bay!

Fins, Flukes, & Flippers

June 17–21, July 15–19, or August 12–16       $360/ week

Our ocean is swimming with marine life! Let curiosity guide the way as you explore the lives of its many fish, mammals, and invertebrates. Watch and marvel as experts drop by for a live shark demonstration and then learn the ancient secrets of survival from one of nature’s oldest creatures.  Experience a day in the life of a marine biologist as you observe seals in their habitat, uncover the mystery of squid movement, and delve into the wonders of the enormous blue whale.

Home in the Headlands

June 24–28 or July 22–26    

Grade 1–2: $360/ week
Grade 3–6: $422/ week  Featuring a Thursday overnight camp-out for grades 3–6!

Follow tracks and trails in search of hidden habitats and camouflaged critters as you explore the coastal hillsides. Look to the sky and catch a glimpse of soaring raptors through your binoculars, study skins and skulls to reveal amazing animal adaptations and even meet some live animal ambassadors during a special visit.  Find out who has called the Headlands home throughout history and uncover the secrets of survival by building a shelter of your very own.

Little Critters, Big Deal

July 8–12 or July 29–August 2   $360/ week

Fly, hop, creep, and crawl as you set out on endless adventures in search of brush rabbits, salamanders, flying insects, and more of nature’s littlest living things in the Headlands. Armed with dip nets and microscopes, you will discover an underwater universe of clever and astonishing pond critters.  Enjoy a visit from many-legged mystery guests, get your hands wet meeting sea stars and other tide pool favorites in the Marine Lab, and have fun digging for wiggly worms and other decomposers.

Grades 7-9

Eco Quest '13 

July 29–August 2     $568/ week—SOLD OUT

Featuring a two-day overnight backpacking trip in Marin!
Let your quest for adventure guide the way as you explore the wonders of the natural world. Begin your journey with a focus on ocean ecology. Feed sea stars in our Marine Lab, study harbor seal behavior at Point Bonita, and map out your mid-week backpacking trek. With camping gear and orienteering equipment in tow, you’ll head out Wednesday to follow the watershed past riparian corridors, through ancient redwood forests, and along windswept coastal hillsides. Chart your locations along the way with GPS coordinates and record your findings on a collective orienteering map. Return to the Headlands at week’s end to share your stories of discovery and adventure with friends and family at the Friday Showcase.