Experienced educators team up with drama, art, circus, and movement professionals to offer kids in grades three to 10 an opportunity to create and perform their own show. The first week of the program is spent on skill development. The second week participants choose their specialties and tackle specific show business jobs - painting flats, memorizing dialogue, creating circus acts, learning dance choreography, and promoting the show.

Half-day, week-long sessions for kids in grades one to three introduce younger children to performing and visual arts through games and experiential learning activities.

Electives include professional instruction in circus arts, drama, music, and visual art.

Full-day sessions culminate in a performance. Campers receive a tee-shirt as part of registration.

AcroSports, which hosts gymnastics classes year round, transforms its equipment - swinging ropes, balance beams, and tumbling mats - into circus props every summer. The children practice all week for the finale (performed for a parent audience) of tumbling, juggling, and swinging on the trapeze. They also create props and scenery for the show.

Parents get to watch the really big show, and kids get to clown around all week. Doesn't get much better than that.

The camp also operates during spring and winter break.

Since 1971, Adventure Camps, a mobile day camp for boys and girls ages 4-1/2 to 14, has been part of the Bay Area scene. Every day, kids pile into vans and travel to a different destination. Activities are weather-dependent and can include swimming, barbecuing, flying kites, playing sports, doing arts and crafts, or visiting tide pools. The camp runs Mon-Fri in the summer and also during winter and spring school breaks.

Since 1971, Adventure Camps, a mobile day camp for boys and girls ages 4-1/2 to 14, has been part of the Bay Area scene. Every day, kids pile into vans and travel to a different destination. Activities are weather-dependent and can include swimming, barbecuing, flying kites, playing sports, doing arts and crafts, or visiting tide pools. The camp runs Mon-Fri in the summer and also during winter and spring school breaks.

Adventure Out, a Billabong Surf Camp, is one of the only surf schools that is fully insured and licensed by the city and state authorities at local beaches. The camp presents surfing as a lifestyle - covering water safety, ocean science, environmental awareness, surf etiquette, and cultural heritage.

Surf Camps and clinics range from 2-5 days and are taught by expert surfers who are C.P.R. and First-Aid certified.

Students learn the philosophy of this peaceful art while practicing basic skills. Morning aikido classes teach rolling, falling, opening movements, strikes and defensive techniques. Lunch (children provide their own bag lunch) is at nearby Lafayette Park. Afternoon classes introduce students to origami, brush painting, book making, and other Japanese arts and crafts.

Located in Alameda, the Altarena Playhouse Theater Camp offers children of all skill levels the chance to learn singing, dancing, improvisation, theater games, masks, directing, and audition techniques. The two-week session culminates in a showcase review that highlights all the skills learned that session.

American Gymnastics touts itself as "San Francisco's finest gymnastics club offering a comprehensive blend of recreational and competitive instruction." And many parents and children do like the program.

Classes for all skill levels are available, beginning with the Preschool Program for ages 2-to-5 (2 year-old's need a parent), Tumblers for ages 4 1/2-5 1/2, Beginner, age 5 and above, and Intermediate classes emphasize tumbling, flexibility, and basic gymnastics skills. Advanced training incorporates preparation for US Gymnastics Association compulsory routines.

Preschool Open Gym Unstructured but supervised time on the equipment on Wednesdays 11am-1pm. $10 drop-in rate for members.

Gymnastics Camps (ages five and up) Camp counselors offer gymnastics instruction, organized games and art projects, field trips and more during school breaks. D

Parties: The facility can be rented out for parties. An instructor takes partiers through their paces on various pieces of equipment, paying special attention to the birthday child. It's a highly structured event, but most kids seem to appreciate the guidance.

Considered one of San Francisco's best bilingual summer programs, Amusez-Vous operates out of the French-American School. It offers children (pre-K through 12th grade) the chance to learn and enhance their French language skills with both academic and leisure activities in a fun and creative atmosphere.

The school offers an additional summer session at Ecole Bilingue in Berkeley.

Angel Island Day Camp is just a short ferry ride
away from the main land, and campers are supervised by experienced staff on the ferry ride to and from camp each day.

Angel Island Discover Camp, for kids ages six to nine, the camp runs from 9:30am-4:15pm, Mon-Fri, and is offered in one- and two-week sessions.

Angel Island Adventure Camp is designed for kids ages nine to 12 years and features themed adventure weeks.

We've looked everywhere and these may well be the only ongoing cooking classes in town for kids - do let us know if we're wrong. Classes are offered at the Katherine Michiel's school after school or on Saturday mornings and participants can take a series, or one at a time.

Founder Roberta DesBouillons is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and has more than 20 years of culinary experience. Her goal is to teach children how to cook and bake in a safe, fun setting, and to cultivate in them a lifelong appreciation of cooking. All classes are designed for children 10 years and older.

Kids have their choices of a variety of classes, such as Ethnic Foods, Cooking Italian, Healthy Vegetarian, and Easy as Pie. Students make two or three recipes per class, and are encouraged to taste everything, and to bring samples home.

Saturday morning workshops are given as single classes.

The Afterschool series is offered in two, three, and four-week segments.

Private lessons: Available to groups of up to five children, kitchen can be provided.

Parties: You're welcome to stage a birthday party with Apron Strings. Kids make their own pizzas from scratch and decorate the birthday cake. Cost depends on size, location, and menu.

Camps: Generally four or five days in length and ongoing through the summer and during school breaks.

ARt YoWZA Camps offer visual arts programs that feature zany inventions, magical paintings, and fun sculptures.

One Day Theme Camps may include: Pie in the Sky Camp (King Kong & Giant Cupcakes), Fantasy Camp (Dragons, Castles & Magic!), Wild Animals Camp (Roar! Lions, Horses & Lizards), Circus Camp (Clowns, Acrobats & Elephants), and Potato Disco Camp (Silly Groovy Fun).

One Week Summer Theme Camps include: About Me Camp (Making cool accordian books of our favorite things), Around the World Camp (Let’s go to Egypt, India, Japan, & Nigeria),
Fantasy Camp (Building Fantasy Treehouses, Vehicles, and Dragons), and Passion for Fashion Camp (Creating giant Fashion Portraits & Lip Gloss).

Artmachine Junior is a seven-week course covering a range of communicative art projects. The camp is designed to teach children about art in a way that facilitates the physical, mental, and emotional relationship between art and
artist. Each day is a mix between personal and communal creative expressions.

ArtWorks Fine Art Studio, formerly known as KidsArt, teaches children, teens, and adults the principles of fine art using a classically-based method, customized curriculum, and individualized instruction. Trained artists offer students a foundation in artistic skills and knowledge of materials. The year-round program starts with drawing, and progresses through watercolor, acrylic, oil, and advanced study courses.

ArtWorks offers Summer Workshops and Art Camps for children and teens, ages four to 16. Class descriptions and registration forms are available online or by calling the office.

By playing theatre games and learning to take risks in a safe environment, improv students develop the ability to tell stores collaboratively and work in the moment. An excellent tool for improving verbal expression, enhancing listening skills, building body awareness, and boosting self-confidence. Each session culminates in a showcase performance for family and friends.

Camp is offered during the month of July.

The winner of our 2008 Parents' Picks quest to find the best Enviro-friendly Place in the Bay Area, this museum is about as hands-on as it gets, which means it gets high marks as a kid's destination. Located next to the Golden Gate Bridge, it's housed in a cluster of buildings that were once part of Fort Baker, a military installation that guarded San Francisco Bay.

The exhibits change every so often and successfully engage kids on many levels. Visiting exhibits have included The Monkey King, an interactive version of the
classic Chinese story of the mischievous monkey, or the bilingual Berenstain Bears exhibit which takes families inside the famous tree house where kids can play the "When I Grow Up game", or Joshua's Journey, where children "rope a steer" and cook vittles over the campfire while
learning about the black cowboys of the Wild West.

The Museum's latest permanent addition - Lookout Cove - is a 2.5-acre outdoor adventure zone with a 1595 shipwreck replica, a rocky sea cave, a crow's nest, a two-ton redwood log, and a climbable Golden Gate bridge!

Other constants include a science lab focusing on waves and wind, an arts studio in which kids can create something new to take home, and a Discovery Center for little kids, called Tot Spot, that is so engaging big kids are always trying to sneak in.

Bring lunch and picnic on one of the tables there. Or buy refreshments at the small cafe that caters to kids.

Day Camps: are offered in weekly sessions during the summer, and during the first two weeks of April for Spring Break. Themes include Acrobatic and Aerial Arts, Art Dabbler, Building Blocks of Architecture, Carpenter's Apprentice, Clay Play, Creative Drama, Creature Features, Drumming Magic, Elements of Art, Fort Building, House of Samba, Kids' Chemistry, Mural Magic, On the Bay, On the Spot Improv, San Francisco Science, Shipwrecked, Soapbox Cars, Treasure Hunt, and Water Wonders. Membership saves on camp fees. Materials fees may also apply.

Family Programs: The Museum organizes art workshops, and dramatic performances. Check the website, or the GoCityKids calendar, for upcoming events.

Parties: The museum's birthday party room is available in 90-minute slots on Saturdays and Sundays between 10am-3pm. A birthday party package includes exclusive use of the party room for one and a half hours, and free admission to the Museum for the day for party guests. Limit of 30 children maximum; 30 adults. Cost runs $200 (members), $225 (general), and up.

The winner of our 2008 Parents' Picks quest to find the best Day Camp for Teens in the Bay Area, Berkeley Repertory Theatre draws theater artists from around the country to work on a variety of classic, contemporary, and new plays from September through July.

Berkeley Rep's productions are staged in two theatres - the 400-seat Thrust Stage and the 600-seat proscenium Roda Theatre. Both offer intimate theatrical environments with no seat further than 49 feet from the stage, and a clear view of the action, even for the very short.

The Berkeley Rep School of Theatre offers a wide variety of educational programs, including weekly classes for kids and teens, a Spring Break Camp, and a Summer Theatre Intensive for kids entering grades 6-12. Complete listings of current classes can be found online.

Berkeley Tennis Club offers a summer program for children. The club employs all USPTA certified teaching professionals and membership is not required for summer programs.

The YMCA in downtown Berkeley offers three pools, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and comprehensive youth, teen, senior and adult programs. The center is known for solid, affordable, family-based recreation programs, afterschool activities, sports leagues, and summer camps. Hundreds of classes are offered ranging from dance, gymnastics, swimming, and basketball to yoga, kick-boxing and lifeguarding certification.

The center also has a kindergym - an indoor
playground with a bounce house, ball pit, and climbing structures.

For Kids Night Out, contact 510.665.3241.

Bird School of Music provides instrumental and vocal instruction, band supervision, and dance classes for children. The site also houses art space, a performance venue, a recording facility, and a yoga studio.

This massive sports complex has an equally impressive youth program that emphasizes in-line hockey and soccer. Its 2 1/2 acre site boasts two professional indoor hockey rinks complete with bleachers and scoreboard and a state-of-the-art soccer arena. But it also has a fitness center, basketball and volleyball courts, and a place to learn martial arts. Also on site are a pro shop, lockers and showers, and restaurants.

Classes: Skaters can sign up for lessons in stick-handling, shooting, and basic skating. Pick-up games are available, as are skating clinics. Kids can choose to compete in leagues and tournaments both. Kids can also take martial arts classes.

Parties: Bladium offers parties to fit just about every young athlete's wishes with a choice of any sport activity. Each party runs 2 hours, costs $230 (for 15 people, $15 for each additional child), and includes pizza, soda, chips, and a sports attendant.

Summer Camps: Activities include soccer, volleyball, hockey, lacrosse, flag football and basketball for kids ages 8 to 16.

Does your kid love to rock out to the radio? At the Blue Bear School of Music, young musicians can learn to play and write the kind of music they like to hear. Blue Bear is one of the few music schools of its type in the country, offering private lessons, group classes, and band workshops in Rock, Pop, Jazz, Blues, and other popular music styles. Instruments taught include guitar, piano, drums, flute, clarinet, and voice.

Musicians of all ages and all levels can find day or evening programs to suit their needs. Older kids can participate in "After School Band Workshops," a ten-week program that runs throughout the year.

Little Bears Music Program: Children four months to five years old and their parents and caregivers can explore music and movementthrough age-specific classes, as well as mixed age classes.

During the summer, young musicians (ages nine-16) can enroll in the "School of Rock" at Blue Bear, and learn from professional rock musicians in unique "Play-in-a-Band" weeklong day camps. Camps run on weekdays from 10am-3pm during June, July, and August. For more information, call Dennis Criteser at 415.673.3600

Tomales Bay, located just one hour from San Francisco, is is a large pristine waterway in the Bay Area and an outstanding area for recreation and wildlife viewing.

Blue Waters Kayaking offers day paddles for children over six years of age accompanied with an adult.

Weeklong summer camps for ages 9-17 are also available during Jul-Aug (5-days $585; click on link for updated camp fees).

Equipment rentals are available at Marshall and Inverness sites; rates start at $30 and include kayaks, equipment, and an introductory lesson.

Tomales Bay, located just one hour from San Francisco, is is a large pristine waterway in the Bay Area and an outstanding area for recreation and wildlife viewing.

Blue Waters Kayaking offers day paddles for children over six years of age accompanied with an adult.

Weeklong summer camps for ages 9-17 are also available during Jul-Aug (5-days $585; click on link for updated camp fees).

Equipment rentals are available at Marshall and Inverness sites; rates start at $30 and include kayaks, equipment, and an introductory lesson.

Boardsports School offers windsurfing & kiteboarding lessons and rentals at "The Shack" on Crown Beach Park in Alameda from March through September.

Bright Horizons has over 600 child care centers with locations in the United States, Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The center accepts children from six weeks to 12 years old.

The Early Childhood Program uses a curriculum, The World At Their Fingertips, which encourages parents, teachers, and children to take advantage of the world outside their center and to be part of their communities.

Programs for school age children include a summer camp, back-up care, and care during school vactions.

Buena Vista Summer Camp is designed to provide a safe, exciting and stimulating program for children. The program is licensed and accredited, with a warm and caring staff.

The nine-week program features weekly themes revolving around water discovery, six weeks of swimming lessons and visual and theater arts. Other activities include field trips to Children's Discovery Museum and Ardenwood Farm.

Buena Vista Summer Camp is designed to provide a safe, exciting and stimulating program for children. The program is licensed and accredited, with a warm and caring staff.

The nine-week program features weekly themes revolving around water discovery, six weeks of swimming lessons and visual and theater arts. Other activities include field trips to Children's Discovery Museum and Ardenwood Farm.

A University of California recreational sports program that features fitness and sports camps for kids five to 16 years old.

Topped with a living roof, the newly rebuilt California Academy of Sciences is home to an aquarium, planetarium, and natural history museum.

The aquarium, with an estimated 38,000 live animals, is one of the most biodiverse and interactive aquariums in the world. It features the world's deepest living coral reef tank, in which guests can see thousands of reef fish darting through a technicolor forest of coral, alongside sharks and rays cruising through a mangrove lagoon.

The Academy is also home to a four-story living rainforest dome, where visitors can explore the ecosystems of Borneo, Madagascar, Costa Rica, and the flooded Amazon. A spiraling ramp circles up through rainforest and exhibit galleries, showcasing each ecosystem along the way. From the top of the dome, visitors descend through the rainforest in a glass elevator, and plunge into the flooded Amazon, where a see-through tunnel allows visitors to walk beneath the Amazonian river fish that swim overhead.

The Academy's natural history exhibits look not only at the history of life on Earth, but also its future. In the Islands of Evolution exhibit, visitors see the remote islands of Madagascar and the Galapagos through the eyes of Academy scientists, and learn how islands function as laboratories for evolution.

In the west gallery, an exhibit called Altered State: Climate Change in California uses California as a case study to explore the science of climate change, the effects we might expect to see in our own backyard, and the steps that can be taken to mitigate those dramatic changes. Visitors can also see how the Academy's new building incorporates green technologies to improve its energy efficiency and reduce its impact on the environment.

In the planetarium, visitors leave Planet Earth behind as a live presenter guides them on a tour of the solar system and beyond, using current data from NASA to produce the most accurate and interactive digital Universe ever created. During a visit to the international space station, guests gain a new perspective on planet Earth.

Long-time favorites including African Hall, the alligator-filled Swamp, and the Foucault pendulum return in the newly rebuilt Academy.

Penguin feedings, coral reef dives, and other programs take place every day. More details are available on the center's website.

A self-described "fun" winter and summer day camp in Mill Valley for children entering K through 1st and 2nd through 6th grades. Each day at camp offers a mix of programmed activities, including games, crafts, funny camp songs, sports, science, skits and more, along with free choice time options.

Camp Doodles was created to provide an affordable, healthy balance between safety, fun, and personal development. Check the website to learn which elementary schools are currently hosting the program.

A self-described "fun" winter and summer day camp in Mill Valley for children entering K through 1st and 2nd through 6th grades. Each day at camp offers a mix of programmed activities, including games, crafts, funny camp songs, sports, science, skits and more, along with free choice time options.

Camp Doodles was created to provide an affordable, healthy balance between safety, fun, and personal development. Check the website to learn which elementary schools are currently hosting the program.

Camp Freestyle is a mobile summer day camp, visiting a different Bay Area location each day to hike and swim. Drop-off and pick-up at a central and convenient San Francisco location.

Campers help choose the week's activities, and each week is limited to seven campers to maximize spontaneity and provide attention to individual needs. Rate includes all daily expenses and an afternoon snack.

Camp Galileo combines art, science, and outdoor activities with fun camp traditions to create a summer program K-5th graders love. Delivered by a highly talented staff, Camp Galileo's educational programming is developed in partnership with The Tech Museum of Innovation, the de Young Museum, and Klutz.

On a weekly basis, Camp Galileo programming focuses on specific art, science, and outdoor themes, with three unique weeks of programming offered. Each day campers rotate in teams of 16 between art, science, and outdoor learning activities, dividing their time equally between the three topics.

The Camp Galileo experience is topped off with games, theme days, and ... a rubber chicken mascot!

GoCityKids sent in a young camper to see what he thought. And, wow... we are highly impressed with the level of enthusiasm and professionalism at the camp. The staff makes a huge effort to get to know the kids and provide a positive experience for them. It is so much fun that the kids don't even realize it is