Spring Critter Camp 2026

  • Crafts, General Play and Outdoor, Animals, Environmental, Nature Programs, Nonviolent Communication
Humane Education Campus: 6447 Helen Woodward Way, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067, USA
Mar 23 2026
Apr 10 2026

Schedules

Spring Camp Wk1 (03/23/2026-03/27/2026)

Spr Camp Weekly (Spr Camp Daily $102.00 USD)
$408.00 USD
  • Mon9:00 am - 3:00 pm (PST)
  • Tue9:00 am - 3:00 pm (PST)
  • Wed9:00 am - 3:00 pm (PST)
  • Thu9:00 am - 3:00 pm (PST)
  • Fri9:00 am - 3:00 pm (PST)

Description

MONDAY

  • Theme: Critter Communication – We can communicate our feelings in various ways, like smiling, singing or saying a phrase, but not all animals can. Find out how each animal expresses themselves.
  • Animals: Dog, Rabbit, Large parrot, Bearded dragon, Madagascar hissing cockroach.

TUESDAY

  • Theme: Happy Habitats – Come discover what makes a habitat a home and how the changing seasons affect the inhabitants.
  • Animals: CA desert tortoise, Rabbit, Dove, Skink, Earthworm.

WEDNESDAY

  • Theme: Daily Diet – Without a supermarket, animals diets may change with the seasons depending on what foods are available. Depending on what the animal usually eats determines it's diet category. Come learn about them all and uncover how each animal acquires its food.
  • Animals: Goat, Chinchilla, Small parrot, Rosy or sand Boa snake, Blue death-feigning beetle.

THURSDAY

  • Theme: The Cycle of Life - Unearth the reasons why spring tends to be the baby season and learn about the different lifecycles of different species and how and why they might be so different.
  • Animals: Miniature horse, Guinea pig, Medium parrot, Turtle, Frog.

FRIDAY

  • Theme: Compassion for Critters – Find out why we should value each animal and explore what we can do to help them.
  • Animals: Sheep, Dog, Chicken, Ball python snake, Leopard gecko.

Additional services and fees

Lunch - Monday $12.00
AM Care - Monday $11.00
PM Care - Monday $22.00
Lunch - Tuesday $12.00
AM Care - Tuesday $11.00
PM Care - Tuesday $22.00
Lunch - Wednesday $12.00
AM Care - Wednesday $11.00
PM Care - Wednesday $22.00
Lunch - Thursday $12.00
AM Care - Thursday $11.00
PM Care - Thursday $22.00
Lunch - Friday $12.00
AM Care - Friday $11.00
PM Care - Friday $22.00
Critter Camp Water Bottle $6.00
HWAC Patch $6.00
Sticker $3.00
Critter Camp Pin $10.00
Critter Camp Patch $6.00

Registration period

Registration for this schedule starts on 12/23/2025 and ends on 03/27/2026

Restrictions

Participants must be entering grades kindergarten to 6.

Spring Camp Wk1 PreK (03/23/2026-03/27/2026)

Spr Camp Weekly PreK (Spr Camp Daily PreK $102.00 USD)
$408.00 USD
  • Mon9:00 am - 3:00 pm (PST)
  • Tue9:00 am - 3:00 pm (PST)
  • Wed9:00 am - 3:00 pm (PST)
  • Thu9:00 am - 3:00 pm (PST)
  • Fri9:00 am - 3:00 pm (PST)

Description

MONDAY

  • Theme: Critter Communication – We can communicate our feelings in various ways, like smiling, singing or saying a phrase, but not all animals can. Find out how each animal expresses themselves.
  • Animals: Dog, Rabbit, Large parrot, Bearded dragon, Madagascar hissing cockroach.

TUESDAY

  • Theme: Happy Habitats – Come discover what makes a habitat a home and how the changing seasons affect the inhabitants.
  • Animals: CA desert tortoise, Rabbit, Dove, Skink, Earthworm.

WEDNESDAY

  • Theme: Daily Diet – Without a supermarket, animals diets may change with the seasons depending on what foods are available. Depending on what the animal usually eats determines it's diet category. Come learn about them all and uncover how each animal acquires its food.
  • Animals: Goat, Chinchilla, Small parrot, Rosy or sand Boa snake, Blue death-feigning beetle.

THURSDAY

  • Theme: The Cycle of Life - Unearth the reasons why spring tends to be the baby season and learn about the different lifecycles of different species and how and why they might be so different.
  • Animals: Miniature horse, Guinea pig, Medium parrot, Turtle, Frog.

FRIDAY

  • Theme: Compassion for Critters – Find out why we should value each animal and explore what we can do to help them.
  • Animals: Sheep, Dog, Chicken, Ball python snake, Leopard gecko.

Additional services and fees

Lunch - Monday $12.00
AM Care - Monday $11.00
PM Care - Monday $22.00
Lunch - Tuesday $12.00
AM Care - Tuesday $11.00
PM Care - Tuesday $22.00
Lunch - Wednesday $12.00
AM Care - Wednesday $11.00
PM Care - Wednesday $22.00
Lunch - Thursday $12.00
AM Care - Thursday $11.00
PM Care - Thursday $22.00
Lunch - Friday $12.00
AM Care - Friday $11.00
PM Care - Friday $22.00
Critter Camp Water Bottle $6.00
HWAC Patch $6.00
Sticker $3.00
Critter Camp Pin $10.00
Critter Camp Patch $6.00

Registration period

Registration for this schedule starts on 12/23/2025 and ends on 03/27/2026

Restrictions

Participants must be 4 years or older when the program starts..

Spring Camp Wk2 (03/30/2026-04/03/2026)

Spr Camp Weekly (Spr Camp Daily $102.00 USD)
$408.00 USD
  • Mon9:00 am - 3:00 pm (PST)
  • Tue9:00 am - 3:00 pm (PST)
  • Wed9:00 am - 3:00 pm (PST)
  • Thu9:00 am - 3:00 pm (PST)
  • Fri9:00 am - 3:00 pm (PST)

Description

MONDAY

  • Theme: Critter Communication – We can communicate our feelings in various ways, like smiling, singing or saying a phrase, but not all animals can. Find out how each animal expresses themselves.
  • Animals: Dog, Rabbit, Large parrot, Bearded dragon, Madagascar hissing cockroach.

TUESDAY

  • Theme: Happy Habitats – Come discover what makes a habitat a home and how the changing seasons affect the inhabitants.
  • Animals: CA desert tortoise, Rabbit, Dove, Skink, Earthworm.

WEDNESDAY

  • Theme: Daily Diet – Without a supermarket, animals diets may change with the seasons depending on what foods are available. Depending on what the animal usually eats determines it's diet category. Come learn about them all and uncover how each animal acquires its food.
  • Animals: Goat, Chinchilla, Small parrot, Rosy or sand Boa snake, Blue death-feigning beetle.

THURSDAY

  • Theme: The Cycle of Life - Unearth the reasons why spring tends to be the baby season and learn about the different lifecycles of different species and how and why they might be so different.
  • Animals: Miniature horse, Guinea pig, Medium parrot, Turtle, Frog.

FRIDAY

  • Theme: Compassion for Critters – Find out why we should value each animal and explore what we can do to help them.
  • Animals: Sheep, Dog, Chicken, Ball python snake, Leopard gecko.

Additional services and fees

Lunch - Monday $12.00
AM Care - Monday $11.00
PM Care - Monday $22.00
Lunch - Tuesday $12.00
AM Care - Tuesday $11.00
PM Care - Tuesday $22.00
Lunch - Wednesday $12.00
AM Care - Wednesday $11.00
PM Care - Wednesday $22.00
Lunch - Thursday $12.00
AM Care - Thursday $11.00
PM Care - Thursday $22.00
Lunch - Friday $12.00
AM Care - Friday $11.00
PM Care - Friday $22.00
Critter Camp Water Bottle $6.00
HWAC Patch $6.00
Sticker $3.00
Critter Camp Pin $10.00
Critter Camp Patch $6.00

Registration period

Registration for this schedule starts on 12/23/2025 and ends on 04/03/2026

Restrictions

Participants must be entering grades kindergarten to 6.

Spring Camp Wk2 PreK (03/30/2026-04/03/2026)

Spr Camp Weekly PreK (Spr Camp Daily PreK $102.00 USD) 1 spots left
$408.00 USD
  • Mon9:00 am - 3:00 pm (PST)
  • Tue9:00 am - 3:00 pm (PST)
  • Wed9:00 am - 3:00 pm (PST)
  • Thu9:00 am - 3:00 pm (PST)
  • Fri9:00 am - 3:00 pm (PST)

Description

MONDAY

  • Theme: Critter Communication – We can communicate our feelings in various ways, like smiling, singing or saying a phrase, but not all animals can. Find out how each animal expresses themselves.
  • Animals: Dog, Rabbit, Large parrot, Bearded dragon, Madagascar hissing cockroach.

TUESDAY

  • Theme: Happy Habitats – Come discover what makes a habitat a home and how the changing seasons affect the inhabitants.
  • Animals: CA desert tortoise, Rabbit, Dove, Skink, Earthworm.

WEDNESDAY

  • Theme: Daily Diet – Without a supermarket, animals diets may change with the seasons depending on what foods are available. Depending on what the animal usually eats determines it's diet category. Come learn about them all and uncover how each animal acquires its food.
  • Animals: Goat, Chinchilla, Small parrot, Rosy or sand Boa snake, Blue death-feigning beetle.

THURSDAY

  • Theme: The Cycle of Life - Unearth the reasons why spring tends to be the baby season and learn about the different lifecycles of different species and how and why they might be so different.
  • Animals: Miniature horse, Guinea pig, Medium parrot, Turtle, Frog.

FRIDAY

  • Theme: Compassion for Critters – Find out why we should value each animal and explore what we can do to help them.
  • Animals: Sheep, Dog, Chicken, Ball python snake, Leopard gecko.

Additional services and fees

Lunch - Monday $12.00
AM Care - Monday $11.00
PM Care - Monday $22.00
Lunch - Tuesday $12.00
AM Care - Tuesday $11.00
PM Care - Tuesday $22.00
Lunch - Wednesday $12.00
AM Care - Wednesday $11.00
PM Care - Wednesday $22.00
Lunch - Thursday $12.00
AM Care - Thursday $11.00
PM Care - Thursday $22.00
Lunch - Friday $12.00
AM Care - Friday $11.00
PM Care - Friday $22.00
Critter Camp Water Bottle $6.00
HWAC Patch $6.00
Sticker $3.00
Critter Camp Pin $10.00
Critter Camp Patch $6.00

Registration period

Registration for this schedule starts on 12/23/2025 and ends on 04/03/2026

Restrictions

Participants must be 4 years or older when the program starts..

Spring Camp Wk3 (04/06/2026-04/10/2026)

Spr Camp Weekly (Spr Camp Daily $102.00 USD)
$408.00 USD
  • Mon9:00 am - 3:00 pm (PST)
  • Tue9:00 am - 3:00 pm (PST)
  • Wed9:00 am - 3:00 pm (PST)
  • Thu9:00 am - 3:00 pm (PST)
  • Fri9:00 am - 3:00 pm (PST)

Description

MONDAY

  • Theme: Critter Communication – We can communicate our feelings in various ways, like smiling, singing or saying a phrase, but not all animals can. Find out how each animal expresses themselves.
  • Animals: Dog, Rabbit, Large parrot, Bearded dragon, Madagascar hissing cockroach.

TUESDAY

  • Theme: Happy Habitats – Come discover what makes a habitat a home and how the changing seasons affect the inhabitants.
  • Animals: CA desert tortoise, Rabbit, Dove, Skink, Earthworm.

WEDNESDAY

  • Theme: Daily Diet – Without a supermarket, animals diets may change with the seasons depending on what foods are available. Depending on what the animal usually eats determines it's diet category. Come learn about them all and uncover how each animal acquires its food.
  • Animals: Goat, Chinchilla, Small parrot, Rosy or sand Boa snake, Blue death-feigning beetle.

THURSDAY

  • Theme: The Cycle of Life - Unearth the reasons why spring tends to be the baby season and learn about the different lifecycles of different species and how and why they might be so different.
  • Animals: Miniature horse, Guinea pig, Medium parrot, Turtle, Frog.

FRIDAY

  • Theme: Compassion for Critters – Find out why we should value each animal and explore what we can do to help them.
  • Animals: Sheep, Dog, Chicken, Ball python snake, Leopard gecko.

Additional services and fees

Lunch - Monday $12.00
AM Care - Monday $11.00
PM Care - Monday $22.00
Lunch - Tuesday $12.00
AM Care - Tuesday $11.00
PM Care - Tuesday $22.00
Lunch - Wednesday $12.00
AM Care - Wednesday $11.00
PM Care - Wednesday $22.00
Lunch - Thursday $12.00
AM Care - Thursday $11.00
PM Care - Thursday $22.00
Lunch - Friday $12.00
AM Care - Friday $11.00
PM Care - Friday $22.00
Critter Camp Water Bottle $6.00
HWAC Patch $6.00
Sticker $3.00
Critter Camp Pin $10.00
Critter Camp Patch $6.00

Registration period

Registration for this schedule starts on 12/23/2025 and ends on 04/10/2026

Restrictions

Participants must be entering grades kindergarten to 6.

Spring Camp Wk3 PreK (04/06/2026-04/10/2026)

Spr Camp Weekly PreK (Spr Camp Daily PreK $102.00 USD)
$408.00 USD
  • Mon9:00 am - 3:00 pm (PST)
  • Tue9:00 am - 3:00 pm (PST)
  • Wed9:00 am - 3:00 pm (PST)
  • Thu9:00 am - 3:00 pm (PST)
  • Fri9:00 am - 3:00 pm (PST)

Description

MONDAY

  • Theme: Critter Communication – We can communicate our feelings in various ways, like smiling, singing or saying a phrase, but not all animals can. Find out how each animal expresses themselves.
  • Animals: Dog, Rabbit, Large parrot, Bearded dragon, Madagascar hissing cockroach.

TUESDAY

  • Theme: Happy Habitats – Come discover what makes a habitat a home and how the changing seasons affect the inhabitants.
  • Animals: CA desert tortoise, Rabbit, Dove, Skink, Earthworm.

WEDNESDAY

  • Theme: Daily Diet – Without a supermarket, animals diets may change with the seasons depending on what foods are available. Depending on what the animal usually eats determines it's diet category. Come learn about them all and uncover how each animal acquires its food.
  • Animals: Goat, Chinchilla, Small parrot, Rosy or sand Boa snake, Blue death-feigning beetle.

THURSDAY

  • Theme: The Cycle of Life - Unearth the reasons why spring tends to be the baby season and learn about the different lifecycles of different species and how and why they might be so different.
  • Animals: Miniature horse, Guinea pig, Medium parrot, Turtle, Frog.

FRIDAY

  • Theme: Compassion for Critters – Find out why we should value each animal and explore what we can do to help them.
  • Animals: Sheep, Dog, Chicken, Ball python snake, Leopard gecko.

Additional services and fees

Lunch - Monday $12.00
AM Care - Monday $11.00
PM Care - Monday $22.00
Lunch - Tuesday $12.00
AM Care - Tuesday $11.00
PM Care - Tuesday $22.00
Lunch - Wednesday $12.00
AM Care - Wednesday $11.00
PM Care - Wednesday $22.00
Lunch - Thursday $12.00
AM Care - Thursday $11.00
PM Care - Thursday $22.00
Lunch - Friday $12.00
AM Care - Friday $11.00
PM Care - Friday $22.00
Critter Camp Water Bottle $6.00
HWAC Patch $6.00
Sticker $3.00
Critter Camp Pin $10.00
Critter Camp Patch $6.00

Registration period

Registration for this schedule starts on 12/23/2025 and ends on 04/10/2026

Restrictions

Participants must be 4 years or older when the program starts..

In-person location

Humane Education Campus: 6447 Helen Woodward Way, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067, USA

Description

Spring Critter Camp lets kids in San Diego explore animal life during the season of renewal, from senses and eating habits to unique parenting styles. Campers will reflect on fostering compassionate relationships with animals and the planet through hands-on animal interactions, crafts, games, and activities.

Each day campers will

  • Create a craft related to the theme
  • Participate in a class activity focusing on the theme
  • Enjoy a team-building game!

Preschool Notes

  • PreK has an afternoon rest period in order to extend their camp to the full length like the other grades. This isn't a nap, although cots are provided, but a time to regroup and bring the energy of the day back down through stories and quiet games before proceeding into the remaining camp activities.
  • Children must be able to confidently use the bathroom on their own, including wiping.
  • Children under 5 cannot pet reptiles.

Itinerary

Campers rotate locations and activities every 20-40 min. They meet 5 different animals through presentations with interactive components that are dispersed throughout the day. Campers also have a snack time which includes some free play, a lunch time which includes some free play, and class activities and games. Activities are interspersed between the breaks and games.

  • 8:45-9:15: check in period, campers free play on assigned playgrounds.
  • 9:15-9:30: the class will circle up to discuss the day, camp rules, and icebreakers.
  • 10:10-10:50: snack period. Depending on number of classes running, some groups might be staggered back by 20 min.
  • 11:30-12:20: lunch period. Depending on number of classes running, some groups might be staggered back by 30 min.
  • 2:45-3:15: check out period. Campers stay circled up with their class and play quiet games and review their day.

Noteworthy

  • Snack is not provided. Lunch can be purchased for an additional fee per child per day.
  • Drinks aren't provided, but we have drinking fountains and water bottle refill stations.
  • If your child has an aide at school and you plan to have them attend with your child, please call us at 858-756-4117 ext. 406 so that we can help them complete the fingerprint process. All aides MUST complete fingerprinting in order to attend.
  • All campers must be able to use the restroom confidently and on their own.
  • Animals assigned to a theme may vary depending on animal health, safety, and availability.
  • Extended care available to add-on which allows 8am drop off and/or 5pm pick up.
  • 15% off camp tuition for active military. Call us at 858-756-4117 ext. 406 for the coupon code.
  • Your camp fee may provide a partial tax credit, check with your tax professional to see if you qualify!
  • Your child may be eligible for a scholarship! Please visit our website by clicking to find out more https://animalcenter.org/programs-services/education/