Urban Adventure Camps

My rising 3^rd and 5^th graders loved this camp, and want go back. These are the same two children who whine about walking two blocks when they’re with their parents. But, after walking several miles, they returned from this camp each day happy (though tired) having had a a unique adventure and an opportunity to learn some practical skills about navigation. The counselors were great with kids and very organized. And the pictures they send throughout the day and at the end of each day are a great record of good memories. Thanks, Urban Adventures!

I cannot rave enough about how this week has gone for my 12yo and 9yo sons! They are doing the art week, and it’s absolutely fantastic. First of all they are in a group of 7 kids with 2 counselors! The counselors tweet photos and updates every couple hours, so we see them and know where they are. In one week they’ve learned about more artists and types of art, and started doing more art, than ever before. They keep saying how much they love Urban Adventure Camp and how they can’t wait to go back. This from 2 boys who are usually resistant to camp and dislike new situations. Lowell, Jessica and Mike were all fantastic with my boys. I wish you would do this camp in Paris, London and Rome, as well!

Re-​reading my review I can’t believe my boy is now 14 ½. He has gone to UAC every summer at for least two sessions since that first session, and still LOVES it! This summer he did the Active camp (his third Active session) and the Culinary Camp, which he couldn’t stop talking about. I really thought that by this age he would be to «cool» to go to camp, but he says he never wants to stop going. He has already asked to be signed up next year, and I jokingly told him that I could see him still going when he is 25, and he responded «well, I will!»
Mike and the other counselors are fabulous with the kids, my son always makes friends and when I pick up at the end of the day, the kids all seem to be having fun together. I Love this camp!

This is my son’s second year at Urban Adventure Camp. My son comes home very day tired and happy. He loves it! It is a great way to learn about the Bay Area and I love that he is learning how to navigate the public transit system. I also like being able to follow his day through the pics UA puts on Twitter. Highly recommend!

My son had a blast at this camp. The staff, kids, and adventures make this camp exceptional. My son experienced more in one week than any other camp could have shown him. I especially loved their use of public transportation and keeping us parents up to date as the day went in with tweets and tons of pictures! We will definitively return to this camp.

Urban Adventures is the BEST camp ever! I cannot say enough great things about it. It is good for boys, it is good for girls, it is good for anyone that wants to explore the Bay Area and is up for adventure. The counselors are fabulous and connect with the kids on so many levels and the places they go are truly amazing.
We have now being doing Urban Adventures for 4 years (3 with my son and 1 year with my daughter — my son was mad that he couldn’t go this year but it didn’t work out). If you have an extra week this summer sign up for Urban Adventures — you will not be disappointed. This is one of our goto camps and we will be back next summer, if not later this summer if we have another week to spare…

Fantastic camp – the staff «got» the kids, planning the adventures was a great challenge (give them a budget in the future to make it even harder!), the hours much more ideal for working parents, the spontaneity was awesome – we will see you next year!

This is a great week of camp for kids– I have had a 12y/​o enjoy it and 9y/​o olds also love it. They come home exhausted and with a new found excitement for the Bay Area and public transportation. we will be back next year!

My 12 year old son loves this summer camp. They go somewhere new each day of the week. I love it because the kids are going to museums, zoos, parks, and other educational places, and are having fun. The kid also learn how to get around the Bay Area though public transportation. Mike is the best!

One of my son’s favorite camps, always going to great places and they get to learn how to use public transportation. The Full Day time frame is wonderful as well. Mike also provides photos each evening so you can relive your child’s experience.

Dropping my 9 year old off at the BART station in Oakland was a big deal for us. But he wanted to do the art camp and the reviews on UA Camps were pretty solid so I decided to loosen up and let him do it. I am so glad I did!
The camp counselors tweet about every 1 – 2 hours throughout the day, telling us where they are or where they’re heading. They include photos, and it seemed to me that the balance of photos of all the kids was good. My son wasn’t in every picture but he was in a lot of them. Then at the end of the day you get anywhere from 200 – 500 photos of their adventures that day.
The camp size was small — I think about 8 kids with 2 counselors. They use bright yellow hats that the kids have to have visible at all times. They can attach them to their belt or wear them. So safety is a really big part of this camp.
As for what it offers to these kids — I think they undersell their camps. My son did the art camp, so he went to a different museum in the Bay Area every day. They choose museums that may not be the most famous or popular but are respected and offer something different each day. My point is that this isn’t something my kid is necessarily going to do on a field trip or a sightseeing tour. It seems to me that the focus of this camp is to show these kids THEIR Bay Area and the lesser known but valuable and high quality areas.
But, in all honesty, the museums are a small part of the day. What I noticed was that the kids didn’t just follow their counselor onto the train or bus. They spent time looking at maps and determining together how they were going to get to their destination. They didn’t limit themselves to the BART but took buses and ferries too. They also stopped for snacks in front of sculptures and other street artwork pieces.
Ok so how did my son like it? He came off the train the first day grinning. And he’s really not a grinner. So I thought, well of course they went to the Disney Museum. But the next day I asked if he liked the Disney Museum or the Asian Art museum better and he liked the Asian Art museum! I suspect it had a lot to do with what the adventure was that day (I think they went on the ferry and to a playground) but the point is that he had a great time.
I will definitely be sending my son back next year. This camp offers so much more than any other camp like it.

Mike is a wonderful, energetic guy who really shows the kids a good time. My 12 year old son loved the mix-​up camp. For his age group, I think it’s wonderful for him to learn how to get around the bay on public transportation. Very empowering AND fun. Every day he came home happy and tired. Thanks, Mike!

This year my 10-​year-​old son attended ‘Active’ camp. A whole week of incredible activities – kayaking, mountain biking, climbing. .. my son loved it. I can’t say enough wonderful things about Mike and his staff. This is an outstanding camp.

My girls (ages 9 & 12) love this camp! They both have some anxiety in new settings, crowds, and during unexpected situations. However, they didn’t have any of these issues during UA camp! This camp helped them build confidence and independence in a safe environment! And Mike is awesome!

My daughter, 11, loved the Mixup Urban Adventure Camp. We no longer live in the city and I was really happy she got to have a week exploring the city with her peers and the amazing counselors. They had camp during the Bart strike and I was impressed at the flexibility and resourcefulness. I also loved the daily tweets and the photos they sent via email each day. I’ve sent my kids to a lot of camps, and this is definitely one of the best. I appreciated the range of offerings and loved hearing her tell stories about the inner workings of navy ships!

I have never written a review on Unilocal or anywhere else, but this camp is too good not to share. My 13 year old son went for for a week last year and 2 weeks this year, and his very different twin sister joined him for a few days this year. Both of them loved it. They were eager to get there by 8 AM and still smiling and bubbling over with stories and information about their day when I picked them up at 5:00. The director Mike has seemingly boundless energy and appears to genuinely enjoy the kids, which is clearly mutual. Kids learn how to navigate the public transportation system, visit interesting museums and historical landmarks, and get exercise in a fun, educational way. The days are beautifully planned with breaks for snacks, wading in the water, throwing a frisbee or football, or watching the sea lions. And if BART is running late, Mike always has a fun game or other way to entertain them. And it’s fun to follow the kids on twitter during the day and see the many photos that Mike sends out at the end of each day.

Who knew «camp» could be educational and fun? The cost may be a bit higher than some of the other Summer day camps, but the quality of the excursions and people in the program totally warrant it. You will be glad when your kids come home with new knowledge and pleasantly exhausted.

Co-​founders Mike and Caitlin Dobson and their staff are passionate about making education a true adventure for your child. The program allows the scientist, artist, musician or mathmatician in your child to explore these pursuits with likeminded peers in a safe and fun environment. Our visiting niece had a blast!