Boys and Girls Club, Redmond/Sammamish Branch: EX3 TEEN CENTER

They won’t let any bands use their facilities because their building is having sound issues. So there is a perfectly good drum set that no one can use. Drum sets are very expensive, something my band can’t afford. They are really putting the resources this city has to waste.

This review is primarily for the summer Teen and Tween day camps (two separate camps), not for the after-​school drop-​in events (which I heard were great, but my kids have never attended).
My two kids have been going to the Boys & GIrls Club day camps ever since they were wee tots (they’ve gone to the B&G camps based out of Redmond Elementary School or Einstein Elementary, for many, many years). All have been wonderful day camps, with attentive, fun staff members, and involved daily age-​appropriate activities and crafts and outings. My kids loved them. Now that the kiddies are older, they’ve been going to this new Teen Center in Sammamish for the Teen and Tween day camps. And they ADORE it!
(If you knew how difficult it was to please a high schooler and a middle schooler, you’d understand how pleased I am we found a camp that both my kids love!).
Essentially, the Teen and Tween camps take the kids on a separate field trip every day. It could be to a movie, or bowling, or Seattle Center, or a water park. It could be to a beach, or the EMP, or a park or the Fun Center. It could be to a Mariners’ or a Storm game. Some weeks there’s a mid-​week overnight camping trip. The kids are never bored.
We went to another B&G Club Teen camp one session one summer (I’ll not mention which one), and we returned to to this Sammamish one, despite it being further away from our home, as this Sammamish group was WAY more organized, and we liked the staff more (they had more control on the kids and we found them more personable). Also, this facility is SO new and beautiful and airy!
A few features I LOVE about this camp: they will offer financial scholarships to families in need. This has saved MANY a summer for my kids and I’m forever in debt to this organization for helping us out when needed. Also, as a working mom, I can’t tell you how great it is that this camp has early drop-​offs and late pick-​ups for NO extra charge. This is a real rarity in the day camp world, and it has been a godsend to our family.
Just a great, great day camp, and a great, great organization.