Steve and Kate’s Camp – San Carlos

The camp is just bouncy houses set up and some arts and crafts stations inside basic classrooms. You are better off saving your money, letting your kids play at a park and taking them to Rocking Jump occasionally. The novelty of this camp wears off quickly with kids… most don’t go back for a second year.

After two summers of Steve and Kate’s in San Carlos, I have to say it’s no longer an option for my (now 10-​year-​old) son. He’s pretty shy, and is a bit of a loner. It takes him a while to become comfortable with new people. Suffice it to say, I think S&K is great for the kids who are self-​directed and extroverted. My son was willing to try new things, but his complaint was that an activity «was full,» or «they had already started the dance.» He’d walk into a room and be ignored. It sounded a bit cliqueish, actually. I really like the free-​form, self-​directed idea, but I wish the counselours would do more to encourage those kids on the edges to get involved. These are young children and some of them still need some hand-​holding and encouragement. I also sent my 4-​year-​old daughter (who is quite extroverted), but I was suprised at how awkward the counselour was with her. She was also very much left on her own. She’s FOUR, people! It’s probably great for those kids who don’t need any help having fun with a crowd, but for the shy kids I say beware. My son BEGGED me not to send him last year, so this year I’m listening and going elsewhere.

This was our first summer with Steve and Kate’s. My daughter’s both loved it. My 9 year old loved designing in the Style Studio and my 5 year old loved bread making. This is a great option if you have curious learners that enjoy a constructivist approach to learning/​creating.
Although the kids have the the opportunity to explore the different studios on their own, they have «huddles» where they can meet with their camp leaders and connect with other campers their age. The kinder leader also provides additional support to the littles and they even give you a little write up to let you know what your kinder was up to during the day. I appreciated their little notes letting me know when my daughter made a new friend or tried a new activity.
What I loved was the flexibility to drop in whenever. The staff and camp leaders were amazing with the kids and I felt at ease knowing my girls would have fun and be safe. Thank you Steve and Kate’s for making this a fun experience. My girls can’t wait for more shenanigans next year!

We definitely echo all that has previously been stated about Steve and Kate’s. From a child and parent perspective, this has been such a great experience. We loved hearing our daughter’s daily recap of what she did (e.g., yoga, bread making, game show, film making). We really appreciated how the camp provides the kids with the flexibility to explore and choose their own adventures each day. Although our daughter is sad that camp is coming to an end, she is really excited to come back next summer. We highly recommend Steve and Kate’s and have nothing but positives to offer about our collective experience.

I love Steve and Kate’s. This is my son’s second summer with them at the San Carlos location and I’m very happy with the service and attention they provide. My son is always excited to tell me about all the activities he did during the day and I trust in the staff and the safe and friendly atmosphere they create. I also appreciate the option of paying as you go and the ability to schedule camp days according to my busy schedule, instead of months in advance like most Bay Area camps.

Steve & Kate’s has been our go-​to camp for the summer. The flexibility of the program has been ideal for us, giving us flexibility to use days as we need them, and use shorter or longer days based on our schedule. They have enough structure and activities to keep the kids engaged and entertained, but there is also a lot of freedom to just play and have fun– which I think is a good thing. My daughter loves baking the bread there! And she participates in the other activities from ‘style studio’ to dancing to making animations. When I pick her up, she’s usually happy and a little bit worn out (but not overly so).
Weekly specials also add a little fun and variety– go-​carts have been my daughter’s favorite so far this summer.
The camp staff is accessible and responsive to feedback.
And my daughter has really liked the food too– they provide lunch and both morning and afternoon snacks.