Oakland YMCA day camps
I'm considering sending my daughter to the Oakland YMCA day camp (Splash camp) this summer. I'm looking for more recent feedback on experiences with either Splash Camp or the regular camp, particularly for children who aren't that into most sports. Thanks.
Feb 9, 2018
Parent Replies
Here's an honest review of the YMCA Oakland Day Camp.
Pros:
- Cost: It's among the most affordable camps you will find.
- Kids are safe.
- Camp counselors I saw were overall nice young folks with a couple of older folks.They aren't education specialists but kind hearted people that genuinely seem to like being around children.
- Swimming: Splash camp allows your kids to swim everyday. Regular camps allow once a week swimming.
- Food included: They feed your kid breakfast (bar, fruit and milk) and lunch.
Cons
- Parking is difficult for pick-up and drop-off. You can park in the garage which makes it easy but it's $1, so factor that into your overall cost. Street parking is hard to find and you have to feed the meter.
- Before/after care: This should be a pro as there aren't a lot of programs that offer before/after care without charging an additional fee but I was underwhelmed by what I saw for before care. All the kids (age 4 - 11 or so) were held in a small room with little space to move. It was loud. There weren't enough chairs or cubbies for all the kids that signed up for the program. Big kids run the show and adults aren't keeping an eye on all the kids.
- No free play time: my kids came home complaining that the YMCA doesn't let you have play time. The whole day must be extremely structured with no free play time. Even schools allow free play...
- No outdoor space: My kids also commented that they don't let you outside. The kids get plenty of physical activity in the gym but it's mostly indoors. They do go to the park one day and to the fairyland one day but they don't go outside everyday.
- Facility: It's not the Claremont Hotel. It's the Y. It's pretty run down but kids don't mind it. This doens't bother me but some adults may find it not up to their standards.
Overall, I think the camp is decent for the price. My kids seem to like it ok. They said it's better than school except not being able to play outside part and not having free play time. The fact that they aren't pitching a fight in the morning and I don't have to drag them out tells me that it's a fine place for kids to go. Not the best. Not the worst. And the price is what we can afford at this time.