San Francisco
This dance and yoga studio spends its summer in Balboa Terrace, and offers children from 4-10 years old the opportunity to practice dance, theatre, yoga, arts and crafts, circus, and of course French, in their bilingual classes. Petits Pas welcomes 10 children a week from June 4th to 29th. 9am-3pm, with the possibility of daycare up to 4pm. $450 a week, an extra $60 for child care.
399 San Fernando Way, San Francisco, CA 94127.
Immersion guaranteed: at French Playdate, thanks to Asterix, Tintin, or Lucky Luke, you can have fun, practice French, and explore the neighborhood’s playgrounds. Located in Excelsior, French Playdate welcomes 6-8 children from 4-10 years old per week, from July 9th to August 24th. 9am-3pm, with the possibility of childcare from 8am to 5pm ($8.00 per extra hour). This is a true immersion camp for kids who already speak French. $300 a week, or $60 a day. Meals for $25 a week.
696 Edinburgh St, San Francisco, CA 94112.
The Alliance Française
From June 11 to August 10, children between the ages of 5 and 11 will explore “20 leagues under the sea,” take on the challenges of Fort Boyard, marvel at the Little Prince, and follow in the footsteps of Cro-Magnon and medieval knights of the Middle Ages. All supervisors are French-speaking; activities in the morning focus primarily on language skills. 9am-4:30pm, with daycare from 8:30am to 5:30pm. $398 per week; $10 per day for the morning child care center or $45 per week, $20 per day for the afternoon child care center or $95 per week.
1345 Bush Street, San Francisco.
EFBA takes over the premises of the Italian school La Scuola from June 18 to August 3. Children from 4-10 years old are supervised by French-speaking instructors, who hold BAFAs (a degree young people get to take care of children). Themes change every week: Jeux sans frontières, Marsupilami, Harry Potter, Jules Verne… adventures will not be missed. This is a French immersion camp, but non-fluent French speakers are welcome as well. 8:30am-3pm, with the possibility of daycare up to 6pm. $450 a week, plus an extra $95 for child care. Discounts for EFBA members, and multiple bookings.
735 Fell St, San Francisco, CA 94117.
North of San Francisco
Le Lycée Français of San Francisco in Sausalito
Three types of bilingual camps are on the agenda this year: Versailles (June 25-July 6), Soccer (July 9-August 24), and Heroes (July 23-August 17). For the San Franciscans, a shuttle is chartered from the Ashbury campus to Sausalito. The camps are aimed at children 5-12 years old, as well as children 3-4 years old who are already in school (except for the soccer camp). 9am-4pm, with daycare for Versailles and Heroes from 8am to 5:30pm ($25 extra per day, $110 per week). $390-$410 per week.
610 Coloma Street, Sausalito; Le Lycée Français de San Francisco, 755 Ashbury Street, San Francisco.
Take the same formula, themes, and commitment to the French language at the EFBA camp in San Francisco, and transplant it 1 hour further north to the French charter school. This is a French immersion camp, but non-fluent French speakers are welcome as well. (Note that the rates are slightly lower.) $370 per week from 8:30am to 3pm, $65 for the daycare up to 6pm. Discounts for EFBA members, or multiple bookings.
Santa Rosa French-American Charter School, 1350 Sonoma Avenue, Santa Rosa.
South of San Francisco
Sea, Surf and Fun in Half Moon Bay
Learning to surf in French, isn’t that the dream? The surf school founded by Frenchman Fabien Franch in Half Moon Bay offers a camp from June 11 to August 3. The morning is devoted to surfing, with two hours of lessons on the Princeton Jetty, while the afternoon is reserved for various activities (beach soccer, harbor visits, walks, etc.). 9am-3pm. $350 a week, or $80 a day. Equipment is provided.
531 Obispo Road, El Granada, CA 94018.
Au P’tit Monde de la Péninsule (The Little World of the Peninsula) in Palo Alto
Children from 2-6 years old are welcome for full immersion in French, from June 29 to August 7. You can register for 2, 3, or 5 days. Every week, a new theme: fairy tales, world instruments, circus, and farm animals are just a few. Bonus: meals are provided, so goodbye lunch boxes! (You don’t have to speak French to attend this camp.) 8am-5pm. $200-$625 per week depending on the number of days.
1980 Clarke Avenue, E. Palo Alto, California 94303.
The French-American School of Silicon Valley offers four thematic camps (animals, around the world, the 5 senses, and space) from June 18 to July 13. Every week there is an excursion to the swimming pool, park, or museum. Children from 3-10 years old are welcome in this bilingual French-English setting. To register, you must first complete an online information form and then FASSV sends a second form to confirm your registration. 9am-3pm, with the possibility of daycare up to 6pm. $350 per week ($280 for the week of July 4), an additional $100 for child care.
FASSV, 1522 Lewiston Drive, Sunnyvale, CA 94087.
A program in all respects similar to the EFBA programs offered in San Francisco and Santa Rosa. 8:30am-3pm, with the possibility of daycare up to 6pm. $450 per week, and an additional $95 for child care. Discounts for EFBA members, or multiple bookings.
Yew Chung International School of Silicon Valley, 310 Easy Street, Mountain View.
In the East Bay
The Berkeley Bilingual School offers two camps, one for mini campers (3-5 years old) and one for juniors (6-10 years old), from July 23 to August 17. The young children will explore the wonderful world of fairy tales, animals, continents, and the sea, while the older ones will do sports, arts, and crafts. Wednesdays are dedicated to outings to places like the Exploratorium, the zoo, and the Chabot Space center. This program is open to children who speak French or are learning French. 9am-4:30pm, with free childcare from 8am to 6pm. $430 for the week when reserved before April 1, $455 until July 1, $500 thereafter.
Berkeley Bilingual School, 1009 Heinz Ave, Berkeley, CA 94710.
A program in all respects similar to the EFBA programs offered in San Francisco, Santa Rosa, and Mountain View. 8:30am-3pm, with the possibility of daycare up to 6pm. $450 per week, and an additional $95 for child care. Discounts for EFBA members, or multiple bookings.
East Bay International School EBGIS, 1070 41st St, Emeryville, CA 94608.
