2026 SUMMER STEAM CAMPS
POLICIES & PROCEDURES
Camp Dates: June 15-July 24th, 2026.
Location: Vieja Valley School, 434 Nogal Dr. Santa Barbara, CA 93110
Art Explorers/Terrific Scientific offers 60+ hands-on summer camps in art, science, engineering, and technology for rising K–7th graders. So many exciting options… so few weeks of summer! Click on the dropdown menu above by grade level to see the camp descriptions and schedule!
Camp Information:
- Camp Arrival and Drop-off is 8:30 – 8:50am. Campers meet other campers, play games and participate in a science demo in the Courtyard. At 9am – campers go with their counselors to their specific camp & classroom.
- Camp Ends at 3:30pm. Pick up for campers is 3:30-3:45pm in the courtyard. Campers will be grouped by their camp with their counselor in the courtyard.
- Aftercare is available Monday-Friday 3:30-5:30pm and must be registered for in advance.
Follow These Steps:
- Know the name of your child’s camp to ensure check-in is smooth and easy for all families. It is easy to forget camp names…so be sure to review your child’s camps by going to: https://campsself.active.com/artexplorersterrificscientific and enter your ACTIVe login and password. Check that ALL names of people who can pick up your child are listed in your ACTIVE account.
- Camper Check-In is 8:30-8:50, Park your car in the school parking lot and walk your child to our check-in tables on campus.. Look for the name of your child’s camp at the check-in tables and check-in there. Please be on time! Parents say goodbye at the registration table. Our counselors will escort all campers to the courtyard events.
- Campers start their day by joining their friends and camp mates in the courtyard to participate in games and a daily science demonstration! This courtyard time encourages kids to meet other kids AND helps us organize campers to proceed as a group to their classroom.
- For Pick-Up of your child, 3:30-3:45, park your car in the school parking lot and walk to the check-in location. Look for your child’s camp group, via the BIG SIGNS with NAME of each CAMP! For your child’s safety, they must be checked out with their counselor. Any remaining campers will go to Aftercare to be picked up and a daily fee of $20 is charged, payable same day.
- To Pick-Up Early or Drop-Off Late, please send an email on the day of the event to the director. When you arrive come to the check-in tables and we will meet you there.
Authorized Pick-Up Persons
- ALL persons authorized to pick up your child MUST BE listed in your ACTIVE account. Your child will not be released without the name.
- Click to enter your account and add names: https://campsself.active.com/artexplorersterrificscientific On the right side of the web page, click on “Manage Authorized Pick-up” Then choose “+add pick-up” under participant name and click on SAVE.
Parent/Child “Campus Walk About” – Tuesdays, 3:30pm
On Tuesday, pick up your child and let them give you a guided tour of the lovely Vieja Valley campus and their classroom. This is an informal walk about!
Aftercare is available from 3:30-5:30pm and must be signed up for in advance. In the event of an unanticipated situation, a camper can enroll for one day by emailing or talking with the Director. Fee is $20 daily. Aftercare includes outside game time, inside creative projects and reading time depending on their interest. Occasionally, we have a “child appropriate” movie that campers can choose to watch.
Late fees are charged at $1.00 per minute past 5:30pm.
Please keep your child home if they show any signs of sickness (cough, sore throat, fever, body aches, headache) or have been exposed to Covid or Flu. Please do a COVID test and inform us if your child does test positive so that we can take action to mitigate its spread.
Forgot to ADD Aftercare when you registered? Follow these directions to add:
- Go to: https://support.activenetwork.com/camps/articles/en_US/Article/Add-Session-Options-Merchandise-after-Registration-via-Online-Account-Camp?searchIn=allTypes
- Next, enter your own ACTIVe Account & complete order via this link: https://campsself.active.com/artexplorersterrificscientific
Daily Schedule…a typical day!
8:30-8:55 Courtyard Events
- Science Demonstration & Games
9:00am Specific Camp Activities
-
- Tribes Activity: Get to Know You
- Project Time: Camp lesson/project -1.5 hr.
- Break: OUTDOOR snack//bathroom break-15 min
- Project Time: Camp lesson/project-1 hr.
Mid-day: Lunch/Outdoor Play – 60 min
Afternoon: Specific Camp Activities
-
- Tribes Activity – Get to Know You
- Project Time: Camp lesson/project-1.25
- Break: OUTDOOR snack/bathroom break -15 min
- Project Time: Camp lesson/project – 1 hr.
- Finish up/clean-up: Move out to pick up area -10 min.
3:30-3:45 Camper Pick UP in Courtyard
What Makes a Successful Camp Experience
Critical to a successful camp experience is that your child knows the content of the camp and the name of the camp in which they are enrolled. Be sure that both you and your child have read the camp description and that it is a good fit. Encouraging your child to try something new is always a positive effort, but ensure your child knows what they are trying!
Saying Goodbye to Your Camper:
If your child has never been to camp before, or you know your child has difficulty separating from you, please go over the schedule of the day, talk with them about our check-in procedure and practice saying goodbye. Let them know that you will say goodbye at the registration table and that our counselors will escort them to the court yard for games and a science demo. We find it is easier for kids to “leave” their parent, rather than their parent “leaving them”. Stay super positive, check your own anxiety, and be clear with your child as to the procedure. Remind your child you will return to pick them up at the end of the camp day and to talk to their counselor about any questions or worries.
Behavior Expectations of ALL Children:
Have a conversation with your child about:
-
- How to make new friends. We do our part through Tribes Activities (anti-bullying program) to help children learn about each other and make new friends. If your child comes with a buddy, encourage them to include others and not isolate in a clique.
- Being KIND in words and in action. Kids are often exuberant to be with other kids in a fun environment. Please remind them to keep their hands to themselves and not wrestle, grab, roughhouse or get in another child’s face. Some children are adverse to being touched and it is important to respect body boundaries.
- Talking to their counselor. Encourage your child to express their thoughts, worries or excitement with their counselor.
- Participating actively in projects and activities. Encourage your child to try new things they may not have done before, and to abide by camp rules and directions of counselors or directors.
- Use of inappropriate language. Sharing jokes that are hurtful or disrespectful to other people, comments of a sexual nature, or making inappropriate bodily noises will result in the behavior being stopped and a parent conference required. Continuation of behavior may result in dismissal from camp.
- Exhibiting defiant or bullying behaviors toward others. If this occurs, we will stop the behavior and parents will be notified. Any continuation of such behaviors will result in dismissal from camp. Review what bullying means. Use this LINK to talk with your child.
What to Bring or Not Bring to Camp:
- Please pack a healthy snack and lunch, along with a water bottle daily. Please NO sodas, high sugar desserts, candy NUTS, or peanut butter sandwiches to camp. We frequently have campers with severe nut allergies and even tiny amounts can cause life-threatening or anaphylactic reactions.
- Campers should wear clothes that are easy to play in and get dirty plus closed-toe shoes!
- DO NOT bring cell phones or toys. Our camps follow the California Phone-Free School Act to limit phone cell usage during camp. If your child brings their cell phone to camp, they will be required to store it in their back-pack or in our phone basket in their classroom for the full camp day. Camp time is for kids to: make new friends, play with familiar friends, learn new & exciting things, have fun and stay off phone screens.
Cancellation Policy:
Our flexible cancellation and transfer policy allows you to make timely changes in your summer schedule or receive camp credit if your child cannot attend. Camp credit is good for 2 years. However, NO camp credit or refund is issued from 6/1-7/24. Read carefully our policies below for deadlines. We make decisions to run our camps based on enrollment and have the following deadlines for changes or cancellations. In the event, Art Explorers/Terrific Scientific must cancel a camp, your child will be transferred to another camp at no charge, or you will receive credit or refund for the camp. No refunds are given if you remove your child from camp due to a mask mandate or COVID testing requirement.
- Transfers between camps or weeks incur a $25 administrative fee and must be requested by email to complete.
- 24 hr cancellation – full refund. Use this link to self-cancel: https://campsself.active.com/ArtExplorersTerrificScientific
- 2/5-2/28 – $25 cancellation fee. Balance refunded to your credit card. Use this link to self-cancel: https://campsself.active.com/ArtExplorersTerrificScientific
- 3/1-4/30 – $50 cancellation fee per camp. Balance refunded to your credit card. Email to request cancellation.
- 5/1-5/31 – $50 cancellation fee per camp. Balance refunded Only to ACTIVE credit and future use up to 2 years. Email to request cancellation.
- 6/1 -7/24 – No refunds or credits will be issued. However, a transfer to another camp this summer is possible if there is available space and will incur a $25 administrative fee. Email to request transfer or cancellation.
Exceptions:
-
- If your child becomes sick during their camp week and is out for multiple days or the full week, we will credit your account or transfer them to a different week. This does NOT include pre-arranged or pre-scheduled treatments or appointments.
Why Choose Us for Your Child’s Camp This Summer?
Safety First:
We take physical safety and emotional safety very seriously. Children are supervised at all times and we have a zero tolerance for bullying of any type. We respect and affirm EVERY child, parent, and counselor, and will not tolerate any form of prejudicial or demeaning comments, jokes or actions. Children like adults do have disagreements and our staff work to resolve those conflicts in a caring and responsible way. Our goal is to provide an environment where children feel welcome and accepted, are assisted to get to know each other and make friends, and to be actively involved in their own learning. Please let us know at any time if you have concerns.
We strive to be NUT-FREE. Please do not bring nuts or peanut butter sandwiches to camp. We frequently have campers with severe nut allergies and even tiny amounts can cause life-threatening or anaphylactic reactions.
Please keep your child home if they show signs of sickness (cough, sore throat, fever, body aches, headache or have COVId or Flu). Please do a COVID test and inform us if your child does test positive so that we can take action to mitigate its spread. We reserve the right to institute masks to be worn in class or to require testing prior to attending camps in the event of an upsurge in COVID either in camp or in the Santa Barbara Community.
Inclusivity:
We are a welcoming environment for ALL children regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender. We affirm every child’s right to the name or pronoun they wish to be called. We use community building TRIBES Education activities to help children be inclusive, respectful, kind, and make new friends. Each classroom participates in activities that build community and develop a child’s social/emotional growth.
Staffing:
Our staff/child ratio is 1:12. Our male and female staff are comprised of teachers, professionals, graduate and undergraduate college students in the departments of science, art, engineering, medicine, education, computer science, and math. When hiring, our top priority is to have staff who LOVE working with kids, are smart, can communicate effectively with children and parents, and work together as a team. We have high expectations of our staff: warm, enthusiastic, engaging, a smile on their face, prepared for each day, and committed to making camp a wonderful experience for kids. We provide training to counselors in the curriculum they will teach, classroom management skills, safety rules, and Tribes education.
Cutting Edge Curriculum:
65 DIFFERENT Camps… the largest array of different camps in Santa Barbara County! We have created an unparalleled set of cutting edge programs designed for the young mind ages 5-14. Our philosophy is to develop a hands-on, minds-on, challenging STEAM program for girls and boys that lays the foundation for innovative minds, problem solvers and design thinkers of the future. Camp curriculum is inquiry based, developed by a team of professionals and “kid-tested” to ensure that camps are fun, full of learning concepts, and have a track record of being successful!
Communications
If you have questions or concerns about any aspect of our camps, our directors or instructors are available to talk with you. Our goal is always to have a positive atmosphere and experience for our campers, instructors and parents. Being respectful and modeling appropriate communications is critical for our kids to observe as well as to resolve any issues.
Administration of Medicine
If your child requires any medications during the time he/she is at the camp, please download this form and print it, fill in the required information, and bring it with the child on the first day of camp. Administration of Medicine Form (Click Link to Download Form)
Camp Evaluation Form
After your child returns home from Summer Camp, we ask that you fill out the online Camp Evaluation Form. Your input will greatly help us improve the camps and course offerings. We can’t wait to hear from you! Online Camp Evaluation Form.
