CAMP EDMO-San Carlos

This review is specifically for the Belmont location, which meets at the Barrett Community Center on Ralston Ave. I rate this camp at 2.5 stars. It’s not a bad camp, as summer camps go, but at least for our family it didn’t live up to the hype that perhaps other locations have generated.
The staff members, while generally sweet and well organized, are young and inexperienced. Even the camp director seemed inexperienced and didn’t know how to communicate in a sensitive manner with my child or with me as a parent.
As far as camp activities go, it’s a mediocre review. My child enjoyed the Animal Survival and Airplanes weeks, even if the arts and crafts were incredibly rudimentary (e.g. paper bag beaver puppet, paper airplanes). During the Circuit Station week I ended up putting together daily activity packets to keep him occupied, since the camp director admitted that the curriculum was «boring» and that he wasn’t being challenged enough. Why they couldn’t think of backup activities, I don’t know…
The Barrett Community Center is a decent venue, with many classrooms, and a large playground and field to run around in. However, there is no air conditioning. On the days when temperatures were in the 90’s, the rooms were sweltering hot and muggy. I felt so bad for the kids and counsellors sweating it out all day like that, and opted to either pick up my child early or keep him at home when it got to be too much. Also, there is some kind of teen program that also meets at this venue, which is fine except when said teens are using profanity or making out right outside the Annex where young kids are in aftercare.
In sum, I don’t think this camp is worth the exorbitant fees they’re charging. Maybe it’s a different experience if you enroll your child with a group of friends, or if you have an older child who loves tech stuff. But for a younger child coming in on his or her own, I wouldn’t recommend it.

This was my daughter’s first camp… Every staff member was engaged, professional, compassionate, and full of energy. Thank you for setting the bar of what an exceptional summer educational program should look like. You will see my daughter next summer!

This camp at this location is very laid back, easy to manage (no big lines, no fuss at check-​in). IT is a small campus and inviting for kids who are shy or nervous about large groups.
My daughter enjoyed talking about this camp, and learned some basic science concepts, which she continues to explore on her own. To me, that is a success.
I am not giving it five stars only because five stars is what you give the Ritz Carlton. However, this is a really good camp, and as far as my role as a parent, I felt that the camp staff was:
1. Friendly
2. Safety conscious
3. Communicative
4. Flexible
5. Educated