French Summer Day Camps

Parent Q&A

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  • Are there fun French language/culture camps for enthusiastic beginners? 
     

    Our child got interested in French and has been working with a tutor for 4 months. Still a beginner but very enthusiastic about learning and speaking French. I don’t speak French and I was hoping to find a fun program where they might be able to interact with other kids in a safe environment. 

    Ecole Bilingue in Berkeley offers summer camps although I believe because of Covid they are limiting it to current/incoming students only. You can also look into Alliance Francaise in San Francisco. I think they have summer camps for children.

    The Alliance Francaise de Berkeley has youth summer camps for children learning French in June. I'd start there! 
    https://www.afberkeley.org/en/learn-french/youth/#/

    Usually Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley (EB) has a French summer camp but this summer, because of Covid, it is limited to current/incoming students only.  You could see if the Renaissance School has a summer camp?  There is also a Francophone charter school in Oakland that may have recommendations.  On a related note, since middle school is only a few years off for your child, you should consider EB's international track middle school program.  It is a small program and great immersion opportunity.  Good luck!

    Bonjour,

    I've been very passionate about French for over a decade. Recently, found a place called Éducation Française Bay Area which offers virtual summer, spring and winter camps in French (called Le Club d'ÉFBA). After-school programs are available as well; check back post-COVID since there might be quite a few very interesting in-person activities.  Though I never took part in any camps (I'm way too old for that), I use their Virgule Collection resources. Based on the descriptions, think the topics discussed in the camps are fun and would recommend them to any Francophile toddler who wants to socialize. It's $180/wk of camp.  Here all the links:

    Le Club d'ÉFBA summer

    https://efba.us/french-summer-camps-bay-area/virtual-summer-camps/

    After-school programs:

    https://efba.us/french-lessons-bay-area/

    2) The L'Alliance Française SF is offering  in-person summer camps for 4-12 yr olds:

    https:/www.afsf.com/kids-and-teens/camps/#anchor-datesAndPrograms 

    And for dessert, I will give you some links I enjoyed using when I was a beginner.

    https://archive.ccsf.edu/Departments/Language_Center/fr1a_links.html

    https://www.thefrenchexperiment.com/

    French pronunciation exercises developed by one of my beloved teachers:

    https://archive.ccsf.edu/Departments/Language_Center/oll/french/navarro…;

    Amusez-vous bien (Have fun)!

  • Hello, I'm looking for French activities -- class, camp, group activities, anything at all! -- for my 13 year old this summer. Virtually all of the camps run by the French schools only go through age 12. I'm ideally looking for an immersion situation, but anything will do. She already speaks some French and understands quite a bit. Any suggestions at all are welcome! I am looking for daytime activities only, ideally in San Francisco but East Bay might be doable too. Many thanks for your suggestions.

    Check out the Alliance Française de Berkeley summer classes for youth.  My daughter is really enjoying the Saturday cooking classes!  http://www.afberkeley.org/en/learn-french/youth/

Archived Q&A and Reviews


Questions Related Pages

2010 - 2014 Recommendations


Summer Camps to Teach French

April 2014

We are moving to France in August with two children, who will be 9 and 11. We will be there for three years, and they will most likely go to French public schools. However, they do not know any French! We have started learning with a tutor once/week, but I would like to enroll them in a French summer camp so they can be a bit more immersed. Any first-hand recommendations for East Bay camps and/or classes that emphasize language? Oakland Mere


My daughter has done camps and classes at Bay Language Academy on Bayfarm in Alameda. Not cheap, but she enjoyed it and has learned some French. The camps are fun -- she started off resentful that I was forcing her to do two weeks of language camp, and after the first day she said, ''Maman, je veux parler francais!'' It's not hardcore immersion so I wouldn't expect that they'd be fluent in a month or two, but they might get enough of an ear to help when you move. Maman francophone


It sounds like the French Education in the Bay Area Summer Camp might be a good fit for your children. There are camps in several location but Berkeley would likely be the best fit for you. My son is too young to attend but we're looking forward to it. http://www.efba.us/summer-camp-berkeley Oakland Mere Aussi


2005 - 2009 Recommendations


Seeking French or Spanish immersion program for young children

April 2007

I am interested in finding some type of alternative language immersion program in Spanish or French for toddlers and young children under the age of 10. My children are in elementary school or preschool Monday through Friday during the school year, so I would like to find something held on Saturdays and/or during the summer months during the week. Although we live in Napa, I would be willing to consider anything in the East Bay, Marin County, Sonoma County or Napa County. I appreciate your ideas. Tiffany


The French-American International School in SF will be running a bilingual summer camp on the campus of Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley (at Ninth and Heinz in West Berkeley) this summer. It runs July 30-August 17, it's for preschool through 5th grade, and they have tracks for kids learning French and kids who are already bilingual. For more information, go to http://www.eb.org/EBnet/06-07/summer_camp.htm Jennifer


2004 & Earlier


French Camp for 4-6th graders?

March 2003

I am looking for a camp or summer program which would be appropriate for 4-6th graders to learn French. I am unable to find the summer camps run in the past by Sonoma State Foreign Language Depts on the internet. Any other prgrams in the east bay people have been happy with? I prefer an all day program for commute sanity. greg


Hi, There is a great summer program at La Bonne Cuisine in Berkeley. Arts & Crafts in the morning and cooking classes in the afternoon (or the opposite depending of the week) from June 16 until August 22. French native speakers with a deep passion for kids and healthy habits. The cost for 15 hours for the arts and crafts is $169 and for the cooking classes is $279. From ages 7 to 12. 12 kids per sessions max. Let me know if you want to register and if you need more info. But it's for sure a lot of fun and the kids love it ! Laura


Summer French for 5 to 6 year-old

Feb. 2002

Can anyone recommend a summer French language program for a 5 to 6 year-old English-speaking child here in the East Bay? Thanks. John


The only one French language camp I know of is this one: http://www.LaBonneCuisine.com/camp. Haven't tried it myself, but I think it's ok. The staff are native French speakers ( students ususally). You can also try asking the question on the Frenchparents.org web site. Caroline