Let’s Get Out & Get Dirty! Embrace your “sense of place” and get low to see what we know! We believe it is true that knowing what makes a space perfect for you, connects you to that place, and that place to the whole human race! Through art and naturalizing, running and climbing, going slow and getting low, we’ll explore “sense of place,” and practice “Leave no Trace.” We all know that dirt has been making our lunches since sunlight met chlorophyll. There is a lot more to dirt than peas and carrots. We’ll get to the bottom of what makes a great home, and shout it out from the top of wherever people roam!

Are you ready to dig in? Get out and get your hands dirty- put your minds to work as we journey beneath the surface of the Earth. We are the renegades of funky earth. Mesozoic mud contains the evidence that many dinosaurs had feathers, Cambrian calcified fossils like the novel Nautilus had spiraled shells and trilobites armored themselves before completely disappearing. 

Paleozoic Phish pushed life onto land, and Cenozoic made mammals and man. Time rages on and we have the opportunity to look into the past for inspiration and to fantasize about the future. Remember Geologic time moves slow, and so will we. It's summer after all- build a fort, climb a tree, hold a bug, smell the sea!

The Earth is changing — and so are we. This session we ask: How do we move forward in a way that helps life thrive? “Sweet Wild of Mine” is a week rooted in regeneration, rewilding, and hopeful action. It’s an invitation to grow-up slowly and embrace being a wild child, make memories that last and join a community that won’t turn its back! We’ll explore what it means to restore ecosystems, care for land, and rebuild relationships between people and nature. Together, we’ll imagine futures where cities breathe, ecosystems recover, and communities grow strong by caring deeply for each other and all living things. Where do we go now? Forward — thoughtfully, bravely, and wildly, together.

** This week is a BIGS camp-wide Field Trip Week, offering campers the chance to explore a special destination outside of San Francisco via chartered bus. All locations are familiar, well-loved sites Tree Frog Treks has visited in previous seasons. An additional registration fee supports transportation and entry costs. Please reach out to our team with any field trip questions.

Grab your cloaks and goggles — Wizard of Frogs is in session! This week blends chemistry, biology, and imagination as we explore the magic behind real-world reactions. From bubbling brews and color-changing potions to metamorphosis and natural cycles, we’ll uncover how transformations happen both in nature and in ourselves.

Is it magic? No, it's science! We’ll study frogs and other creatures of change, experiment with safe “wizardry,” and explore how observation, patience, and curiosity turn questions into discoveries. Magic isn’t just tricks — it’s noticing patterns, testing ideas, and believing in the power of change. Stir slowly, think boldly, and let your inner wizard leap!

Earth Dragons Unite! protecting our place in space. The magic of an earth dragon lies in their ability to envision a bright future through caring for and about planet earth as a living organism. To be an Earth Dragon is to stand up for the planet and all its inhabitants. The Lorax once said “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.” Who do you speak for? During this session, we will explore ecological cycles and the natural progression or evolution of life on earth. We will consider how to engage with our communities in efforts to support our environment and nature, on which all life depends. 

Every big idea starts with a tiny spark. This session celebrates invention, creativity, and the science of energy — both inside us and out in the world. Together we will explore light, heat, motion, and sustainable innovation while experimenting with hands-on projects that turn wonder into action.

We’ll investigate how ideas catch on, how energy moves through systems, and how collaboration helps sparks grow into something brighter. From glowing experiments to engineering challenges and creative problem-solving, this week encourages campers to take risks, share ideas, and fuel each other’s brilliance. When we work together, sparks become flames — and flames light the way forward. 

** This week is a BIGS camp-wide Field Trip Week, offering campers the chance to explore a special destination outside of San Francisco via chartered bus. All locations are familiar, well-loved sites Tree Frog Treks has visited in previous seasons. An additional registration fee supports transportation and entry costs. Please reach out to our team with any field trip questions.

Fun, Respect, Observation, and Generation! Learning from nature how to survive and thrive, Tree Froggers rise to the occasion- Building forts, searching for food, finding friends.. We’ll explore nature in the city and learn which plants we can eat, where other animals sleep, and how far we can leap. Frogs and toads are prey animals with adaptations to survive. An ecosystem with lots of frogs is healthy and alive. This session, our goal is to be bold, grow our community, and go with the flow. SHARE WHAT YOU KNOW SO THE WORLD CAN GROW!

Carry your spyglass and become a “super sleuth.” Using your P.O.O. powers (Powers Of Observation), find out “who done it?” What animals, plants or geological processes are responsible for what we find in the natural world. The FBIs are at large! Let’s investigate Fungus Bacteria and Invertebrates, and their ability as tiny organisms to make big changes in our world. During this session, we’ll use clues from nature to guess who might live here and what ecology might have in store for us. Grab your magnifying lens and get ready for some fun trekking and tracking.

Water and Light make life possible down here on our planet’s surface. From deep seas to the tops of the tallest tree canopies, the study of life is called biology. Why are there so many species? To answer that, we need to don our thinking caps, we’ll look high and low through all the biomes. During this session of San Francisco summer science, we’ll strive to uncover some of the secrets of ecosystems. How can so many organisms live together in them? Our bodies need proteins, carbohydrates and sugars to give us the energy to run, while plants get theirs from the sun. Beautiful biodiversity supports the needs of all living things under our atmosphere, it’s a bonanza out there and there’s nothing to fear- there's strength in biodiversity!

** This week is a BIGS camp-wide Field Trip Week, offering campers the chance to explore a special destination outside of San Francisco via chartered bus. All locations are familiar, well-loved sites Tree Frog Treks has visited in previous seasons. An additional registration fee supports transportation and entry costs. Please reach out to our team with any field trip questions.

Let’s join Madame Curi-osity on a journey to discover the philosophers’ stone, the highest prize in alchemy! Somewhere along the junction of chemistry, biology and art, nature thrives in a beautiful symphony of sound and color. During this session, we’ll use chemistry and art to practice transmutation. Together at the Alchemy Academy, we’ll have a chance to unravel the mysteries out in nature and within ourselves and create something new together!