Camp Captivate- Santa Clara

“This past summer was our first experience navigating the wild world of summer camps for our 6-year-old daughter. We tried several camps, and while many were perfectly fine, none came close to the expertise, organization, care, and passion that Ildiko and her team pour into Camp Captivate. Our daughter not only had a blast but also learned so much in a warm and supportive environment. The smaller, more intimate setting stood out in the best way, offering a refreshing change from some of the larger camps we tried. It’s rare for a 6-year-old and her parents to agree on the “best” camp, but when summer ended, Camp Captivate was the unanimous winner in our household. Thank you, Ildiko and team, for creating such a memorable experience! We’re already looking forward to next year! Go Camp Captivate!”

My son (current 4th grader) has enjoyed Camp Captivate immensely! The combination of science, art, and fun is the perfect mix. Whether it was through summer camps or an enrichment program at school, we cannot recommend Camp Captivate enough. The teachers and curriculum are high quality and really care about the campers. Being that it is a smaller camp, the personal touch from the administration is an added benefit. Camp Captivate feels like family!

My family has known Ildiko Stennis and Camp Captivate for the last 7 years. We always give our son the opportunity to pick the camps that he attends and he always picks Camp Captivate. With the covid-19 virus in full swing this past Spring we were faced with the uncertainty of what the Summer would look like and were so delighted when we learned that Camp Captivate would be available in a virtual format. I had so many questions, like how could this possibly work, but in my heart I knew that if anyone could pull it off it would be Ildiko Stennis and her team. And not for a single moment were we disappointed. From the registration process to the last day of camp we were met with creativity, knowledge, and professionalism. My son participated in three virtual camps and each one was engaging, informative, and led by instructors that clearly enjoyed what they were doing, I took an occasional peak at my son's screen during camp. My son was eager and excited for camp to start each day and he was provided with an enriching social and learning experience that my husband I would not have been able to offer. Thank you Camp Captivate and we hope to see you in person next year. And if the only possibility is a virtual format we will be there too.

Fabulous camp— great teachers, super well organized, well thought curriculum, excellent materials, variety of mixed activities throughout the day ranging from reading stories and physical activities to science. I love how the activities encompass hands on learning— lots of craft projects at the end of the week. One of the favorite part as a parent is to get daily updates on the activities and to discuss this with my kid at the dinner table. Also, to wrap up the week, I enjoy receiving YouTube video and pictures that summarize the week. Also, super Covid safe. My kid looks forward to coming every day and even asked if he could stay for the after care program. So glad I signed up for the entire camp schedule! We will definitely be back next year. Very well done by Ildiko and the team, keep up the excellent work!

My kids have attended this camp on and off over the years since it opened. I especially love the changing weekly themes and how they're incorporated into the campers' activities. My personal favorite was from when my daughter was little and she learned about building aqueducts and marching with shields just like the Romans. The camps include a lot of art activities and I've even got one of her (Renaissance themed?) paintings framed and hanging in our house. Last summer she participated in their leader in training program and got a kick out of helping the little kids with their projects. My younger son participated in one of the virtual camps this summer (Crime Scene Investigation) and was especially psyched to learn how to fingerprint stuff. He's in middle school and was able to do 99% of the camp without supervision. I only had to supervise for a few minutes while he burned some materials over a candle flame. Ildiko (the owner) has created awesome activities that highlight the historical and scientific content so well and the camp is very professionally run. The materials for the virtual camp were of good quality and we received a lot more stuff than I had even anticipated, including enough art supplies to last my kid through the rest of the summer. I try to support local businesses whenever possible and have known A LOT of families that have sent their kids to Camp Captivate programs and have never heard anything less than a glowing review.