Summer Camp Fast Facts

• Students starting grades 2-8 in fall 2017 may attend. Our program is not designed for younger students.
• Camp Sessions are Monday through Friday (5 days) including the week of July 4.
• Monday-Thursday hours are 9:30 AM to 3 PM. On Fridays only camp is extended one hour to 4 PM for the Student Pizza Party and our Family and Friends Student Art Show.
• Camp gate opens at 9:10 AM daily and is closed at 3:45 PM daily. Art Farm is not open to the public unless camps, classes, or workshops are in session. When we are not in session, the gate is closed and locked. For appointments, contact us at director@CarlsbadArtFarm.com
• We do not offer early drop-off or late pick-up.
• Students bring their own lunch, water bottle, and a morning snack. We supply an afternoon snack. If a student has an allergy or diet restriction, parents need to pack two snacks. We supply water.
• Students bring their own sunscreen and bug spray as needed. We don’t have a lot of bugs.
• Camp dress code requires that students wear clothing appropriate to our woodland/hobby farm environment. Shorts should be mid-thigh or longer. For safety, sturdy shoes and socks are required at all times. Sandals and flip-flops are not allowed.
• All art materials are included with tuition.
• Camp starts promptly every morning. Please make every attempt to arrive on time.

Class Structure and Student Placement

Carlsbad Art Farm is a large woodland habitat that can accommodate up to fifty students per session. Students are placed in one of three tent-based outdoor classrooms by grade. Each classroom site is secluded from the others and has its own staff and curriculum. This system allows us to work with students according to their age. Our oldest students have the most secluded site by design because we understand they want separation from the younger students.

From session-to-session, we work to accommodate requests from parents for students coming with friends to be placed in the same group as their friends. Most of the time we can accommodate requests but not if there is a significant grade-level gap. For example, we cannot place a Grade 2 student in a class with Grade 4 and up students.

Class size varies slightly from session-to-session depending on our enrollment and age spread of students, but generally there are 18 students or fewer per class. Each class has a lead instructor, assistant instructor and a teaching assistant. This assures that every student has lots of one-on-one instruction.

A Typical Art Farm Camp Day

Each camp session is a journey from the opening camp bell on Monday to the closing Family and Friends Art Show on Fridays. During the week we will introduce students to a variety of art techniques in drawing, painting and printmaking with a press that focus on learning to observe closely and skill building, and how artists use these tools to create original work.

Students generally have two art classes in the morning and one in the afternoon. The classes incorporate the woodland and creek environment, farm animals as living models, story telling, animal exhibits on loan from the San Diego Natural History Museum, and more. The outdoor class setting, access to animals, and one-on-one attention from instructors keep these classes engaging for girls and boys.

Between structured classes students go on walks to our creek (and walks in the creek) with counselors, visit animals in barns and corrals, enjoy free time exploring the terrain, and generally just enjoy being here. Most don’t want to leave at the end of each day.

A highlight of each week for our two oldest groups is getting ready for the Art Farm Boat Pageant and Creek Races. Students make small boats during the week, win prizes for designs, and then get to race their boats. Our youngest students work at making fairy houses during the week for installation in the fairy village. What a magical surprise it is for them when the woodland fairies leave them tokens of appreciation on Friday morning!

Is Art Farm a Good Fit for Your Child

Most likely the answer is yes. On rare occasions we will get a student for whom Art Farm is not the right fit, but generally kids love being here. If a kid really, really hates art classes then it’s probably not the right camp for that child. For kids that love art it’s a no brainer. For kids who are on the fence about art or feel like they are not good at art - but love animals and the outdoors – it’s likely they will love the Art Farm camp experience. Our art instructors are here to guide them and we know these kids will come away with a new confidence in their artwork.

Enrollment, Waitlist, and Cancellation Refunds

All enrollments are online. We continue enrolling throughout the summer on a space available basis. To determine if space is available for any given session, click on your desired session and it will tell you how many spaces remain available for that session. If it says “0” then there are no more spaces available for that session.

If a session is full you may request placement on a waitlist by emailing us at director@CarlsbadArtFarm.com. We do not take waitlist requests by phone. In the email subject head write “Waitlist Request”. In the message, provide us with the session number you’re interested in and contact information.

Partial cancellation refunds for the 2017 Summer Camp season will be given through May 31, 2017. We do not offer refunds after that date. There is a $100 non-refundable deposit per tuition. Refund requests must be submitted and received by email no later than the May 31 deadline. We do not take refund requests by phone. To request a cancellation refund, email us at director@CarlsbadArtFarm.com. In the subject head type "Camp Cancellation Request". In the message, provide the name used for your credit card payment, the session you need cancelled, and the first and last name of the enrolled students. We will notify you within 24-hours of receiving your request. If you don't hear from us in that time it's because we didn't receive your email.

Where is Carlsbad Art Farm

Art Farm is located in an undeveloped coastal valley. The Art Farm address is 5855 Sunny Creek Road, Carlsbad, CA, 92010. The Art Farm property is not open to the public and is inaccessible when camps, classes, and workshops are not in session. When we are not in session visits are by appointment only. For inquiries email us at director@CarsbadArtFarm.com

The road in to Art Farm is a half-mile down an unpaved road, with the nearest intersection being where College Blvd dead-ends on Sunny Creek Road. Centrally located near the Village of Carlsbad, Art Farm is minutes away from Palomar Airport Road and the I-5 Freeway. We draw students from the surrounding communities of Carlsbad, Rancho Santa Fe, Encinitas, La Costa, Solana Beach, La Jolla, Carmel Valley, Cardiff, Del Mar, San Marcos, Vista, and Oceanside.

Because of our location near coastal resort towns, we also draw out-of-state and international students on summer vacation. In past seasons we have welcomed visiting students from Russia, China, Britain, Spain, France, Mexico, and Argentina.