AWARDS:
“My almost 6 year old just went to the winter break monkey business camp she LOVED it! Lots of creative activities and fun games. She’s making art at home and singing camp songs. Looking forward to spring break and summer camp. The staff were energized and knew my daughter by name. It felt good leaving her in a caring and sweet environment. I highly recommend Monkey Business Camps!!”
“The staff was so positive, calm, confident, mindful, unhurried, and extremely nurturing and engaging. Clearly they understand children and what children need to feel comfortable and have fun!”
“My 5 year old daughter had a wonderful time at Monkey Business Winter Camp. It was a life saver for us working parents, thank you so much!! She loved all the new songs she learned, especially ‘Shark Attack’, and all the arts and crafts activities. We look forward to sending her to Summer Camp!”
“My child was reluctant to go at first, but by the end of the camp session he didn’t want it to be over! The staff was so positive, calm, confident, mindful, unhurried, and extremely nurturing and engaging. Clearly they understand children and what children need to feel comfortable and have fun!”
SUMMER TILDEN PARK OUTDOOR CAMP:
“Our child had such a great time at camp. He came home excited to teach us some of the games he learned(Monkeyball, medic, the running in place while you name things in a category game). And he developed a deep love for making lanyards! I love the flexibility in the kids getting to choose their activities and the daily hikes.”
“She loved every minute of it. Always something new or different to do but with a predictable routine.”
“My daughter enjoys being outdoors and is looking forward to being a Counselor In Training next year. She likes seeing the familiar faces and experiencing camp traditions year after year. She definitely feels part of the MB family! “
“Our kids (ages 10, 9 and 6) all love Monkey Business! It is one of the few camps that all three of them agree on and ask to return to year after year. I love that they are outdoors all day in nature away from devices. The camp leaders are kind and fun. There are many choices of activities for the kids and they love that they get to choose. Highly recommend this camp!”
“My child really enjoyed having a variety of activities to do, the hikes and field trips in the park, and the counselors and junior counselors. He was always happy after we picked him up. “
“Camp was amazing! This has been an incredibly hard time for many kids and it was wonderful to get back into the world and just play, make new friends, explore, and be part of a community again. I’m so thankful to Heather and to everyone who made this possible! It really has a huge impact on feelings of self-worth and allows children to grow so much in their confidence and sense of connection with the world and people. Just thank you!!!”
“We are so grateful for the experience that Monkey Business Camp provided this summer. Our son had a wonderful time in Tilden: making new friends, playing so many games, and exploring the wilderness. He came home each day happy and full of exciting stories to share. The connections and experiences he had at camp brought out the best in him.”
“Monkey Business is everything a summer camp should be! Silly and fun, yet safe and well-organized. My kid can’t wait to go back next summer!”
“Safe environment where kids with varying strengths can explore themselves and their environment. In addition, a creative program with excellent staff.”
“This summer was our first taste of summer camps as my son just finished his first year of school- Kindergarten. To get a flavor or what camps were all about, I signed him up for a ton of camps – basically a different one every week. Toward the end of the summer, I needed to fill a few days and had heard through the mill that Monkey Business offered drop in days for the final two weeks. We live in Oakland, so it’s definitely a hike to get to Tilden, but let me just say that it could not have been more worth it. Of the probably 8 camps my son attended this summer, yours was by far his and my most favorite. Your camp just had this vibe that said, “this is what camp should be”. He LOVED it. He made friends, he met counselors, he explored the outdoors. I was so, so impressed with the quality of the counselors and with the kids and their attitudes. So easy going and fun.”
“Thank you for the wonderful weeks of camp for Sam this summer. He had a fantastic time and came home singing new songs at dinner every night. It seemed to me that Monkey Business was a great combination of organized and relaxed, fun and truly oriented around young people’s perspective. With appreciation…”
“Just wanted to send some feedback – this was our first time at Monkey Business. All the staff were wonderful. We loved the family feeling and the controlled chaos. Our child is already asking if she can return next year. Thanks again for offering such a wonderful program!”
“Once again, this was Josh’s favorite camp this year – it feels like a part of our family tradition now. Playing outside all day long in a beautiful setting with good friends (new and old), learning new things, making lanyards…it is what summer is all about and is the greatest. We will continue to tell our friends about it. Thanks!!!”
“Our eldest daughter went to Monkey Business for several years, and our younger daughters’ greatest wish came true when they were old enough to go, too. Monkey Business combines a wonderful mix of creativity, relaxation, and physically challenging hikes (walks WE could never get our children to do and on which they now lead us…) Although the camp has expanded to several sites, the warmth and enthusiasm of the staff have never lagged. We look forward to several more summers in Tilden Park.”
“I think this camp is one of the best in the nation. Gosh I really wish there was a Monkey Business Camp in the San Jose area. Keep up the great work!”
“We love Monkey Business. The staff is terrific. Not only are they warm, supportive, and experienced with young kids, but they obviously enjoy working with children (which — bizarrely — is not true of the staff at some of the summer camps around here). The folks who run Monkey Business have obviously thought out the program thoroughly in advance, so that nothing falls through the cracks. I love it that there is a time on the schedule every day for sun screening — no more sunburned kids because an overworked counselor forgot to suggest sun-screen and the kids were too busy playing to stop and request some! This is the kind of camp every kid should go to during the summer: they play games, they do crafts, they go swimming, they sing songs, they have a great time. What more could you ask for?”
“Anna had SUCH a fantastic time at Monkey Business this summer. Each day she’d come home glowing from all the activities and play. I’ve never seen Anna adjust to a new situation with such ease and (even) enthusiasm! The counselors and directors really took their time to connect with Anna, and she clearly felt a part of the Monkey Business community.”
“Our family has grown up with Monkey Business Summer Camp. Both children started in kindergarten or first grade, romping through the woods and at the lake in Tilden Park. When the older child reached 3rd grade, she moved on to Girls on the Go. She is now considering the CIT program, and the younger one has Girls at the top of her list of summer camps this year. The staff are wonderful role models, and they are the reason we continue to go back year after year.”
“I’m happy to get the chance to send up some ‘Hurrah!’ for the summer camp my son has attended all summer long for four years in a row: Monkey Business! A chum told us about it during kindergarten. My son (7) went for the first two weeks provisionally, but by the third day we had signed him up through August. That was it: his summers were set every year. And they were set OUTDOORS. As my son told me that first summer, Monkey Business campers go indoors only to use the loo. Otherwise, the sky is their roof, whether they are making cool crafts, cooking, hiking the trails in search of the fearsome banana slug, rolling their eyes (the boys) as the less inhibited campers sing obscure soul songs, playing long-story board games, or whiffle ball jai alai, or baseball, or other sports some of which appear to be pretty much improvised. They build forts too. Three months outside, all day long, not an iPad within furlongs. The best feature of Monkey Business, however, is the quality of personal leadership, on the ground & in the background with the ideas. Actual adults are pretty much everywhere, adults with GAME. A smart scheme of supervisors, younger counselors, and former campers now training to be counselors works very well with enthusiasm & support at every level. Have I missed anything? Probably a lot. I imagine I sound like a paid booster, but I am just a happy parent grateful for all the good in Monkey Business, which is delivered directly to my kid, every Summer’s day.”Girls on the Go:
“Monkey Business has everything you would want in a summer camp: safe environment, caring and engaged counselors, weeks that provide some structure but are flexible enough that the kids get that very important sense of freedom that makes summer fun! The counselors are top notch, a good balance of energetic and creative with responsible and empathetic. The CITs and JCs truly enhance the camp experience, being old enough to take on more responsibility, but young enough to relate and connect with the young campers. Every summer, my son makes new friends at Monkey Business that he remains friends with thereafter. Every summer, he looks forward to rejoining his Monkey Business family.”
YOUTH LEADERSHIP REVIEWS, FROM PARENTS AND YOUTH LEADERS THEMSELVES:
“My sons have participated in the CIT and JC programs with Monkey Business Camp. In addition, to having as much fun as they did when they were monkey business campers, they were wonderfully mentored in assuming their new levels of responsibilities. They want to be a part of Monkey Business Camp as long as they can.”
“Really and truly the list of good things about Monkey Business Camp could go on and on. We have flown in from Illinois , of all places, so that Renner could be a counselor in training for two summers in a row. All year long he talks about his friends from the Bay Area. Each summer he has grown more sure of himself as he helped younger children in singing and games. Monkey Business is transformative! The staff interact with children in a way that helps them be the leaders in their own learning, and the campers’ enthusiasm shows in the way they relate to each other.”
“Wanting to thank you for the excellent time my son Evan had at camp this past summer. It was a really positive experience for him and for me having some place he was so excited about was a great relief. I have seen a lot of emotional and social development in Evan these past few months and I believe your program helped bring about that growth and helped increase his self confidence. We definitely will see you next summer.”
“I learned how hard parenting is, got support from the staff about what to do, and I had so much fun and can’t wait to do it again next year.”
“My now 15 year old has been going to Monkey Business Camp every summer since he was 8, first as a camper, then as a CIT, and now as a JC. The camps have always been fun, with enough structure so the children know what to expect (Wacky Wednesday, swimming on Thursday…) and enough time spent outdoors exploring, playing, and making friends. He looks up to the counselors and camp directors who have been supportive and nurturing all along. Our family highly recommends Monkey Business.”
“It’s Natalie and I wanted to let you know that I really enjoyed the opportunity to be a junior counselor this summer. I learned a lot of responsibility and patience. I would love to join you again next summer.”
FROM STAFF:
“Thank you for a wonderful summer. This camp is magic and all the kids I spoke to said it’s their favorite one!”
“MBC is amazing on so many levels–fun, professional growth, and building lasting relationships. I will never forget what I experienced this summer; everyone is a huge family–campers and workers are invested in this camp!”
“By and large I greatly enjoyed working with the staff at MBC. Most every experience was positive and I felt connected to the rest of the team, which really made the summer much more fun. Also, the kids really love coming to MBC so you’ll get to have a ton of fun playing with some really awesome kids. I really valued my interactions with both staff and campers.”
“My experience at MBC was amazing, in great part due to the incredibly high quality of the Staff, YL’s and Admin staff. The campers and parents were wonderful too, but Heather has built a model that so many other places could aspire to emulate.”
“The Pre-K camp site is a wonderful place to be. The behind the scenes support makes the camp easy to create with a sense of fun at every turn. Even the most non- creative person can make this camp fun and exciting with just the protocol offered. But, obviously it is more fun to engage one’s creativity. And, you can’t help but fall in love with all the cuteness of the Pre-K.”
“Working at Monkey Business Camp was such a wonderful experience. Being hired to play and have fun and show love to these amazing kids and work with such a supportive and fun staff was a remarkably fulfilling experience!”
“I cannot thank you and everyone at Monkey Business enough for all the support you’ve provided and the opportunity you have given me to be myself at camp over the years. You know how much we enjoy coming back and working with both new and familiar faces; I truly found a home as a part of the Monkey Business family. My years as a camper, as a youth leader, and now as staff have not only allowed me to learn more about myself, but have shaped my definition of what it means to be a leader and a role model. If I didn’t have people to look up to or turn towards each year, I wouldn’t have come back every summer. Monkey Business fosters an idea that I think is so important for children to understand – be yourself. Not only have I seen campers become more confident with themselves and comfortable in their own shoes, but also develop an empathy that allows them to put themselves in the shoes of others, creating a cohesive community and strengthening the bonds of friendship. That is what I have seen, that is what I have learned, and that is what Monkey Business has given me.”
