Richmond District YMCA
Summer Camp Programs
Great Summers Start at the Y
Registration now open!
Forge new friendships, create lasting memories
The YMCA of Greater San Francisco is committed to providing quality youth programming and exceptional summer camp experiences to our Bay Area families. At Y day camp, kids can develop skills, self-confidence, new friendships and a sense of belonging – all while having tons of fun.
Trained Youth Development Staff
Our youth development leaders are trained in CPR and First Aid.
Health & Safety
The Y abides by all public health guidelines set by the city, county, and state.
Free Extended Care
We offer morning and afternoon extended care at no extra cost.
Multiple Camp Options Available
We offer multiple weeks of summer camp to keep your child engaged throughout summer.
Camp Location
Y Camp at Argonne Playground Park – Clubhouse
463 18th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94121
Drop-off is on the 19th Avenue side of the park.
GENERAL CAMP INFORMATION
Program Information
Campers are organized into small age-appropriate groups. Each camp session is led by well-trained youth development staff. Our daily activities are developed with your camper’s age and skills in mind, tailored to keep your camper engaged and having fun. This summer, your camper can expect their week to be full of excursions, arts and crafts, camp songs, building friendships, and so much more!
Dates
June 15, 2026, through August 12, 2026
Hours
Monday through Friday, from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm
Grades
Entering Fall of 2026, TK through 8th
Deposits
A deposit is due each week you register your child(ren)
ALL DEPOSITS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE
Ages 4.5-13 | GRADES ENTERING: TK to 8th
Traditional Summer Camps
Ages 4.5-6
Incoming TK-1st
Discoverers
Our Discoverers camp serves campers entering Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten. This program introduces our youngest campers to a structured camp day filled with intentional relationship-building activities, arts and crafts, songs, games, and camp fun of all kinds! On Wednesdays, campers will set off on an exciting field trip in the bay area to explore museums, theme parks, and more!
Ages 7-9
Incoming 2nd-4th
Adventurers
Our Adventurers camp serves campers entering Grades 2-4. This program engages campers with high-energy activities, including city explorations, active games, and engaging art projects! Each week of camp includes one full-day field trip and one swimming day at the Presidio Community YMCA pool.
Ages 10-13
Incoming 5th-8th
Explorers
Our Explorers camp serves campers entering Grades 5-8. This program features more active exploration as campers travel around the city on foot and by public transit. Programming is designed to help campers go outside their comfort zone and take on new challenges, while making new friends along the way. Each week of camp includes one full-day field trip and one swimming day at the Presidio Community YMCA pool.
Ages 4.5-13 | GRADES ENTERTING: tk to 8th
traditional camps
- A non-refundable deposit is due at registration per weekly session.
- No camp on 6/19 and 7/3.
- Field trips are subject to change.
REGISTER
Please click below to view weekly pricing and to begin your registration.
Weekly Theme: Heroes in Training – Find your superpowers and form the next Justice League as you put your artistic, athletic, and teamwork skills to the test!
*No camps will be held on Friday, 6/19/26, Juneteenth.
Weekly Theme: Big Top Bonanza – Explore the wacky world of the Circus! Make circus themed crafts, put on your best clown act, and try your hand at juggling.
Field Trip: Scandia Golfland
Weekly Theme: Mission to the Stars – Blast off to outer space for a week of cosmic exploration. Learn about the planets, create galactic artwork, and do STEAM projects all about the science of space.
Field Trip: Pomeroy Center
*No camps will be held on Friday, 7/3/26, 4th of July holiday.
Weekly Theme: Nature Detectives – Uncover the mysteries of the natural world. Explore San Francisco’s green space, look for bugs, and learn how to be a master observer by using your senses to explore your surroundings.
Field Trip – Discoverers Group: Bay Area Discovery Museum
Field Trip – Adventurers & Explorers Groups: Point Bonita
Weekly Theme: San Francisco Safari – Grab your binoculars and get ready to go wild! Learn about wildlife, both local and exotic, and create animal-themed crafts as you set off on a camp safari.
Field Trip – Discoverers Group: Lindsay Wildlife Center
Field Trip – Adventurers & Explorers: SF Zoo
Weekly Theme: Wands & Wonder – Get ready to cast a spell of fun! Learn tricks to wow your friends, create mystical artwork, and do science experiments that feel like magic.
Field Trip: Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
Weekly Theme: Mermaids & Mariners – All aboard for a week of nautical adventures! Complete under-the-sea themed crafts, go on a pirate’s treasure hunt, and explore San Francisco’s coastline.
Field Trip: Don Castro Regional Recreation Area
Weekly Theme: Rockstar Academy – Become a rockstar as you listen to, dance to, and create music of all kinds! Build your own instruments, perform for fellow campers, and show off your moves in a camp dance party.
Field Trip: Lawrence Hall of Science
Weekly Theme: Inventor’s Workshop – Tinker and build in this STEAM-themed inventor’s week. Create LEGO masterpieces, cardboard constructions, and popsicle stick architecture.
Field Trip: Lost Worlds Theme Park
*This is a 3 day mini-camp week: there will be no camp on Thursday, August 13 or Friday, August 14.
Weekly Theme: Around the World – Join us on a journey through cultures. Cook foods from different countries, explore art from across the world, and bring in your own traditions to share with your fellow campers.
Field Trip: Legoland
Ages 6-10 | GRADES ENTERING: 1st – 5th
Specialty Summer Camps
Ages 6-10
1st-5th
Specialty Camp (Available Weeks 2, 8, 9)
Specialty camps provide opportunities for youth to focus on specific interests that they are excited to explore deeper. Campers will spend about 70% of their day focused on specialty activities, and the other 30% on walking field trips and general camp fun. Each week will include one full-day field trip and one swimming day at the Presidio Community YMCA pool.
Ages 6-10
1st-5th
Y Rangers (Available Weeks 3, 6)
Become a park ranger for a week as you explore and experience the natural spaces in and around the Bay Area! Campers will do a field trip every day (5 field trips total!) to step into an immersive experience on National Park Lands with the guidance of Y Ranger Naturalists who will share information on the flora, fauna, and history of the beautiful bay area ecosystems. Along the way, campers will learn how to become stewards of the land by participating in service learning projects.
GRADES ENTERING: 1st – 5th
Specialty camps
- A non-refundable deposit is due at registration per weekly session.
- No camp on 6/19 and 7/3.
- Field trips are subject to change.
- Specialty Camp (Available Weeks 2, 8, 9)
- Y Rangers (Available Weeks 3, 6)
REGISTER
Please click below to view weekly pricing and to begin your registration.
Specialty Camp (Grades 1-2)
Weekly Theme: Cooking Camp (Grades 1-2) – Learn cooking basics as you work on teams to complete kitchen projects each day. Practice skills like chopping, mixing, and measuring all while creating delicious snacks to enjoy.
Specialty (Grades 3-5)
*No camps will be held on Friday, 6/19/26, Juneteenth holiday.
Weekly Theme: Art Camp – Explore different mediums as you make masterpieces to bring home. Draw with pastels, sculpt with clay, and paint with watercolors in this celebration of artistic expression.
Field Trip: Scandia Golfland
Y Rangers
This session will feature two age groups registration options – one for ages 6-7 and one for ages 8-10.
Field Trip: Pomeroy Center
Y Rangers
This session will feature two age-group registration options: one for ages 6-7 and one for ages 8-10.
Field Trip: Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
Specialty (Grades 1-2)
Weekly Theme: Art Camp – Let your creative side take the wheel as you fill your days with arts and crafts of every kind! Make sculptures, drawings, and paintings as you learn different techniques to hone your skills.
Field Trip: Lawrence Hall of Science
Cooking Camp (Grades 3-5)
Weekly Theme: Cooking Camp – Develop your kitchen skills as you complete cooking projects to sample! Learn about how to combine different flavors and ingredients, and build comfort with cooking techniques.
Field Trip: Lost Worlds Theme Park
How to register
To register online, you will need to access your online account to get started. If you do not have an online account, you can create one through our Community Portal by clicking on ‘Create Account’ in the lower right corner of the login window. Due to registration requirements, select branches do not offer online registration and must be done in person.
You do not need a YMCA Facility Membership to register; however, YGSF members with active Facility Memberships can receive a discount of up to 20% on select youth development programs. If you’d like to join the Y, please click here to select the membership plan that best suits your needs.
Families without Facility Memberships can register as Community Members; this account is free of charge.
Once you have logged into your account, you will be able to select the camp sessions you’d like to register for. A deposit is due for each weekly session for each child. Please note that deposits are non-refundable. Your paid deposit will hold your camper’s slot for the weekly session selected, and the remaining balance (less the paid deposit) will be due 9 business days prior to the camper’s start date. Payment due dates are available for review below.
THIRD-PARTY BILLING
We accept 3rd Party Billing, such as Children’s Council, Marin Childcare Council or 4Cs. All inquiring families must submit a Certificate/Contract of child services provided by your caseworker to [email protected] before a request for enrollment can be submitted. Please note that you may be responsible for a portion of camp dues. Please contact your caseworker to notify them of the camp(s) you’d like to register for.
Financial assistance is available to families who qualify, made possible by donors of the YMCA of Greater San Francisco. Please see below for more information.
Weekly Payment Due Dates
Deposits are taken at registration are non-refundable.
Download the billing schedule here.
| Session | Last Day for Refund (Less Deposit) | Payment Draft Due Date | No Refund | Drop Date for Non-Payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Session 1 – 6/8/26-6/12/26 | 5/22/2026 | 5/25/2026 | 5/25/2026 | 5/29/2026 |
| Session 2 – 6/15/26-6/18/26 | 5/29/2026 | 6/1/2026 | 6/1/2026 | 6/5/2026 |
| Session 3 – 6/22/26-6/26/26 | 6/5/2026 | 6/8/2026 | 6/8/2026 | 6/12/2026 |
| Session 4 – 6/29/26-7/2/26 | 6/12/2026 | 6/15/2026 | 6/15/2026 | 6/19/2026 |
| Session 5 – 7/6/26-7/10/26 | 6/19/2026 | 6/22/2026 | 6/22/2026 | 6/26/2026 |
| Session 6 – 7/13/26-7/17/26 | 6/26/2026 | 6/29/2026 | 6/29/2026 | 7/3/2026 |
| Session 7 – 7/20/26-7/24/26 | 7/3/2026 | 7/6/2026 | 7/6/2026 | 7/10/2026 |
| Session 8 – 7/27/26-7/31/26 | 7/10/2026 | 7/13/2026 | 7/13/2026 | 7/18/2026 |
| Session 9 – 8/3/26-8/7/26 | 7/17/2026 | 7/20/2026 | 7/20/2026 | 7/25/2026 |
| Session 10 – 8/10/26-8/14/26 | 7/24/2026 | 7/27/2026 | 7/27/2026 | 8/1/2026 |
Financial Assistance
Financial Assistance is available to families who qualify.
To apply, please fill out our Financial Assistance Application and email your completed form to [email protected] along with two types of income verification. Please refer to the application form for acceptable forms of income verification.
Families who qualified for Financial Assistance during the calendar year do not need to re-apply. If you have not been awarded Financial Assistance within the calendar year, then you will need to re-apply.
Applicants can expect to hear back from an associate in approximately 15 business days with award details.
Email your completed and attached income verification forms by clicking below:
Daily Activity Schedule
Please keep in mind that these times and activities are examples of a typical camp day and specific details may vary or change due to unforeseen circumstances. Most camp programs will have at least one off-site field trip per week. Please consult with the branch staff to confirm schedules in the late Spring.
| TIME | ACTIVITY |
|---|---|
| 8:00 a.m.–9:00 a.m. | Extended Care & Drop Off |
| 9:00 a.m.–9:15 a.m. | Campfire Songs & Gathering |
| 9:15 a.m.–10:00 a.m. | Morning Snack |
| 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m. | Outdoor Group Game |
| 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. | Theme-Based Activity |
| 12:00 p.m.–12:30 p.m. | Lunch |
| 12:30 p.m.–1:00 p.m. | Travel Time / Local Field Trip |
| 1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m. | Local Field Trip |
| 3:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m. | Travel Time/Back to Camp Site |
| 3:30 p.m.–3:45 p.m. | Afternoon Snack |
| 3:45 p.m.–4:00 p.m. | Campfire Songs & Gathering |
| 4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. | Extended Care & Pick Up |
Please note, this schedule is subject to change.
Summer Camp FAQs
We will notify families by email if a space becomes available. You will have 48 hours to accept or decline the waitlisted spot. If we do not hear back from you, we will move on to the next child on the list. For confidentiality reasons and standard operating procedures, we do not reveal where a child’s spot is on the waitlist.
YMCA leaders are encouraging, patient, and can help facilitate successful camp experiences for children with mild to moderate disabilities. For specific questions regarding your child, please contact the branch-specific site contact.
- All deposits are non-refundable
- Cancellations that come in 10 business days or more before the program begins or earlier are subject to a refund of payment but do not include the deposit.
- Cancellation requests made 9 days or less than the program start date will have no refund.
You can expect to hear from your camp team roughly a week before the camp week begins, which will include details like a packing list, meals, snack policies, etc.
Camp Questions?
For program-related questions, email at is [email protected] or call (415) 666-9620.
Need Help with your account?
Contact Member Services at [email protected] or call our support hotline at (415) 772-5500.