Kennolyn Day Camp

Our campers and staff return year after year. Many recall their experiences here as among the most meaningful in their lives. Ask them, and they'll tell you that Kennolyn is far more than just a camp. It's a community, a sentiment, a state of mind, a lifetime of memories. In one word, Kennolyn is Home.

Kids have good friend making instincts but sometimes they need to practice and be in an atmosphere where meeting new people and making friends is the norm. Our counselors foster a positive atmosphere that allows friendships to blossom.

We live in a fast-paced world. Between demands at school, homework, music lessons, sports practice, college prep, community service, and busy lives at home, kids these days are often overscheduled and over-stimulated. Sometimes they just need to recharge, get back to basics, and be kids again! At Kennolyn, they get the break they need in an atmosphere of adventure and self-discovery.

Reasons to Choose Kennolyn Day Camp

• Family owned and operated since 1946
• Beautiful location overlooking Monterey Bay
• Daily AM/PM Bus Transportation available
• Programs for Kindergarten through 8th grade
• 3 day programs available for campers in the 2nd grade and younger
• Wide range of fun and challenging activities to discover
• Group activities and exciting electives
• Nurturing, healthy and safe environment

Kennolyn offers you the best of coastal redwood and alpine lake experiences.

Set among 300 acres of private Redwood forest our Santa Cruz overnight is the original Kennolyn property. Very easy access from anywhere in the Bay Area and even Southern California. Our property sits at the end of a four-mile dead-end road and borders Nisene Marks State Park, a protected 10,000 acre habitat. Quiet and secluded yet easily accessible, we are less than 90 minutes from the San Francisco Bay Area and just a few minutes drive off historic Highway 1.

Each Santa Cruz property has its own pool, ropes courses, archery, and riflery ranges etc. Our Day Camp and Overnight Camps operate separately on the adjoining properties.

Kennolyn was founded by Max and Marion Caldwell in 1946, when Harry S. Truman was President of the United States, the first network television series was introduced (on one of only two stations), and gasoline cost a whopping 15 cents per gallon!

Max and Marion (affectionately known as Uncle Max and Aunt Marion) were both teachers. During World War II, Uncle Max served on an ammunition ship in the Pacific. "If I EVER get out of this alive," he wrote, "let's start a school or a camp."

From these simple words blossomed Kennolyn Camps. Now, Kennolyn incorporates an overnight camp, day camp and year-round events center in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California as well as a lakefront property in Lakeshore offering incredible access to Huntington Lake and the surrounding area within the Sierra National Forest.

Welcoming the first campers in 1946 was a lifelong dream come true for Aunt Marion and Uncle Max. They named camp after their children Ken and Carolyn, and started with a 60-acre site and 26 campers, including 11 nieces and nephews who addressed them as Aunt Marion and Uncle Max. The names stuck from that day forward with tens of thousands of campers, staff, parents and grandparents.

In 2018, Kennolyn was offered an opportunity to take over an existing camp at Huntington Lake. We could think of no better way to honor our founders and the thousands of families who have been a part of the Kennolyn extended family since 1946.

Uncle Max and Aunt Marion are sadly no longer with us, but their wonderful legacy continues to influence the lives of countless children and adults alike around the world. Their children Ken and Carolyn, and grandchildren Pam Caldwell Nootbaar, Lindsey Caldwell Johnson, and Steve Caldwell are all active members of Kennolyn's Board of Directors. Pam is also Kennolyn's General Manager and is passionate about maintaining the beloved camp traditions and values so important to Uncle Max and Aunt Marion.

Day Camp warmly welcomes boys and girls entering kindergarten through eighth grade, and we offer flexible and convenient options for our young campers:

• 3 day camp option for campers Kindergarten to the 2nd Grade (M/W/F or T/Th/F)

Campers are assigned to co-ed Age Groups based on grade and age as follows:

• Kindergarten and First Grade
• Second Grade
• Third and Fourth Grade
• Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Grade
• Eighth Grade (Senior Campers)

We give the groups fun names like Punk Rock Pancakes, Country Bagels, Burly Big Feet, Superstars and Lemonheads, rather than associating them by grade names. These dynamic groups spend much of their camp time as a unit, allowing campers to grow together and forge lasting friendships.

Kennolyn offers a wide range of fun, interesting activities to keep our campers engaged and active throughout the day. To allow participation in as many areas as possible, we rotate activities with a Monday/Wednesday and Tuesday/Thursday schedule.

All campers participate in Arts and Crafts, Outdoor Adventure, Archery, Swimming, Vaulting, Hiking, Ball Sports, Animal Care and "Happy Shiny Fun Ball".

Our youngest campers entering Kindergarten and 1st grade have special time for breaks each morning and afternoon.

Campers going into 2nd grade add Low Ropes Course to their activity schedule and have the option for Horseback Riding and Trapeze.

As campers get older and are ready for more adventure, Kennolyn has even more activities to try:

3rd and 4th Grade: Fencing, Climbing and Riflery

5th, 6th and 7th Grade: High Ropes and BMX

8th Grade: Senior High Ropes and Outdoor Survival

Special Note About Swimming Please note, everyone must wear one-piece bathing suits at camp. No bikinis or tankinis please.

Day Camp offers three exciting specialties as electives, each for a small additional fee. Each specialty activity replaces one regular daily activity, so campers enrolled in any of the specialties will miss one of their regularly scheduled group activities. (Please note that we are unable to take requests on which activity will be replaced each day.)

Trapeze Arts
Fly through the air with the greatest of ease (in a safety harness of course)! These classes, taught by Trapeze professionals, build self-confidence as well as coordination and physical skills. Trapeze lessons are available all summer for campers going into the 2nd grade and above.

Horseback Riding Experience
Our horseback riding experience is a fun, instructor led trail ride. Riding in a Western saddle campers will circle our riding rings and follow an easy trail.

Important Note: Long pants are required for all Horseback Riding activities. If your camper wears shorts to camp, please make send a pair of long pants along for the day (counselors will allow time for campers to change clothes). We supply the helmets!

Lunch is a great time of the day. Everyone has the chance to play in our quad area, eat lunch and relax with friends. Campers are encouraged to eat lunch and take as much time as they need to restore their energy before starting a fun-filled afternoon!

Campers are welcome to bring their own sack lunches, or take part in our camp lunch program for $35 per week. Each day, our chef creates a delicious and nutritious menu our campers love. A week of camp lunches might include spaghetti, grilled cheese, enchiladas, pizza, hamburgers and burritos, all made with healthy ingredients. Each day, lunch is served with two side dishes, a green salad and dessert, and we offer a vegetarian option every day. We recommend that campers with allergies to dairy, peanuts, or gluten bring a lunch from home.

Campers should bring a full water bottle as well as healthy snacks each day, even if they are enrolled in the camp lunch program. Groups can always stop by their meeting places to grab snacks for campers who get hungry during the day. Counselors encourage everyone to drink plenty of water throughout, and there are several places around camp where water bottles can be refilled.

At all of our locations and camp programs, your camper's health and safety are our top priority.

2 nurses care for our campers 24 hours every day. We have a modern, well appointed Health Center. All meds are checked in with the nurses who safely store and dispense to the campers as required. Our Health Center offers a bright and cheerful retreat for first aid and bed rest if needed. Our nurses also conduct regular Inspection Days to make sure everyone is in great shape and lend our campers and staff a special brand of TLC that only they can provide.

A local doctor is on-call all summer and Dominican Hospital is just six miles away. In the unlikely event your camper requires outside medical attention, we will contact you immediately. Our safety record is excellent, and we have had very few injuries requiring this kind of care.

A camper's paradise in the redwoods. Kennolyn's Day Camp is located on 240 acres of privately owned redwood forest. Among the main features of our facility are:

• Amphitheatre area for Flag Raising, Daily Opening and Closing ceremonies.
• Quad area for games, activities, and camper gatherings. Games include Gaga Ball, 9 Square in the Air, Ping Pong, Giant Chess, Cup Stacking, Giant Jenga and more.
• Office with Nurses Station.
• 2 x High Ropes Courses (5th to 7th grade and 8th grade courses.)
• Low Ropes Course (1st to 4th grades)
• Climbing Wall
• Lunch areas for each group
• Crafts Shop
• Animal Care Pens
• Heated Swimming Pool
• Oversize Ball Sport Court
• Fencing Piste
• Archery Range
• Riflery Range
• Inside Playroom for Pre-K and K level rest breaks
• Adventure Town – Our most popular activity area. Our campers' very own area in the redwoods to run, play, climb, rest, build, and just be.

So much to do!