2026 Summer Art Camps
CBAP Summer Camp is for artists (ages 7 to 17) who love to make art projects in their spare time, and express a desire to learn new techniques and develop their creativity. Not only do they learn new painting and drawing techniques, weave original tapestries on the Boom Loom Boss and build papier-mâché sculptures,(embedded fairy lights optional),our students learn how to support each other to have fun with what mistakes teach us, express only constructive thoughts and how to focus on what can be learned over a sustained practice for 5 wonderful days. The more camps your child takes with us, the better they get at developing a resilient imagination and
Why families love us:
Eco-Friendly Art: We use plant-based acrylics and teach students how to mix natural oil paints using walnut oil and earth pigments.
Personalized Learning: Our 8:1 ratio ensures every student gets the one-on-one help they need to master new techniques and to find their creativity.
Creative Freedom: Whether following an image or an original idea, our students create detailed masterpieces every week.
Pug Power: Meet Tulip, Vincey and Bubbie our famous emotional support pugs! Enjoy daily walks and playtime with Chris Babcock’s three little wackadoos at the nearby gated Rochambeau Park!
Tuition 799.00 for each 5 day summer camp
Pay now, pick camp week later! Not sure which week your child will attend? Reserve their spot today and choose the week by May 1. Don’t wait past May 1 — camps may be full.
Art Camp Details
Location: 5907 California St. @ 21st Ave., SF, CA 94121
Drop-off: 9:00–9:30 AM (do not arrive before 9:00 unless Early Care paid)
Pick-up: 3:00 PM sharp — no aftercare. $5 per 5 minutes late.
Food: Bring two snacks, a cold lunch, and water. No peanut butter, chocolate, avocados, grapes, or raisins (emotional support pugs).
Wear: Old clothes and old shoes — acrylics stain. Wear cozy socks! Kids take off their shoes when they walk in.
Ages: 7–18 (children under 7, including 6 or “about to turn 7,” not allowed.)
Why not 6-year-olds? Camps require sustained attention and following multi-step instructions usually seen at 7+. Our six-hour day is two 3-hour blocks teaching technical and creative skills, with two 10-minute snacks, a 30-minute lunch, and a 30-minute play break to ensure full engagement.
Skill level: Beginner–Intermediate Duration: 5 days, 9:00 AM–3:00 PM Capacity: Up to 24 students
ART SUPPLIES INCLUDED:
Blick Bristol board (student’s choice)
Professional acrylic paints
Boom Loom Boss
50 yarn colors and textures
Cardboard and tissue
Hot glue guns
Optional fairy lights for night-lights
72-color Sharpie set
Princeton Velvet Touch brushes:
Deer-foot blenders
Short liners
Spotters
Filberts
Grainers
Flat/angled blenders
Thick Caldo cotton aprons
Please reserve all Early Care at the time of registration. You must reserve at least 24 hours before the day of care. You can always come back to this page to add extra care.
Select the total number of minutes you need to reserve. After adding to cart you will be prompted with a form to list the days and times you would like allocate your purchased time.
Example: 5 days of Early Care = 150 minutes. Note the five dates in the form after adding to cart.
Early Care: $12.50 per child 8:30 AM to 9 AM
THERE’S NO AFTERCARE DURING SUMMER ART CAMPS.
Summer Art Camper, age 10, acrylics on canvas, July 2025
How To Help Your Child Choose an Image and the Size and Shape Canvas:
To make sure your child has a great painting experience, we need a little help from you! Please send us the picture your child wants to paint and tell us what size and shape canvas they'd like to paint on at least 5 days before their first day. Please TEXT US THE CHOSEN IMAGE and CANVAS AT OUR CELL# 415-745-5301. This cell is also the best number to reach us for any communications.
What Can They Paint? Anything They Love!
Kids can paint just about anything! Think favorite toys, realistic drawings, cool manga characters, animals, themselves, family, comic book scenes, pretty landscapes, special objects, or even a mix of all these things!
Choosing the Right Picture for a 5-Day Camp:
For a 5-day camp, it's best to pick a picture that isn't too simple or too complicated. Imagine breaking down the picture into simple shapes. For example, think about the Golden Gate Bridge. If you see more than 40 separate shapes (like each cable or tower), it might take longer than 5 days to paint. More shapes mean more painting! Less shapes man less painting and may not be challenging enough. Each child will be working on a painting that is challenging enough that it will take the entire week to create, so an image of a tennis ball is too easy.
Need Help Choosing? We're Here!
If you're not sure what kind of picture would work, just tell us your child's age, and we'll send you some examples that are perfect for a 5-day camp.
Longer Camps, more Complex Pictures!
If your child is signed up for more than one week of camp, they can choose a picture with up to 80 shapes. You don't have to count them exactly – just take a look and see if it feels like a good fit. The more weeks they're here, the more detailed and challenging the picture can be!
To make sure your child has the perfect canvas for their painting at camp, could you please tell us what size and shape they'd like by texting us at 415-745-5301? We need to know this at least five days before camp starts.
Here are the canvas options:
Rectangles: 11x14 inches, 9x12 inches, or 8x10 inches
Square: 12x12 inches
Canvases of Unusual Shapes: Heart, triangle, hexigon or oval (all about 10 inches tall)
Also, it's super important that the picture your child wants to paint matches the canvas shape. So, if they choose a rectangular image to paint, they'll need to choose fomr the 3 different size a rectangular canvases we offer. We want to make sure their artwork looks just right for them.
DAILY SCHEDULE
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM: Creative Drawing & Friendship-Building
Socializing and improving creative skills through a drawing challenge using 72-Sharpie color markers on museum-quality Bristol board.
Campers use all 48 colors of permanent markers with no scribbling, completing their picture when no white is showing.
10:00 AM - 10:15 AM: Wacky-Snacky Time!
10:15 AM - 12:00 PM: Formal Painting Lesson
One-on-one instruction on painting techniques.
Learning to match acrylic colors, mix paints, and apply color theory.
Using a variety of professional brushes for different effects.
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM: Lunchtime: eat, socialize, and interact with therapy pugs!
12:30 PM - 2:00 PM: Continuation of Formal Painting Lesson
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM: Recess (optional for students with permission)
Activities at Rochambeau Park (basketball, four square, swings, play structure with wiggly bridge, monkey bars, and top floor play house.).
Students ages 10 and up who prefer to can continue painting with a teacher’s guidance at the studio.
You can easily find extra surfaces online to spark your child’s creativity! If they’re excited to paint on fun items like an unpainted wooden skateboard, ukulele, wooden box, or stool, just make sure to get the surface before their class starts. Don’t forget to have them bring it along on the first day! And a little reminder – we can only accommodate canvases that are 11 by 14 inches or smaller, so keep that in mind. Let’s keep it all unpainted and ready for their artistic touch!
Additional Supplies
Campers love our scheduled snack and lunch breaks, where they can recharge and share stories and ideas! At 2:00 pm, we offer an optional recess at Rochambeau Park for some fresh air and fun, but if a child feels inspired to keep painting indoors, that's perfectly okay too! We want everyone to feel comfortable and engaged, whether they're playing 4 square or creating their fabulous work of art.
Lunch & Recess
Recess takes place at Rochambeau Park, 24th@California Street, three blocks up from our art studio. Children aged 10 and up can opt to stay indoors for their art lesson instead of going to recess. Please indicate this preference on the registration form. However, the studio reserves the right to require outdoor breaks for all ages if deemed necessary.
Recess Choice
Illness Policy
Children showing symptoms of contagious illnesses like the common cold, stomach flu, food poisoning, bacterial infections, viral infections or COVID-19 (symptomatic or asymptomatic) are not permitted at the studio.
Contagious vs. Non-Contagious Causes:
Contagious: Fevers caused by viral or bacterial infections like colds or the flu.
Non-Contagious: Fevers from things like urinary tract infections (UTIs), ear infections, or reactions to vaccines.
When to be Cautious: Children with a fever due to a likely infection are generally considered contagious. Chris Babcock Art Prep requires children to be fever-free at least 24 hours WITHOUT fever-reducing medication before returning.
Other Symptoms: Even without a fever, a child can be contagious if they have other symptoms like coughing, sneezing, vomiting, or diarrhea. Proof of a negative COVID test and a doctor's note is required to be in class or camp.