City Kid Camp Offers a Free-Range Adventure of Exploration
Sunset resident Evan Rivera-Owings loved his own free-range childhood exploring San Francisco. Now today’s kids can experience some of that thrill with the summer day camp he founded. The name says it all: City Kid Camp.
“My childhood was a blessing,” says Evan. “I learned the skills of living in the city — riding bikes, taking Muni, exploring whatever was beyond my door, as long as it was outside.”
Now he’s helping other kids enjoy some of his favorite adventures.
City Kid Camp founder Evan Rivera-Owings.
Throughout his career, Evan has shared his love of outdoor activity and working with kids – initially as a counselor at Camp Mather and other Rec and Park summer camps, then as Stonestown YMCA’s Sports and Camp Coordinator, and most recently as Family Engagement Coordinator at Dianne Feinstein Elementary’s after-school program.
Then came the pandemic, and he needed a professional reset. He decided he could unleash and inspire cooped-up kids with a summer day camp offering outdoor adventure, so he founded City Kid Camp in 2021 and serves as its director.
“I didn’t realize how much more this was needed after the pandemic,” Evan says. “Everyone is on their screens. I know it’s not the same environment that I had growing up, but kids still need to get out of the house, to explore. They love the outdoors.”
A typical week for a City Kid camper begins at the playground at Lincoln and 45th Ave in Golden Gate Park. Kids start their day with board games and playground time then collaborate to help choose the day’s activities.
They may trek with their counselors through the park, build forts, investigate the Sutro Bath ruins at Land’s End, or scramble over the World War II bunkers at Baker Beach. Always popular are team-building games and cool-down activities like craft projects, yoga, or just chilling in the moment.
“I wanted to create an experience where kids feel free. We create invisible boundaries for the campers to ensure their safety, but at the same time, they feel unbound,” Evan says. “After a day at camp, kids come home covered with dirt and grass.”
Evan shares a Muni map and invites campers to suggest bus routes before they set out to explore other corners of the city.
“Our kids learn to safely navigate city streets so they can unlock San Francisco and make it their own,” he says.
Donna is a Sunset parent who has sent her two kids to City Kid Camp since it opened. Her family loves the day camp and Evan.
“Evan knows all the back roads, the nooks and crannies of Golden Gate Park. He knows the secret nature spots. Our kids now take us places we didn't know about,” Donna says. “Evan cares about the emotional health of the kids. He is proactive about what kids need. He’s a coach, he’s a great role model, he’s a real San Francisco guy.”
Evan explains his approach: “I believe in the science of play. In play, kids learn social skills, how to feel and process their emotions, and how to behave so they get along with others. We always recognize a “Camper of the Day” for good behavior, being helpful, being responsible. We treat our campers with maturity and respect and we model that behavior.”
City Kid Summer Camp is open to kids 8-12 years old. Week-long sessions begin June 10.
Reported and written by volunteer community journalist Jan Cook. We encourage residents with journalism experience, retired journalists, and student journalists in high school and college to volunteer as writers for Supervisor Engardio’s newsletter. Interested? Apply here. Do you know a story you would like to see featured in the newsletter? Tell us about it here.