The marvels of Spanish Camp

Spanish Camp unfolds like a circus bringing the exciting world of camp to Spanish and English speakers. Collin Krauthamer

When I was a child, Barnum and Bailey rolled into my town on the Ohio River every summer in boxcars. As they unloaded at the B&O depot, the amazing variety of people and animals began their parade up Market Street and out Highway 50 to the large field where for a week, they would create for us a small, exotic and intoxicating world. The acrobats and jugglers led the way and the elephants brought up the rear, grateful for the two-mile stretch. We all, the poor children from the river and the rich children from the hills and all of us from in between, watched in awe. Everyone had tickets, some bought and some free. We were ready to be delighted.
Last summer, my first at CommonBond, the unfolding of our language camps for children reminded me of nothing so much as the circus of my childhood. One day in July, a parade of teachers and assistants, many from different local schools, followed a large pick-up truck filled to the brim with an unimaginable variety of equipment to a sadly vacant school site. Croquet sets, a steamer for tamales, drums, costumes, balls of all sizes. In a matter of hours the wonderful, exotic world of English Camp and Spanish Camp had appeared.
And next day the children came. They came from all over the Valley, from all of our schools. Some for the first time, many returning, each was ready to enjoy the “show,” that is, to participate in an splendid array of activities including Mexican cooking class, folk arts and handcrafts all presented in Spanish, and hands-on science and math explorations in English. And always lots of games, singing and music for everyone.
This year Spanish Camp will offer lots of “baile” – folk dances for the younger ones and salsa dancing lessons for older campers. Everyone will enjoy once again Lucía Chávez-Goodman and Lisa Vitale’s fabulous cookery classes.
The biggest difference between our camps and the circus is that the world of our language camps does not come from far away, is not an imported marvel. It is a homegrown, local marvel. It is the wonderful bilingual, multicultural world of Sonoma Valley. So don’t let your child, or a neighbor child, miss out. This year’s Spanish Camp runs for two weeks, July 14-25; English Camp from July 7 to 25. Please call 707.933.0404, ext. 120 to request an application, or download one at www.commonbond.us.