Fun and affordable childcare during spring break, summer and AISD holidays
for your 5 to 11 year-old.
Enrollment is now open for:
Thanksgiving break
November 20, 21, and 22, 2023
9:00 am to 5:30 pm
$45/day
Winter Holiday break
December 21, 22, 27, 28, 29, 2023
January 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 2024
$45/day
Pick and choose the days you want!
A 50% deposit and completed paperwork are required for enrollment
Camp ¡Vámonos! is a full-day camp in Austin, Texas, centrally located in a 
private home in the Crestview neighborhood
- Megan Baker, owner and counselor, is a mother with more than 25 years of childcare experience
- A wholesome environment with the raw materials for unhurried fun and effortless learning
- Fun outings around town using public transit
- Summer camp rate of $210 per week
- For information or questions, visit the contact page
- I’m happy to speak Spanish to any children who are receptive (see below)
What sets Camp Vamonos! apart?
At Camp Vamonos!, kids are trusted to be natural learners who benefit enormously from their free play, the activity Mother Nature designed them for. Free play is a joyful, engrossing thing for children, and at Camp Vamonos! they are free to do it all day.
One of the most exciting developments in childcare these days is “loose parts.” This is when you provide random “junk” for kids to play with: tires, planks, old buckets, PVC pipe, old sheets, etc., instead of manufactured toys that tend to require little or no imagination. With loose parts kids can build anything they can imagine, and the end result is determined entirely by their own curiosity and imagination. Here’s a description of what loose parts play does for a child:
“…as a child I lived on a farm with a ton of random ‘junk’ I would find in the woods. Those were my toys. I would make all sorts of things for pretend play and as I got older I figured out how to refurbish those items to make new things. Now as an adult I am a very creative person and I attribute most of that to the type of play I had as a child and I want to create that same experience for my children.” Morgan Groenewald
At Camp Vamonos! I have a backyard full of loose parts. Campers handle objects, use them to stand in for other things (divergent thinking/creativity), and cooperate to build forts, “spaceships” and the like, and generally indulge their genius for flexibility of mind and spirit. It’s a joy to watch.
Far from being a disadvantage, the lack of instruction and curriculum at Camp Vamonos! is instead a leg up: kids develop executive function by making choices, using their imagination, cooperating, spending loads of time outdoors, and taking their time to develop and engage in what are often elaborate play schemes. All of the evolving literature supports the immense benefits of these features of free play and loose parts.
Come play with loose parts with us! Vamonos!
“Our daughter loves Camp Vamanos and so do we. From visiting Austin’s parks and pools, learning new games, and interacting with kids of different ages, her confidence and communication skills have grown while having fun!”
Daniel
“Nellie and Nash have been going to Camp Vamonos! for years. I believe they would keep going through middle and high school if they could. Megan is so awesome at finding fun and new adventures. They have been all over Austin in the summer time. From meeting the mayor to visiting ‘weird homes,’ there are so many stories to tell.
“In after-school care, we have all become a little family. Both kiddos have learned to really think outside the box. Nellie has become quite the artist and Nash rarely comes home without needing a good scrub. They are relaxed and happy at the end of the day. The independence gained is invaluable. We really could not ask fora better friend and caregiver than Megan. Camp Vamonos! is truly a gem to this community.”
Amy
“The way you care about kids and how you choose to influence their minds is exceptional. I love your low tech philosophy and how you encourage kids to be kids. Play, build, explore, tinker, create, walk long distances (I especially love this….kids don’t move enough).
“Maddie loves camp and I’m so happy she’s made friends and feels at home with the atmosphere you’ve created. I think it reminds me a bit of how I grew up. Life was centered around playing outside, homemade food, making up games with other kids, climbing trees, being imaginative and creating out of what we could find. Childhood was simple and meaningful….this is exactly what you do. I’m so thankful for you for giving this to my daughter.”
Jessica
Note: In the past I have spoken Spanish to the campers who came to Camp Vamonos!, but have been moving away from it due to the resistance it often meets; like adults, children must need the use of a foreign language before they are willing to learn it.
Going forward, I’ll be happy to speak Spanish to campers whose parents request it and who are not resistant. It’s a good way for kiddos who are learning Spanish in school to keep up their skills on school breaks.