Outdoor Play & Imagination

Stories & Games

Arts & Crafts

Science & Nature

Cooking Fun

Farm Animals

June 8^th  - July 24^th  2026

Ages 5 and up only! 

SUMMER 2026 WEEKLY SESSIONS!

Little Garden Patch Farm will soon be enrolling for Summer Break fun and learning!  

Our play based, emergent program offers arts & crafts, outdoor play and imagination, stories & games, hands on science and nature with gardens, farm animals, and social learning in a beautiful outdoor setting.  A cozy home environment and nurturing staff completes a magical childhood wonderland that children and parents love.

This hidden gem is located on Fairway Drive in Soquel, just 5 - 10 minutes out of Soquel Village. 

Visitors soon find that hidden behind the humble facade of an ordinary ranch style home are 3 beautiful wooded acres with gardens, goats, pigs, chickens & ducks, ponies, a tramponline, rope swing, tree fort, a "mud" play kitchen, an outdoor art studio, fairy gardens, a magical reading area, a puppet theater, a small stage, a picnic area, swings and slides and so much more!

At Little Garden Patch children aged 5-8 enjoy story time and hands-on craft,  sewing, and science projects that develop creativity, self-confidence, social skills, and a deepening knowledge of science and nature.  Through observing wild life and participating in fun farm "chores" like feeding & petting chickens and pigs, brushing the pony, milking goats, and gardening children learn about and take joy in our natural world.

Little Garden Patch is primarily an outdoors program.   However we will be using our playroom early in the morning (approximately 8:30-10 am), in the evenings after 4:30/5 pm, and when necessary due to extreme weather conditions.  Cooking projects will take place outside.  And of course really, why be cooped up inside when there is our wonderful "outdoor classroom" and play yard to enjoy!

Children will wear a mask when coming in to use the restroom.  We apologize for any inconvenience.  However because it is located inside the family home, this is best for the safety of our families, staff, and residents. 

Note - Enrollment priority will be given to children in our after school program. Limited positions available.

Little Garden Patch Farm is a fully licensed facility, # 444413332 

 Ages: 

For grades Kindergarten through 3rd grade.  

All children must be at least 5 years old to participate and be developmentally ready for kindergarten level activities.   All children must be able to use the toilet without assistance and to change clothes independently.

 Please be sure to review our Behavior Agreement thoroughly before enrolling.  It is very important that all children be able to consistently abide by limits set by the instructors for safety --including handwashing rules and potentially wearing a mask indoors when exhibiting persistent runny nose or a persistent cough not related to allergies.     Children should not attend if they have a moderate to serious contagious illness, fever, vomiting, sore throat, or diarrhea.

 Hours & Cost:

 Little Garden Patch will be open from 8:30 a.m to 5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

FULL DAY & HALF DAY OPENINGS AVAILABLE.

Half day program:  

$200 for the week  ($40 per day, for five days). 

Afternoons 1:30 - 5:30  (4 hours)

Morning half days 9 -1.

Full day program:  

$325 for the week   ($65 per day, for five days)

Full Day  9:00 - 5:00  or 9:30 - 5:30

Additional hours  

Additional hours, such as for early drop off, are an additional $8 per hour and must be arranged in advance.  No drop off before 8:30 a.m.   

Little Garden Patch closes at 5:30.   Late pick-up will be billed at $8/hour.  After hours pick up after 6 pm will be billed at $1/minute. 
       So please plan ahead and arrive on time.  Thanks!

Limited space available.  Little Garden Patch Farm emphasizes a smaller group experience and more encouragement and attention from teachers.  We average  14 children max with at least 2 fully qualified teachers.

Note that spaces cannot be held without registration/payment. 

Option to register with non-refundable deposit for those registering for 3 weeks or more.

 Registration: 

For questions and registration info please email: LittleGardenPatchFarm@earthlink.net or
contact us at (831) 476-0964.

 More Information: 

Summer Farm Camp 2026 begins Monday June 8^th and ends Friday July 24^th.

Farm camp will be closed the week of June 29^th through July 3^rd.

Farm camp sessions run Monday-Friday, 5 days.

Children enroll for a minimum of one week, but are welcome to enroll for all six weeks of our summer program.

All participating families must be able to comply with our current good health protocols including handwashing at arrival and before and after meals,   and potentially wearing a mask indoors (restroom, playroom) if a persistent cough or sniffles is active.  Children may not attend our state licensed facility if newly ill, if diagnosed with covid-19 or other severe or moderately serious contagious illness (flu, measles, mumps, strep throat, etc.), nor if they have a fever or chills, sore throat, or have had diarrhea or vomiting within the last 24 hours.  (See registration form for details.)

Each child will bring a snack and a filled water bottle from home, and a lunch if they will be here at lunch time (around 12:00 or 12:30 pm).

All children should wear comfortable shoes (no barefeet) safe for climbing, should dress in layers to accomodate changes in weather, and bring a warm jacket.  A change of clothes is also strongly suggested. 
             We will be outside most of the day!

Check out what's going on

in our different sessions this summer:

Week One June 8 - June 12	Medieval Make Believe Welcome ye young lords and ladies, knights and princesses and princess-knights too!  It's time to frolic with the fairies and help us defend the castle against rogues and dragons!   Partake in the festive revelry of sword play, and archery.  Sew your own dragon. Make clothespin    fairies.  Build a mini catapult.  Decorate your own shield or crown.  Create your own fairy wand or magic scepter and dabble in the science and lore of gems & geodes.  Daily dress up and impromptu performances on our outdoor stage. We will also be looking forward to another visit from the Terra Dragon!  And of course our resident unicorns will be expecting lots of love and attention.
	Say hello to our resident "dragon"!     Whip up a royal feast in the play kitchen! Come visit our tiny "unicorns"! Learn about gemstones and jewels and crack open your own geode! Take a whack at hitting a bullseye in axe throwing!
Week Two   June 15 - June 19	Fairy Tale Fun  Which fairy tale is your favorite Limited space remaining:  2 M-F afternoon half days openings only Fairy Tales come to life this week as we celebrate childhood classics like Snow White, Rapunzel, Red Riding Hood, Jack & the Beanstalk, Alice in Wonderland and the 3 Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf.  Play, pretend, create, and enjoy some magical outdoor story time readings, dramatic performance on our outdoor stage and of course puppet shows.  Don't forget to make your own puppets and props to use here at the outdoor puppet theater and to take home. And of course, we'll meet the farm animals, help with afternoon farm chores, and enjoy our beautiful outdoor play space.  Help your new friends put on a mini play!  Plenty of props and costumes!  Create something magical in  the outdoor art studio. Become -- or invent -- your favorite fairy tale character
Week Three June 22 - June 26	MORE Fairy Tale  Fun: Ancient Greek Heroes & Legends    Get ready for ancient Greek themed action & imagination, arts & crafts, cooking, theater, stories and more as we step into our time machine and go back even further in time in search of the fun and exciting fairy tales of Ancient Greece! Perseus and the Minotaur... Zeus and the Titans, Pegasus & Theseus, Odyseus and his brave crew -- these are the tales so juicy that people were still telling and re-telling them 3,000 years later! PLUS did you know that it was the Ancient Greeks who gave us our first stories of fairies, mermaids, unicorns, and other mythical beasts? It's true!    So be sure to join us as we play and pretend like members of Percy Jackson's CAMP HALFBLOOD!  We'll try our hand at archery and sword play, build a take-home Trojan Horse or catapult, and outwit the Minotaur.  Kids can also make and sample some tasty Greek food, try on a tunic or toga, make a Greek alphabet necklace of our name, and decorate our own "Ancient Greek" pottery. And of course, we MUST go on a Quest or two!    Has anyone seen the Golden Fleece?   When we're not out adventuring, playing dress up, reliving Greek myths and fables on the stage, crafting at the outdoor art table, or snacking on tasty Greek food, we'll try our hand at growing and harvesting, just like the goddess Demeter. We may even muck out the pony stables like Hercules. And then with inspiration from Arachne and Athena, we'll do some fun weaving. (Psst! We'll even learn a little bit along the way about the Ancient Greek way of life.) Get ready for adventure! Find and rescue the Golden Fleece-- or just put on a play about it.  The Ancient Greeks loved plays!  Decorating pottery can be  a kind of fun story telling too. Watch out for Medusa! Paint your favorite Ancient Greek Monster. Or create one in clay.   Taste something new...   Is that goat cheese you're eating? Our mom helped make that you know.
	Little Garden Patch Farm is  closed June 29th - July 3rd
Week Four July 6 - July 10	Where the Wild Things Are - Animal Builders and Gardeners Limited space remaining:  3 M-F afternoon half days openings only     Through crafts, stories, games, and more fun hands-on learning and pretend children will learn about animals who share our world and who -- like us -- have a huge impact on nature, our food systems, and life on Earth.  These include pollinators, pond and reef builders, soil makers, and keystone predators. Come explore, create, and pretend about  the wonderful and sometimes whimsical work of hummingbirds and honey bees, earthworms and beetle bugs,  beavers, gophers, wolves and wild cats --  this unit is all about the animals.   And well... also about the garden!  You can bet we'll be planting and digging in the dirt, feeding weeds to the chickens, and watering the garden.  Plus we might turn a few logs to find some roly polies and other soil makers.  And while we're exploring the soil -- why not eat a little "dirt and worms"! And of course we'll have to try a bit of "farm to table" cuisine by sampling whatever is currently growing in the garden or ripening on our little fruit trees.
Week Five July 13 - July 17	Sharks, Mermaids, & Pirates! Limited space remaining: 4 M-F afternoon half days openings only   Ahoy there! Mermaids, pirates, and other sea denizens can join us for sushi making, whale lore, arts & crafts and lots more ocean themed fun and learning. Our very own docent from the Seymour Center will be on hand here at Little Garden Patch to help answer our burning questions about sharks and other creatures of the deep. We'll have a whale of a good time so don't forget a change of clothes because things are sure to get wet around here! No raw fish will be used in our sushi making!  But please be sure to check in with us before enrolling if your child has food allergies.  Typical ingredients include mango, carrot, cucumber,  (cooked) imitation crab, cream cheese, cooked egg, seasoned sushi rice, and of course roasted nori wrappers.  Children will choose the ingredients they feel comfortable eating.
Week Six July 20 - July 24	MORE WILD THINGS - Jungle Adventures   Decorate your own safari hat before we head into the woods behind Little Garden Patch to see how our woodland habitat measures up to those of the great rain forests.   How does habitat shape how humans and animals live?  How would your life be different if you shared your day with monkeys, macaws, and jaguars?  Could you build a shelter out of sticks and leaves -- let's try! We'll also be making rain sticks and maracas and trying them out to some beautiful music from around the globe. And we'll make and decorate our own wild masks to express our inner wild thing.  Learn about wild cats big and small from around the globe and tell us which is your favorite tropical reptile-- or amphibian!  Make some jungle slime.  And of course, you can't "visit" the jungle without making and eating your own "bug snacks"!  Don't worry, these edible food sculptures are made from your favorite fruits and veggies! Walking field trip to the woods behind Little Garden Patch.

 Our Daily Schedule:

• Morning drop off at 9 am or 9:30 (or earlier by advance arrangement for an extra fee).  Please wash hands before entering the playroom.  Don't forget to use the restroom at home right before you come to the farm!

• Indoor playroom activities until 10 am.  Legos, puzzles, books, fuse beads, doll play, coloring, board games, and more!

• Outdoor recess!  Head for the playground and shake those wiggles out!

• Morning snack and story time at 10:15  Wash hands and grab your snack and water bottle from your cubby.

• Free choice time.  Active play, puppet theater, doll play, sand and water tables, playground, play kitchen,  art studio, and weekly special activities.  Don't forget to take a restroom break!

• Lunch at 12:30.  Let's listen to a story and rest our bodies.  (All children will bring lunch,snack, and water bottle from home.)

• More free choice time plus guided activities.  And of course, time for the restroom!

• Afternoon snack and story time at 3:15 pm. Wash hands and grab your snack and water bottle from your cubby.

• Farm chore time at 4:30.  Let's feed the animals, water the garden, and pick up litter to keep our farm beautiful!

• Now it's clean up time!  Put your projects in your cubby, tidy up your art and play spaces, and let's get ready to head home.  Late pick-up kiddos can head to the playroom!

• Pick up time!   Parents should gather items from their child's cubby and sign them out at the gate before leaving.  See you next time!

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