RANCHO SANTA FE — At the Helen Woodward Animal Center’s Critter Camp, letting children interact with animals is for the birds — as well as the bunnies, horses, goats, llamas, reptiles and dogs.

The center will be offering the spring session of Critter Camp, a day camp for children in kindergarten through the eighth grade, April 4 through 8 and April 11 through 15,

The camp has grown significantly during the past five years, from 350 children in the summer camp to almost 1,000.

The campers are split into small groups based on their age, with no more than 15 children for every one instructor and two assistants.

“The 5-to-1 ratio of campers to instructors is the smallest of any camp in San Diego County,” said Helen Woodward’s public relations manager John Van Zante. “The intimate setting allows for more personal attention for each camper, and it is also safer for the animals.”

Critter Camp’s goal is to provide a safe place for children to interact with and learn about a variety of animals and how to care for them. According to Van Zante, an increasing number of children in San Diego are growing up without pets and without learning the importance of having respect for animals.

“There is an entire generation of youth in San Diego County living in apartments and condos that don’t allow animals, and Critter Camp can provide the important animal interaction that children so often wish for,” Van Zante said.

Jaime Pearson, the Critter Camp head coordinator and an instructor, said the camp also teaches children behavioral skills that can be applied outside the program as well.

“Children learn so much and so fast, and we’re told that they really take in what they learn here and apply it to other areas of their life,” Pearson said.

Several parents have told Van Zante and Pearson that their children’s behavior toward siblings and classmates improved significantly after attending the camp, which they attribute to the program’s emphasis on safety and respect.

“Every day we start with a lesson on respect for living things, and with every new animal we introduce we explain their unique characteristics and how they should be handled,” Pearson said.

Critter Camp offers a variety of animals and activities for the children that are tailored to the different age group.

“While all the campers will be able to handle the animals, the older kids will learn more about pet ownership responsibility and more advanced animal care,” said Pearson.

The spring session’s theme is “Around the World,” with each day focusing on a different country and the animals from that geographic region. Campers will receive a “passport” that will be stamped as they explore each country.

Discussions about animal care and trivia are part of the everyday curriculum at Critter Camp, and the instructors encourage the conversations to continue once the campers have left for the day.

“We always give the parents a question to ask their children when they pick them up so they can be more involved in what their children are experiencing every day at camp,” Pearson said.

In addition to the spring session of Critter Camp, a nine-week summer camp is also available, with registration beginning in April.

The summer program has been available for more than a decade. During the last five years, attendance has grown from 350 campers to more than a 1,000.

Critter Camp is held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Each camper is required to bring a lunch. The cost for the spring session is $193, or $45 per day, with optional extended care available for earlier drop-off or later pickup for an additional $50 a week, or $10 a day. Summer Critter Camp is $135 for pre-kindergarten children, and $195 for children in kindergarten through eighth grade. Scholarships are also available to those in need.

For Pearson, imparting her knowledge of and love for animals to children is truly a gift that keeps on giving.

“Teaching children that animals have feelings is invaluable to their growth as compassionate human beings,” Pearson said.