summer camps in Los Angeles Archives

L.A. Summer Camps: A Safe Haven for Kids in Challenging Times

Published March 4, 2025

By Tonilyn Hornung

While life in the Los Angeles region may not return to “normal” for a long while, now is a good time to start thinking about how you want your children to spend their summer. Summer camp continues to be a sanctuary for children navigating life’s uncertainties.

The National Library of Medicine reports that camp experiences help children and adolescents cope better with everyday challenges, leading to improved well-being.

“Summer camp provides children with a structured environment where they can build resilience, independence and social skills, all of which contribute to a sense of stability during unpredictable times,” says Supatra Tovar, PSY.D., R.D. There’s no limit to the benefits summer camp offers kids, and Tovar says that engaging in outdoor activities, creative projects and team-based challenges can foster emotional regulation and confidence.

“By forming meaningful connections with peers and mentors, children develop a strong support system that reinforces their ability to adapt and thrive, no matter what changes come their way,” Tovar says.

To help you plan the summer, here’s a list of a few safe summer camps your kids might enjoy.

Outdoor camps do the body and mind good

In the child-led EverWild camp, kids can feel safe expressing themselves in a natural setting. PHOTO COURTESY EVERWILD

Aloha Beach Summer Day Camp: Calling all beach lovers, this day camp founded in 1999 is for kiddos who adore their beach time and parents who love a flexible camp schedule. Children aged 4-14 can participate in age-appropriate activities, including swimming lessons, boogie boarding and stand-up paddle boarding. Multitasking parents can pick camp days that work best for their busy schedules. Say “aloha” when this camp opens for its summer season on June 16. Camps take place at Paradise Cove, Zuma Beach in Malibu, Santa Monica and elsewhere.

EverWild: In this child-led camp, kids can feel safe expressing themselves in a natural setting. EverWild lives up to its name by blending play, exploration and fun activities that curate curiosity. Fostering room for a deep connection to plants and animals, kids are encouraged by mentors to turn on their imaginative thinking and discover new loves in this outdoor setting. EverWild offers a variety of options, including camps that drop off and pick up from predetermined locations around the region and camps that use a van for transportation from your local park to the mountains and beaches. Weekly camps run from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Ages range from 3-12 at some camps. Check the website for dates and other specifics.

Gilchrist Farm: Located in Santa Clarita, this farm setting allows kids to spend time milking goats, shearing sheep and gathering eggs. Bonus: There are bunnies and pigs to pet. Other activities include candle making, woodworking and teamwork-building games. If your child loves horses, then you’ve hit the camp jackpot. Both new and experienced riders have opportunities here. Camp is suitable for ages 5 and up and begin in late May.

Aqua Surf Camps: Check out the tubular waves at this surfing school in SoCal! Riding the waves in Santa Monica and Manhattan Beach, beginners and experienced surfers alike are welcome at Aqua Surf, a camp that’s been hanging ten for the last 20 years. You can choose from day- or week-long camps (check website for dates), where surfers ages 5-17 work with experienced instructors learning the rules of the waves.

Get technical and artistic at these indoor summer camps

Design Hive in Mid-City is an art and technology studio. PHOTO COURTESY DESIGN HIVE

Camp Tech Revolution STEM: This STEM (science, technology, engineering and technology) summer camp in Pomona is stacked with all the latest groundbreaking STEM topics. Choose from robotics, 3D printing, AI and more. Tech Revolution STEM’s mission is “to provide a best-in-class experience in summer enrichment and prepare our students for the future in STEM,” camp founders say. Look for weekly classes for kids ages 6-14. Camp runs June 9 to Aug. 8.

Design Hive: Created by science teacher Lauren Arshad and technology teacher Jennifer Cefaly, Design Hive in Mid-City is an art and technology studio. Camp is designed to be flexible. A regular day clocks in from 9:30 am. to 2 p.m., but the flexible model allows for attending half or full days. Primarily a STEAM workshop, the focus is on the development of art, technology and fine motor and gross motor skills. This camp serves children ages 5-12 years of all abilities.

CSUN’s Teenage Drama Workshop: To play or not to play? That is the question! For your theater-loving kids (ages 11-18), check out this inclusive camp at California State University, Northridge. This summer program allows preteens and teens to learn all about the theater with programs in acting, dancing and singing. Campers get the chance to be cast in either a musical or non-musical play. The summer musical is “Matilda, The Musical Jr.” and the non-musical option, “The Hobbit,” lets the actors step into the middle of Middle Earth. Camp runs June 12 to July 25.

Zoo Camp: Looking for the best of both indoor and camp outdoor worlds? A weeklong camp at the Los Angeles Zoo is just the ticket. Campers in grades pre-kindergarten to sixth grade learn about nature, conservation and animals. With different weekly themes, students will easily find a subject they enjoy. Camp runs from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Extended morning and evening care is optional. Check the LA Zoo website for dates.

Tonilyn Hornung is an author and freelance writer who lives with her husband, son and many furry friends.

What Summer Camp Counselors Wish You Knew

Published May 6, 2024

By Emily Ip

Got Game camps are held at four locations in Los Angeles County. PHOTO COURTESY GOT GAME CAMP

The sun is beating down harder as daylight stretches into the late evening, which means another school year is rounding to a close. For many of you, however, the drop-offs, lunch packing and daily activity schedules are year-round — particularly if your children are headed to summer camp. During those hours, it’s the camp counselors who become an essential facet of your child’s summer.

If you find yourself wondering how to enhance summer camp not only for your child, but also the counselors responsible for them during camp hours, here are some refreshing insights from camp staff.

That comedy is a confidence builder

The Crow’s comedy camp for kids in Santa Monica structures its camp around teaching children the authentic art of comedy with each week leading up to a culminating Friday performance. These performances include all of the kids’ jokes; characters and sketches, too, are their own creations. Ike Turman empowers his campers by teaching them how to build their comedy pieces with story structures and using comedy to help bolster their self-confidence.

Turman says he “…wishes parents knew how meaningful these experiences can be for their kids. Yes, it’s a way to get them out of the house in the summer months, but it can also be a way to show them how valuable their voice and ideas are and show them how to respect that voice and those ideas, how to contribute meaningfully to the world in the ways only they can, as a truly valuable part of that world.” Turman believes all children “have great ideas worth the respect, time and effort the adults in their lives ought to be putting in, in order to teach them how to express all of it.”

That it takes courage to attend camp

Reach Academy for Young Men aims to coach young men into compassionate, confident individuals. PHOTO COURTESY REACH ACADEMY FOR YOUNG MEN

When she reflects on how shy she was as a kid, Paloma Ying Hashemi, also a counselor with The Crow’s comedy camp for kids, wishes she could have experienced the transformative power of live performance like the children she mentors get to experience.

But when it comes to her students, “I wish parents knew how much courage it takes for their kids to attend summer camp, especially a camp of this nature,” Hashemi says. “It’s daunting and difficult for a kid to be thrust into an environment where they’re learning something brand new with no familiar faces to rely on. And in the case of performance-based camps, they demand a certain degree of vulnerability from the campers.

“The short duration of summer camps expedites the friendship-making process and forces campers to put themselves out there to form relationships,” she adds. “This type of environment brings out the best in kids, and I’ve seen so many beautiful bonds form in just a few days, but it’s also extremely nerve-wracking. Most summer camps involve learning new skills, and campers have to be willing to try, fail and try again over and over in front of their peers who they’ve only just met. That takes more courage and persistence than anyone gives them credit for.”

That healthy snacks (yes, even during the summer) are a must

Coaching young men into compassionate, confident individuals is the mission of Christian Bryan, a mentor for Reach Academy for Young Men in Beverly Hills.

PHOTO COURTESY REACH ACADEMY FOR YOUNG MEN

Bryan’s wishes are simple: He “wishes parents knew to pack more snacks and healthier snacks for their kids.” It may seem like just another trivial detail to slow up your morning rush, but he believes “some parents fail to understand the irritability of a hungry kid. It would not only make my job easier as your kid’s counselor, but it would also, and more importantly, improve your child’s summer camp experience by giving them the energy to effectively participate in activities, make friends and have fun.”

That your camp staff cares

Another passionate mentor at Reach Academy for Young Men, Noble Morris wishes parents “knew how much we care about and love the kids we mentor, even if we only [work with] them in a span of a few weeks.” For the kids, Noble says, “I wish they knew how hard we try to keep the kitchen clean after they’ve finished using it!”

But whether they’re messy or not, Morris also wants campers to know they can “come to us at any time, even outside of camp settings, if they want someone to talk to or need help with anything.”

That everyone at camp benefits

Kayla Burfadeci, a sports camp counselor for Got Game , which has four locations throughout L.A. County, loves her job and considers herself a “very fun, positive person,” though she’s had her fair share of “off days.” For Burfadeci, it’s important to her that parents know how their kids have positively impacted her life.

“As soon as I see the kids, I feel an instant joy just when they say ‘Hi, Coach Kayla’ from a distance,” she says. “They have gotten me through some hard times, and I am so grateful for all of them.”

That learning is a gift

Patrick Smith is the program manager of Rediscover Center in Venice and Mid City, but he’s had his fair share of counseling experience, too. Smith wants to remind parents of the importance in embracing every win, big or small.

“Your kids are spending their hours at camp learning, discovering, experimenting and having real hands-on experiences,” he says. “Sometimes. those efforts [culminate in] an impressive, tangible project at the end of the week, and sometimes [children leave with] ideas, questions and stories.” Smith reminds parents that “the best gift you can give [your children] is your own curiosity.”

Emily Ip is an editorial intern at L.A. Parent and a college freshman.

Get a Jumpstart on Summer Camp

Published January 7, 2022

By Mimi Slawoff

Monkeying around at Camp Los Encinos.
PHOTO COURTESY LES COMMUNICATIONS

Editor’s Note: We know, we know. It’s only January, and we’re already talking about summer camp. But if you act now, you can often take advantage of early bird registration discounts, and you won’t find yourself scrambling late spring, trying to figure out what to do with the kids this summer. Happy planning!

Not every child thrives on shooting hoops and batting balls. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t active options for kids who prefer art over soccer. From yoga and self-defense training to hiking and horseback riding, many camps offer a range of activities that encourage kids to find their groove and move.

“Because every child is different, and they are not all into sports or dance or art, it is important that camps offer many options for kids to choose from, but also have options for the kid to create their own activities,” says Ana Miro Herrans, an art education specialist and owner of The Artsy Wagon.

These diverse camps offer exciting activities for kids who need a little nudge to budge.

Host a mini camp

Kids can roll out of bed and jump into action when The Artsy Wagon pulls up to their home. A host family provides the space, and The Artsy Wagon staff brings a customized art curriculum based on space and children’s ages, interests and abilities. Activities include mural and liquid chalk painting, obstacle courses, stretching and freeze dance in their living rooms.

“We mix literature, math, science, art history, fine- and gross-motor-skill development and vocabulary acquisition with activities such as art and crafts, theatrical games, movement, music and STEAM activities,” Herrans says.

The maximum group size is 10, and kids should be within three years of age. All materials are provided, including furniture protection, and each child receives a keepsake apron. The Artsy Wagon provides fliers to help the host family invite other kids. The theme options for this year include “Pirates and Mermaids,” “Unicorns and Rainbows,” “Little Einsteins” and “Crazy Time Machine.”

Campers enjoy a martial arts lesson at Cali Camp.
PHOTO BY KASSANDRA WILSEY

Customize your camp

Youth in grades 1-9 go goo-goo over Gaga, Camp Los Encinos’ most popular activity, which is played like dodgeball but individually with 10 or more players in a circular walled-off area. It’s one of many activities they can choose during daily or weekly activities at the Encino camp. During registration, kids customize their camp experience with options such as sports, games, cooking and yoga.

“Mornings begin with singing and dancing to get the blood circulating,” says Jay Falk, Los Encinos School’s communications director.

In addition to organized sports, the camp provides hula hoops, balls, jump ropes, flying discs, tetherball, inflatable bounce houses, water slides and other activities throughout the day. Weekly field trips include visits to trampoline centers, bowling alleys, roller rinks and other spots to get the joints moving. Camp dates: June 13-July 29.

Camps for the curious

At the Pasadena Waldorf School Summer Camp in Altadena, kids entering grades 1-8 dabble in their areas of interest, from science and nature to art/design and more. The themed camps, which include gardening, games, puppetry, fine arts and crafting, take place mostly outdoors. Whether it’s an experiential activity, a structured game or exploring wooded acres, kids spend a lot of time outdoors and moving. Camp dates: June 13-July 15 and July 25-Aug. 5. The week of July 5-8 is a four-day camp; otherwise it is a five-day camp.

“It’s Time to Shine” is this year’s theme at Stratford School’s summer@stratford camp, which has locations in West L.A. and Altadena. The school tailors its academic, specialty and day camps to reflect its motto summa spes, summa res (“highest hopes, highest things”). Kids in grades 1-5 are encouraged to be curious and discover their skills and passions through the camp’s signature activity blocks that revolve around science and nature, creative and performing arts and sports and games. Camp dates: June 13-Aug. 13.

Empowering girls through self-defense

Empowerment Summer Camp for Girls teaches girls ages 6-17 self-defense skills and includes activities such as yoga, core workout, water sports and dance — all designed to empower girls in a supportive sisterhood environment.

They’re grouped by age for most activities but participate together for others during the 10-week camp (students can join for one or more weeks). The self-defense training teaches girls how to use their bodies to survive attacks, while empowerment workshops focus on a weekly topic, such as building self-awareness and confidence. “Through these activities, they will feel stronger physically, regardless of whatever physical abilities they started with,” says Nelson Nio, founder of SHIELD Women’s Self Defense System in Playa del Rey.

And while the main objective is to empower girls, it’s also about fun. “Oh, and we buy ice cream on the beach for everyone once a week,” Nio says. Camp dates: June 13-Aug. 19.

Nurture bodies in nature-based camps

Transportation (included in camp tuition) is provided to Cali Camp’s woodsy location in Topanga Canyon, where various activities await kids ages 3-15.

“We have a good variety of physical, creative and intellectual activities, which helps our campers have a balanced day,” Camp Director Kassandra Wilsey says.

Cali campers enjoy daily swimming and a variety of classic camp activities, from horseback riding to go-karts, rock climbing and zip lining. There’s also dance, arts and crafts and drama in addition to sports, pingpong, foosball and even some Harry Potter Quidditch. The most popular activities are horseback riding, backyard games and sports, the high-ropes course, martial arts and aerial arts. Camp dates: June 13-Aug. 12.

Situated at the base of Angeles National Forest in Altadena, the family-run Summerkids Camp offers ages 5-15 gardening, games, crafts, cooking, archery, sports, hiking and more on a 56-acre property with meadows, a stream, pool and lodge. “Campers are given the opportunity to choose what they want to do. In a day, your campers may have as many as 50 different choices,” Director Cara DiMassa says.

Depending on kids’ interests, they can hike on trails, harvest squash from the garden, build a fort in the nature center, swim and more. Kids eat lunch and snacks under 100-year-old trees near a stream. Camp dates: June 14-Aug. 6. Campers can sign up for two-week sessions.

Archery is among 50 activities at Summerkids Camp.
PHOTO BY COREY MORGAN

Slip away to sleepaway camp

Rise and shine at the Webb Schools Junior Scholars Summer Program, ideal for ambitious seventh, eighth and ninth graders with a passion for discovery and exploration both indoors and outdoors.

Campers learn what makes the world tick through a mix of academic and physical activities during their stay at the boarding school, nestled at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. They also engage with peers from around the world.

Webb offers four academic tracks — paleontology, science and engineering, digital and global ethics — that enable kids to work with paleontologists and visit Webb’s observatory. Field trips include beaches and tide pools and hiking in local mountains. Under supervision, students live in dormitories and have full access to the aquatic center, gymnasium, fields, tennis courts and more.

Campers can sign up for one or both two-week sessions (there’s a bridge program for those who stay between sessions). Camp dates: July 8-17 and July 19-28.

Not all kids are cut out to be athletes, but traditional sports aren’t the only way to stay healthy and fit. These camps are sure to entice even your most devout couch potatoes to get moving — and have a blast — this summer.

Mimi Slawoff is a Valencia-based journalist and mother of three adult children. Follow her on Twitter @Mimitravelz and Instagram @Mimitravels.