The 11 Best Day Camps In Los Angeles

Los Angeles is an innovative, fun-filled area, and summers here are the best! If you’re wondering how to keep your kids entertained during the school break, summer camps are packed with activities for every interest.

From computer labs, rock climbing, and sports to arts & crafts, Los Angeles day camps offer lots of options in the great southern California weather.

We’ve compiled a list of some of the best summer camps in LA to check out. Some offer in-house activities at their own facilities or on different school campuses in the greater Los Angeles area. Others even offer optional field trips.

Regardless of your children’s favorite hobbies, these offer a diverse group of wonderful selections.

Summer Camp	Ages	Gender	Type
Got Game Camp	4-14	Coed	Traditional
Steve and Kate’s Camp	4-12	Coed	Traditional
Planet Bravo	7-14	Coed	Tech
NHMLAC Adventures In Nature	4-14	Coed	Science
Otis College of Art & Design	5-14	Coed	Art
YMCA of Metropolitan LA	3-17	Coed	Traditional
LA Nature Kids	5-12	Coed	Science
Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club	5-17	Coed	Traditional
California Science Center	3-14	Coed	Science
Aloha Beach Camp	4-13	Coed	Traditional
Tumbleweed Camp	3-14	Coed	Traditional

1. Got Game Camp

Got Game Camp has been providing day programs in Southern California since 2010. They offer varied activities such as traditional sports, theater, robotics, tech programs, and arts and crafts. 

As a premier provider, this passionate group of trained instructors and coaches love inspiring the best in children ages 4-14. 

Indoor and outdoor programs take place at friendly school campuses in the San Fernando Valley, Mid-City, and West LA. Camps are offered in week-long sessions, and you can sign up for one week or multiple weeks throughout the season.

Got Game also offers field trips around the city, where campers visit water parks, sports fields, beaches, and movie theaters. Those who choose to stay on campus also enjoy special fun activities.

2. Steve and Kate’s Camp

For flexibility and the option to change plans during a summer vacation, Steve and Kate’s Camp is a perfect choice. This well-loved summer camp offers daily programs from 8 am to 6 pm. After preregistration, children can show up on any given day. 

Once there, kids from Pre-K through 7^th grade get to make decisions about their activities at camp. This unique approach builds self-assurance and lets children learn through their own choices.

The innovative camp includes sports and recreation, music, a lab for tinkering and building STEM projects, a media lab, game shows, a bakery lab, and more.

Summer camps at Steve and Kate’s take place at school campuses along with all their activities. A healthy lunch and snack menu including local specialties adds to its well-roundedness.

3. Planet Bravo

Planet Bravo hosts “Techno-Tainment” summer camps, where children in grades 2-9 learn to understand and use technology. These tech summer camps are designed for kids who love to play video games, paint and draw using computers, and use the internet. 

Camp sessions come in week-long blocks, and Planet Bravo switches up the topics to keep things interesting. Activities include video editing, game creation, cartoon animation, and building robots. 

Summer sessions run from 9 am to 3 pm daily, and kids can pick up a class for another week if they want to continue their ongoing learning. 

This day camp is great for learning new things and confidence-building. About half the day’s activities are tech-related, interspersed with outside playing, meal breaks, and fun with new friends.

Planet Bravo camps take place in 10 school locations throughout the LA area.

4. NHMLAC Adventures In Nature

If you’ve ever visited the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, you’ll be excited to know that children can learn about the natural world with one of their nature camps.

The Natural History Museum includes the Brea Tar Pits, the Dinosaur Museum and the Urban Nature Research Center. Campers get access to museum archives and collections for inspiration. They can then take their interest outdoors for a practical experience. 

Interactive classroom sessions spark curiosity in the natural world. Campers study fossils and minerals that comprise our earth or investigate plant life and insects in the museum gardens.

Summer sessions are for children from K-8 and are guided by instructors and professionals who love sharing their fascination with natural history. A small student-to-teacher ratio allows for plenty of questions and personal attention.

Check the website for updates on sessions and where they’ll be located.

5. Otis College of Art and Design

If your child is interested in art design, painting, 2D animation, printmaking, and other artistic expressions, the Otis College Summer Youth Camps are the perfect choice.

Located on Lincoln Blvd near the airport, Otis College guides individuals to express themselves via creative and artistic practices. 

Summer programs at Otis are full of fun, with weeks geared to age groups 5-8, 9-12, and 13-14. Younger children can explore their creativity via clay sculpting, acrylic painting, making plush toys, and more. 

Pre-teens can enjoy painting, graphic design, cartooning, computer animation, and game design. Teens have additional activities like fashion design and mixed media. Classes are offered for a full day or half day over 8 weeks. 

6. YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles

The YMCA Of Metropolitan Los Angeles offers week-long sports camps, teen camps, and summer child care. While some are day programs, they also offer overnight camps if your child prefers those.

The YMCA has 140 years of service to children, teaching responsibility and personal growth, along with letting them interact with other kids. 

Summer day camps might include swimming lessons, STEM activities, field trips to the LA Zoo and Long Beach Aquarium and lots of sports-related options.

There are 26 YMCA locations throughout LA County, serving most areas. Their core values ensure that every child has the opportunity to grow through learning and fun-filled activities with other kids in the community.

7. LA Nature Kids

If you think the great outdoors is a natural classroom for children, look no further than LA Nature Kids in Santa Monica. This nature camp takes 5-12 year olds in the Western part of the city to the beautiful natural environments of California for immersive experiences.

The forest school was created around the idea that children benefit from using their senses and interacting with the natural world. The camp’s program helps kids to build self-esteem, learn to team up with others and understand the workings of nature.

The classroom settings for LA Nature Kids are the nearby mountains, beaches, and forested areas. Campers have open-air adventures, conduct science experiments, and learn about weather, plants, and insects. 

They also develop outdoor skills and use journaling for inner reflection. 

8. Los Angeles Boys and Girls Club

The Los Angeles Boys and Girls Club, established back in 1944, is a highly respected civic community center. The club offers services to families and youth in the Northeast Los Angeles area. 

Their mission is to provide enriching services to all, including youth from lower-income households. LABGC’s summer camps are open from 9 am-6 pm, offering a wide range of activities. 

Children are grouped according to age and enjoy subjects geared to their age. Some activities featured are baseball and other field sports, art/dance, water sports, and reading/math. 

Kids are welcome to bring a healthy breakfast, lunch, and snacks or enjoy the free options there. Any field trips offered are included in the membership fee.

9. California Science Center

The California Science Center has several hands-on day camps for young scientists of all ages. Their weekly camps each have a unique focus with 25+ different classes for different grade levels. 

With themes like engineering, robotics, biology, and chemistry, Hands-On Science Camp lets kids be real scientists and participate in interactive experiments.

Each camp lasts a week and has either half-day or full-day schedules. California Science Center’s camps are available for kids from age 3 to 8th grade. 

Most classes are held in the Wallis Annenberg Building near the California Science Center in Los Angeles. They also have multiple scholarships available.

10. Aloha Beach Camp

Los Angeles is famous for its beautiful beaches and fun in the sun. So, it’s only natural that the Aloha Beach Camp is one of LA’s most popular summer camps!

With its Hawaiian-themed programs at Zuma Beach and Paradise Cove in Malibu, younger kids (Keikis: 4-7 years) enjoy swimming lessons, beginner surfing, and playtime. 

Older campers (Kahuna: 8-11 years) can indulge in body surfing, ocean kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and flag football. 

For 12-year-olds and older teens, Aloha’s High Action Camp includes more thrilling pursuits like tubing, jet skiing, boogie boarding, and other aquatic activities in beaches and water parks of Los Angeles and Ventura County.

Aloha Beach Camps has a 3:1 student/instructor ratio and optional day-by-day sign-up. They offer flexible and fun choices for your family with free transportation included.

11. Tumbleweed Camp

For a complete summer camp experience that immerses children in fun, friendship, and play, Tumbleweed Camp is all about being unplugged. 

Campers get to be active and test their skills in real life with entertaining activities like archery, swimming, field games, and rock climbing. 

Other programs include dance and music, art, and playing classic board games. Kids can get into nature with pony rides, tending the gardens, and caring for farm animals.

Located in the Crestwood Hills area in Los Angeles, Tumbleweed Camp is dedicated to providing a fun and dynamic environment. Here children learn to respect others, try new things, and develop confidence.

Camps are specific to age groups, from Pre-K through 8th grade. One-week sessions run from mid-June to mid-August.