This summer, stop taking your hometown for granted. Treat Orange County and Southern California like the diverse and exciting place it is. While your kids aren’t cooped up in a classroom, let them savor every flavor the area has to offer.
When we are on vacation and let ourselves be tourists, we let our hair down, drive a little slower and stop at interesting sites that we would never notice at home. These summer camps give you the best of the “hidden gems” that have been hiding under your nose. You won’t regret checking out any of them.
Rock Climbing Camp: Sender One Climbing
City: Santa Ana
Phone: 714-881-3456
Where else but Southern California can you learn to slack line, boulder, rock climb, zip line and then “zen out” with a little yoga at day camp? Soon, your kid will be scaling the face of Half Dome. The five-day camp also includes a day in Sender City – the camp’s interactive climbing center full of buildings, towers, and shapes – normally used for parties and events. Half-day sessions for kids ages 6-14 run from June 12 to the last week of August. Price is $299, with a 10 percent sibling and return camper discount.
Golf Camp: Nike Jr. Golf Camp
Cities: Fullerton, Irvine and Lake Forest locations in O.C.
Southern California is one of the only places in the United States where you can golf year-round, so why not let your kids learn from the pros at Nike? Their full- and half-day camps are located at top courses across Orange County. Kids from 7 to 16 are placed in groups according to age and ability. During the day, they work on stretches, form, short- and long-game drills, course play and management. Weeklong, full-day and half-day camps are offered all summer. Prices range from $225 to $519.
Zoo Camp: The Santa Ana Zoo
(The Discovery Cube operates camps at the zoo)
Phone: 714-542-2823
oc.discoverycube.org/education
Younger kids (ages 5-7) will take the storybook approach to camp each day as they explore animal eggs and body coverings and see zoo creatures close-up in exclusive shows.
Older children (ages 7-10) will discover all of the important jobs at the zoo, learning how to keep the animals healthy, safe, clean and fed.
They will also test their own balance and strength against the fastest and biggest beasts, and create models of animal enclosures that keep the animals safe and entertained. Weeklong camps are offered all summer. Prices range from $130 to $190.
Hands-on STEM Camp: Urban Workshop
City: Costa Mesa
Phone: 949-296-2153
You’ll be jealous when you learn that your 10- to 15-year-old is learning about hand tools, CAD and 3D printing, laser etching, silk screening, metal shop, welding, woodworking and electronics in highly addictive, hands-on classes. And the next time the car breaks down on a road trip, you’ll be grateful that your 13-year-old knows the basics of engine mechanics.
The full-day camps run weekly throughout the summer. The Urban Workshop provides STEM courses to many charter schools in the area, so your child may get school credit while having fun at the same time. Price: $800.
Skate Camp: Etnies Skate Park
City: Lake Forest
Phone: 949-916-5870
Are you getting ready for the X Games in Minneapolis this year? Save your money and instead send your skate rat to the Etnies Skate Park Day Camp – run by the city of Lake Forest.
Campers ages 6 to 17 will skate with the pros and learn bowl riding, how to grind and kick flip, and the basics of ollies and transitions. They’ll be treated to a barbecue lunch every day and receive their own “create a deck” skate deck that they can design and ride at the end of the week.
Weeklong sessions run from mid-June to late August. Price: $200.
Camp at the Discovery Cube: The Discovery Cube
City: Santa Ana
Phone: 714-542-2823
oc.discoverycube.org/education
Does your 7- to 10-year-old get bored easily? Is he or she the kind of kid who wants to try everything? The Discovery Cube has the perfect weeklong camp for you. Your child can dig for dinosaur bones, cook with a chef, learn how electricity works, learn about how the human stomach works, solve a mystery and tap into the basics of chemistry. If your kid is still bored, you can’t say you didn’t try to help! Camps are offered all summer. Price: $190.
Shakespeare Camp: New Swan Apprenticeship in Acting for Theatre at UCI Claire Trevor School of the Arts
City: Irvine
Phone: 949-824-8976
Can’t make it to Stratford-upon-Avon this year? Your teen can have Shakespeare right here. The New Swan Shakespeare Festival at UCI offers an academy-style camp for talented 14- to 19-year-old thespians. Students will be trained by pros in acting, voice, movement and other stage skills. While the price is steep – $800 – scholarships and financial aid are available. The camp runs from July 31 to Aug. 11.
Art Camp: The Art Studio
City: Westminster
Phone: 714-899-6001
Inspire a love of art in your children. At this camp, they can learn about a variety of art forms, including how to work with oil paint, graphite and sculpting clay. They’ll also have a chance to learn custom skateboard design. All Art Studio camp classes are taught by professional, working artists who also have a mission to teach their art form. Camps are tailored to the individual – beginners start with basic drawing skills while more advanced students are allowed to increase their knowledge. Weeklong, half-day sessions are divided by age for kids 7 to 17 and run from late June to mid-August. Price: $250, plus materials fee.
Inside the Outdoors Camp: Orange County Dept. of Education
Cities: Costa Mesa, Orange, Silverado and Huntington Beach
Phone: 714-708-3885
Orange County has many beautiful parks and trails. How many have you visited? Why not let your child learn about the flora and fauna of our surrounding open space with the naturalists at the Orange County Department of Education?
The OCDE offers weeklong camps at Rancho Soñado, Shipley Nature Center and Irvine Regional Park. Campers will learn about wetlands, ecosystems, plant uses, and the plants and animals of our region. Campers are divided into age groups, including basic summer camp (ages 6-11), youth leadership (12-16), and junior naturalist (16-18). Dates vary, depending on location. Prices range from $110 to $210.
Circus and Aerial Performing Skills Camp: Ruby Karen Project
City: Costa Mesa
Phone: 714-846-6143
At these one-of-a-kind circus camps, your kids will learn a variety of circus and aerial activities including acrobatics, contortion, stilts, juggling, hula hooping, tightrope walking, plate spinning and other jaw-dropping skills. Children ages 6 to 15 will be ready for the big top in no time (but you may want to hide the good china for a while). Camps are offered three weeks during the summer: June 26-30, July 10-14, and July 31-Aug. 4. Prices range from $95 to $450.
