The countdown is on. There are T-minus 11 weeks until most San Diego kiddos say “sayonara” to school until autumn. Don’t panic, parents. We’ve got you covered with 10 local summer camps + programs for children of all ages to enjoy.
Summer camp programs at Birch Aquarium focus on marine life. | Photo via Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography
🐠 Animal encounters
Birch Aquarium, 2300 Expedition Way, La Jolla
Weeklong full + half-day summer camps for kids ages 5-13 focus on underwater exploration — either at the aquarium or on the beach. Think science activities, kelp forests, snorkeling + up-close encounters with sea life. These programs run from Tues., June 21-Fri., Aug. 26.
San Diego Zoo, 2920 Zoo Dr.
A plethora of programs for those in grades K-12 are available this summer at the zoo, most spanning five days, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Kindergarten Classic Camps explore how zoo critters move + live, while Art Camp for grades 1-3 or 4-12 focuses on creating works of art inspired by wildlife. There are also Classic Camp options focused on cool animal facts + wildlife conservation.
The YMCA of San Diego County is offering summer camps across 14 branches. | Photo via Monica Garske + SDtoday
🎽 Athletics
YMCA of San Diego County, 14 camp locations including Santee, Mission Valley, South Bay
Summer camps at The Y cover all kinds of interests and athletics programs include gym + swim, dance, baseball, skateboarding, and more. Most day camps last for a week at a time, running Monday-Friday, from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Pacific Surf School, Locations vary: Pacific, Mission + Ocean Beach, and La Jolla
It doesn’t get more San Diego than surf camp. Pacific Surf School offers options for 3 or 5-day morning camps, or a full day Monday-Friday. Grommets learn the fundamentals of surfing + oceanography, ocean awareness, water safety, riding skills, and more.
The Spanish Village Arts and Education Foundation offers summer programs for all ages. | Photo via Monica Garske + SDtoday
🎨 Art
Spanish Village Art Camps, Spanish Village at Balboa Park
The historic Spanish Village offers 5-day morning summer camps for budding artists, with a different medium + project taught daily. Three weeks are open now for registration: July 11-July 15; July 25-July 29; Aug. 15-19. There are also one-off classes available here.
Drawn2Art, 13173-10 Black Mountain Rd.
Drawn2Art’s summer programs cater to little artists ages 6+ and span mediums like clay, sculpting, painting, printmaking, and even anime and cartooning. Register here.
🌳 Outdoors
Camp Fire San Diego, 3101 Balboa Dr.
Geared toward campers ages 3-13, summer programs at Camp Fire include activities like hiking, archery, scavenger hunts, arts + crafts, and science as kids discover the 7.5-acre reserve in Balboa Park. Most traditional day camp sessions run for three days, Wednesday-Friday, from 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
G3Kids, Locations vary: Liberty Station, Westfield UTC La Jolla, Pacific Beach
Weeklong summer programs run from June 15-Aug. 26 and include outdoor adventures, ninja parkour, gymnastics, and teamwork games. Sign-ups depend on the location, but for a sampling, here’s the Liberty Station schedule.
🔬 Science
Mad Science San Diego, Locations vary: Santee, Poway, San Marcos
Green liquid, messages written in code, robots, space exploration + more will keep curious campers ages 3 to 6th grade busy via these summer programs across the county. The half-day camps run Monday-Friday, from 9 a.m.-12 p.m., or 1-4 p.m.
Fleet Science Center, 1875 El Prado
Science-focused activities + hands-on experiments reign at The Fleet’s summer offerings — spanning topics like space exploration, chemistry, and oceanography. There are half-day camps for pre-K to kindergarten learners, and full-day options for kids in grades 1-8. These tend to fill up fast, but you can join a waitlist.
