Are you looking for a great summer camp in Orange County for your kids? Be sure to check out these fantastic camps all over the area, offering classes and activities of all kinds of themes and styles. Whether kids enjoy outdoor adventures, animal encounters, or science experiments and tinkering, these Orange County summer camps offer engaging, fun experiences for kids of all ages.
7 Orange County Summer Camps Perfect for Various Interests, From Wildlife, Art, & More
Bionerds
PO Box 81004
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688
Bionerds offer week-long camps through the summer, with guest speakers that educate kids on nature, wildlife, marine life, research, and medical fields. Registration for in-person camps includes toys, a Bionerds certificate at the end, and lots of fun activities with the Bionerds staff. Half-day camps are also available in morning or afternoon sessions and full-day camps at some sites.
Camp themes include Decomposers: Earth’s Best Friends, a fun and hands-on biology workshop for kids to learn about live organisms, perform dissections, and participate in lab experiments. Dinosaurs: Fantastic Prehistoric World is a camp all about these creatures that roamed the earth for 180 million years.
Kids can learn the major types of dinosaurs, conduct paleontological experiments, and engage in activities about biological processes. The camp themes are all fun and engaging topics for kids!
Art Steps
1525 Mesa Verde Drive E
#119
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Art Steps offers fun, creative workshops and camps throughout the summer, both in the studio and online. All summer, kids can enjoy classical drawing and painting lessons in engaging formats and try their hand at paper sculpture, art history, figure drawing, portraiture, cartooning, and much more. Camps are ideal for kids ages 4 through 18 who love art. Through individualized, age-appropriate instruction, they can sharpen their art skills while having fun. Artists of all skill levels can immerse themselves in week-long camps.
The Anime and Cartooning Workshop is open to kids ages seven and older. It allows them to learn how to create original anime characters and classic favorites. Kids discover basic cartooning principles, both American and Japanese styles. The Monster Clay Workshop is suitable for kids ages 6-13.
This class helps them develop fundamental observation skills while creating adorable monsters. Kids can draw and learn to sculpt a monster in 3 dimensions, creating their own design and pop-up background. There are many more classes and themes to explore at this art studio.
Heritage Oak
16971 Imperial Highway
Yorba Linda, CA 92886
Heritage Oak’s Main Camp offers week-long camps for kids entering kindergarten through eighth grade. This summer camp includes exciting games, performances and creative arts, splash pads, lessons on kindness and leadership, and unique daily events. Preschool and pre-kindergarten camps include exploration centers, language, writing, math, art, science, and technology lessons. All campers enjoy Friday water play days at the on-campus splash pad.
In addition to Main Camp, specialty camps are available for preschoolers through eighth-grade students. These camps focus on many academic skills and explore subjects in great detail. Preschool-aged children must be potty trained to attend camp at Heritage Oak.
Brain Builders STEM Education
27601 Forbes Road
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
Brain Builders offers unique camps that include incredible hands-on activities, take-home projects, and even a pizza party. Kids can build an arcade game, modify a Power Wheels car, or build a robotic arm. Classes at Brain Builders are perfect for any child who loves STEM activities. Camps are available in half-day or full-day sessions. Brain Builders includes lunch supervision for full-day campers and extended care in the afternoon.
There are options for kids ages 6 through 16. Kids can sharpen their STEM skills while having a fun time! Classes include Engineering with Lego, Engineering and Tech, Robotics, Digital Arts, Coding, Wood Shop, and more. Summer camps at Brain Builders are perfect for kids passionate about science, technology, and math.
Camp Izza
One Truman Street
Irvine, CA 92620
Camp Izza strives to provide an environment where all kids can grow and thrive. “Izza” comes from the Arabic word for pride. The camp seeks to instill pride in kids by offering quality camp experiences, training the next generation of young leaders, and helping campers feel comfortable and confident in their own skin. Camp Izza has provided premier summer camp experiences to kids in Orange County since 2008.
This summer day camp experience is where children can have fun, make new friends, and gain confidence in who they are. Camp Izza provides programs for kids ages 5 to 12. Recreational programs include creative expression, physical activity, play, and lots of fun.
Campers can participate in indoor and outdoor activities daily, such as water play, arts and crafts, sports, games, theme days, gaming, mindfulness, and free time. The American Camp Association accredited Camp Izza, which commits to excellence.
The Catalina Island Camps
Howlands Landing
Catalina Island, CA
The Catalina Island camps believe kids benefit the most when they can unplug from their busy lives. Getting away from screens and technology during the summer can help campers meet new friends and connect with young adult role models. Stepping away from technology helps kids discover new inner strengths and enjoy outdoor pursuits.
Catalina Island Camps help campers become more aware of their environment, spending countless hours outdoors learning about marine life, birds, and land mammals. Kids can swim in the ocean, go hiking on a wild trail, or watch a star-filled night sky evolve overhead. Every camper belongs to a cabin group, where they can make new friends and lifelong memories.
Camp activities include skin diving, ropes courses, kayaking, stand-up paddleboards, gardening and composting, sailing, nature walks, power boats, day trips, arts and crafts, overnight adventures, target sports, climbing, and badgework.
The Reptile Zoo Jr. Zookeeper Camp
18818 Brookhurst Street
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
Summer camp at The Reptile Zoo is perfect for kids who dream of becoming a zookeeper someday. Make their junior zookeeper dreams come true by digging for fossils, handling live snakes, and playing games. Every day at The Reptile Zoo is an adventure. Campers can enjoy educational activities about the ecosystem, habitats, food chain, senses, and camouflage as they learn from real-life zookeepers.
They receive a shirt and workbook filled with everything they learn on their adventures and a certificate of graduation at the end. Campers also receive a six-month membership to The Reptile Zoo to continue their hands-on training!
Junior Zookeeper Camp is suitable for kids ages 5 to 12, with morning and afternoon sessions available. Week-long camps feature information about endangered animals, jungles, predators, camouflage, habitats, invasive species, and swamps. The week ends with a special graduation ceremony.
Orange County Summer Camps
These Orange County summer camps offer high-quality programs for kids of all ages. Whether you have an animal lover, a science enthusiast, a tinkerer or builder, or a nature explorer, kids of all ages can enjoy the programs at these southern California summer camps. These camps provide outstanding programs where kids can learn and grow while having a blast!
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