2018 Spring and Summer Camps in the South Bay
Even before spring has arrived, parents start planning for camps — for spring break and for summer vacation. There are plenty of day camps and fun classes to help busy parents cope with 10 weeks of school-free days.
From music to art, from science to surfing, here are some great choices for spring and summer camps in Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach to help kids have stimulating fun while parents get a little breathing room.
City of Manhattan Beach
Category: Arts and Crafts, Cooking, Sports, Outdoors
Ages: 5 ½ – less than 13
The City of Manhattan Beach Parks and Recreation department sponsors Summer Camp Rec offering fun and educational activities for 8 weeks of the summer, including sports and arts and crafts. Tuesdays are beach day; Thursdays are field trip days with optional activities for kids who don’t participate. Standard registration began March 6th for residents, and starts March 27th for non-residents. Fees are $156.00 for residents, $171.00 for non residents, with a 10 percent discount for siblings. Camp is held at Marine Avenue Park. On Tuesdays, drop off campers at Live Oak Park.
REC Summer Camp
Category: Recreation
Ages: 6-12
REC Summer Camp is an eight-week program that strives to provide these services in a fun, safe and wholesome environment that allows our young people to grow as individuals while interacting as a group. Campers are encouraged to participate in all scheduled activities; however, if they choose not to, alternate activities are available. Three pricing options as well as sibling discounts (exclusions apply) are available for this camp. Each day of camp features themed activities and a field trip is offered almost every week. All programs are supervised by trained CPR certified recreation leaders. No camp on 7/4.
Teen Center Summer Camp
Category: Recreation
Ages: 11-14
Teen Center Summer Camp is a drop-in, non-custodial program open to all 6th, 7th and 8th graders. The Teen Center has a variety of activities available each day! In addition to the daily activities, the Teen Center has exciting trips each week. Monday through Thursday, campers may bring a lunch or be accompanied by Teen Center Staff to McDonald’s, Trader Joe’s, or Tomboys where they may purchase their lunch. Lunch will be provided by the Teen Center on Fridays. The Teen Center is closed on 7/4 and trip days.
City of Redondo Beach
Category: Arts and Crafts, Sports, Outdoors
Ages: Vary
The City of Redondo Beach hosts several options throughout the city for outdoor day campers of all types. The full day camps are unique in their pick-up time of 5:30 p.m.; many local camps run the length of the school day, but city camps are extended to help working parents juggle their schedules.
Breakwater Day Camp
The Breakwater Day Camp (ages 6-12) takes place at Seaside Lagoon, located at 200 Portofino Way, and includes field trips, workshops, arts and crafts, water fun, sports and games, plus plenty of time to play in the lagoon, on the play equipment, dig in the sand and frolic in a giant fountain.
Club Summer
Club Summer (ages 8-12) and Club Summer, Jr. (ages 5-8), meet at the Anderson Park.
Wilderness Camp
For an outdoor tree-filled week of fun, families can opt for the Wilderness Camp (ages 8-12) located at Wilderness Park on 1102 Camino Real. Each week includes a Wednesday field trip, plus hands-on activities, games and crafts on a weekly theme, often centered around animals or the environment.
City of Hermosa Beach
Valley Park Day Camp
This all-day, week-long program runs from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Hermosa Beach’s Valley Park. Day campers participate in sports, drama, cooperative games, crafts, beach activities and off-site excursions, and are led by experienced camp counselors in a ratio of one counselor for every ten kids. Tuesdays and Thursdays are beach days, and Wednesdays are field trip excursions. The camp location is 2515 Valley Drive, Hermosa Beach.
Mondays: Activities at the park, Tuesdays: Walk to and from the beach, Wednesdays: Excursion—Campers are required to wear their Valley Park Day Camp t-shirt and must be signed in by 8:45am as the bus leaves promptly at 9am, Thursdays: Walk to and from the beach and Fridays: Activities at the park with a potluck lunch.
Arts, Crafts, Cooking
South Bay Eco Kids Nature Camp
Category: Nature
Ages: 6 to 8
This award-winning and the first educational nature camp for kids in the South Bay is held at the beautiful Wilderness Park in Redondo Beach, the camp provides an easy and affordable way to get children outdoors where they can thrive.
At South Bay Eco Kids, children are immersed in nature while learning why it’s important and what we can do to protect it. There’s plenty of time to run, play and climb trees as well as join in scavenger hunts, journaling and trash-to-treasure crafts.
Camp runs Monday through Friday, during the weeks of June 25, July 9, July 23 and August 6, 2018. The full-day camp runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and costs $250/week. We also offer two half-day camp options: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1 to 4 p.m., for only $175/week. The camp is tailored for children ages 6 to 8.
Give the gift of nature this summer, register today! For more information, visit southbayecokids.org.
Canvas and Clay
Category: Arts and Crafts
Ages: 6 and Up
Families can choose from a wide variety of artistic options, with half or full day programs available. Kids can sign up for multi-media and clay camps, and drawing and painting camps. Classes are held at Canvas & Clay on 1802 S. Pacific Coast Highway, Redondo Beach.
Sew Creative Café
Category: Sewing
Ages: 6 and Up
Creative kids learn how to sew and develop the skill of sewing and make one-of-a-kind homemade sewing projects including quilting, knitting, and crocheting. Children work at their own pace during the morning or afternoon camp sessions. The emphasis is on a fun, non-competitive environment that gives kids the opportunity to express themselves, builds creativity, and helps students develop patience and perseverance. Sew Creative Café is located at 1726 Aviation Blvd., Redondo Beach.
Camp Raddish
Located in Hermosa Beach, kids 3rd through 8th grade learn fun cooking skills in four week-long camps that run from June 25th through July 30th. Global cuisine is one of the options on the menu. Classes are held at St. Cross Episcopal Church, 1818 Monterey Boulevard, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254
Music, Theatre, Dance
Coast Music Conservatory
Category: Music
Ages: 6-18
Choose between full and half-day Jazz camps for ages 12 and up, as well as well as Coast Choir Camp for all ages, and for ages 12-14, it’s Bring Your Own Band for music-loving kids. Week-long programs help students learn to sing harmony, train their ear, focus on stage performance, and hone musical instrument abilities. All camps culminate in a performance for family and friends. Classes are held at 300 Pacific Coast Hwy, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254
Dance 1
Category: Dance
3D Camp: Dance, Design, and Destination
Ages 6-12
This week-long dance camp will be offered July 16-20 and August 6-10. The theme is “Take Me to the Movies.”
3D Jr. Camp
Ages: 3-5
Half Day Dance Camp will be offered June 26 – 29, providing young students a different theme every day while enjoying games, crafts and movement and learning ballet, jazz, hip hop and more! Crafts, games, and activities are designed to keep every student engaged and active. Class includes a performance at the end of the camp week. Dance 1 is located at 2228 Artesia Blvd., Redondo Beach.
School of Dance and Music
Category: Dance, Music
Ages: 4-6 ½ and 5-9
A 5 week summer program runs from July 8th through August 11th, allowing participants to choose from many exciting 1-week Summer Camps, as well as from weekly Summer Dance Classes and Music Lessons.
Offerings include the school’s popular All-In-One Camp, a Dance Intensive Camp, or a “create your own camp” with 7 friends— everything dance and music is available here.
Kids get a taste of all types of performance from tumbling, hip hop, jazz, yoga, piano, acting, musical theater and singing, and includes a performance for friends and family at the end of each weekly session. Each week has different choreography and music, and students will experience different teachers throughout the day.
Camps are located in Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach for smaller children, in Hermosa, Redondo, and Manhattan Beach locations for older kids. Camps located at 1151 Aviation Blvd., Hermosa Beach; 633A Pacific Coast Highway in Redondo Beach; and 2417 N. Sepulveda in Manhattan Beach.
Encore Entertainers Musical Theater
Category: Musical Theater
Ages: 4-18
Young singers and aspiring performers can choose between a two-week “Mary Poppins,” “Mulan,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Alice in Wonderland,” or “Shakespeare” camp, as well as one-week camps with themes such as “The Avengers vs. Justice League,” and “Trolls.”
Classes are held in Torrance and San Pedro; Torrance classes are located at 3555 Lomita Blvd.
Music Rhapsody
Category: Music
Ages: infant-adult
Music Rhapsody has been offering a summer music day camp since 1983, giving thousands of children inspiration to explore an instrument and instilling in them a love of music. The program uses Orff Schulwerk, an international method featuring singing, movement and improvisation. It also features percussion such as marimbas, drums and glockenspiels. Summer camps include a one week class for grades K-8, held in Manhattan Beach’s Marine Park, from July 23-27.
Summer Piano Playshop for age 6 – adult, is also available during July and August. Students present their own concert at the end of camp. These classes will be held at Music Rhapsody, located at 1603 Aviation Blvd., Redondo Beach.
Sports and Surf
Brit West Soccer
Category: Sports
Ages: 5-14
Brit West Soccer has been running skills-based, soccer summer camps in the area for more than 20 years. Our camps develop ball skills and understanding of the game. Each day includes individual foot skills, agility, games, positional play and small sided games. On Fridays our mini World Cup introduces campers to world soccer cultures with low-key competitive activity. Players are grouped by age and experience. Camps are from June 18 to August 17. Players should be at least 5 and under 14 years of age. Half and full day camps available.
For more information and registration, visit britwestsoccer.com.
AYSO Soccer Camp
Category: Sports
Ages: 4-16
The American Youth Soccer Organization and U.K. International Soccer team up to teach skills and technical development on the soccer field. The camp focuses of fun, safety, learning and enjoyment. Half and full day lessons are held in Redondo Beach. For more information, visit http://www.ayso.org/For_Families/camps/day_camps/programs.htm#.Wp9_7xPwai4
Fly Studios Aerial Arts
Category: Sports
Ages: 3 ½-5 ½
Flying Superhero Mini Camps
Ages: 6-12 Years Old
Just 1.5 hour long, these camps are an introduction to beginner acrobatics, stretching, exploring on the silks and trapeze, and more. Children are allowed to wear their favorite super hero outfit.
Traveling Aerial Circus Fly Camps
Ages: 6-12
Each session will offer imaginary travel to a chosen country such as Brazil, Africa, Japan, or Costa Rica, where the music and culture will inspire activities such as tumbling with the taiko drumming of Japan, moving to the samba pulse of Brazil, or climbing with the tribal beats of African drumming. On the last day, campers participate in a fun circus performance.
Run by a former Cirque du Soleil performer, Fly Studios is located at 512 North Pacific Coast Highway, Redondo Beach.
Beach Sports
Category: Sports
Ages: 4-12
Families can choose between a full day or half day beach and surf camp, with camps providing lessons in ocean safety, fitness, boogie boarding, surfing, ecology, paddle boarding and beach and water games. Choose from one to 20 day passes or an all season pass to attend beach, surf and volleyball camps in Redondo, Hermosa, or Manhattan Beach, which run from June 11 to August 31. Specific dates depend on Beach City location.
Volleyball Camp
Category: Sports
Ages: 8-14
Offering beginner to intermediate training in passing, hitting, serving, blocking, rotation and beach volleyball rules, volleyball camps are available in both Redondo Beach and Manhattan Beach. Teachers are experienced volleyball players, and campers are split into groups based on age and experience with an eight to one camper to coach ratio. Camps run full or half days.
Junior Lifeguard Program by Beach Sports
Category: Leadership, Sports
Ages: 8-14
Full or half day campers learn about ocean safety and junior lifeguard training skills in a fun, non-competitive environment. The camp includes time for swimming, surfing, body boarding, body surfing, beach games, marine life and ecology. Participants should be able to swim 100 yards in a pool in under two-and-a-half minutes and tread water for five minutes, or be able to confidently swim past the break and back to share.
PCH Skate Camps
Learn to skateboard or take skating to the next level at skate camps located at American Martyrs school in Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach Pier. Open to boys and girls, with or without skating experience, from age 5 to 16. Beginner and intermediate level instruction includes ollies, flip tricks, grinds, ramp skating and much more.
AdventureCamp
Category: Sports, Outdoors
Ages: 4-12
AdventurePlex is a 16,000 square foot facility run by Beach Cities Health District. Summer AdventureCamp provides kids ages 4 to 12 recreational play such as rock climbing, ropes courses and sports games to develop self-esteem and teach social skills. There are also fully chaperoned field trips to amusement parks and the beach. Also available: special camp programming geared for the youngest campers aged 4-5. One week and day camps are available. For more information call (310) 546-7708. AdventurePlex is located at 1701 Marine Ave. in Manhattan Beach.
South Bay Sailing
Category: Sports, Outdoors
Ages 7 to 17
South Bay Sailing, located near the International Boardwalk in Redondo Beach, offers youth sailing camps for kids aged 7 to 17. Camps run all day for two weeks in five sessions during the summer and one spring summer camp for five days beginning April 10. To sign up visit 310sailing.com.
Champ Camp
Category: Beach, Outdoors
Ages: 4-14
Champ Camp is an activities-based beach camp where kids 4-14 participate in a variety of fun games and activities all designed to excite kids about being active and outdoors. Teamwork and creativity are encouraged in activities like skim boarding, boogie boarding, sand soccer, yoga, dance, and water play. The camp is located at 387 Paseo de la Playa, Redondo Beach and at 26th Street and The Strand in Manhattan Beach. There is also a location in Playa Del Rey.
CampSurf
Category: Beach, Outdoors
Ages: 4-14
CampSurf, is an institution in the South Bay, serving children age 7 and up, offering a ratio of 1 instructor to four students. This is a serious surf school where the emphasis is on learning surf skills and ocean safety with instructors who are CPR and first-aid certified. Weekly summer sessions run from June 5th to September 1st. Surfboards and wetsuits are provided, but kids can bring their own. Older kids participating in the L.A. County Junior Lifeguard program can take a CampSurf session either before or after. The program also offers an advanced surf camp for those who want to improve their skills. Volleyball camps are also offered.
For more information or to register, visit campsurf.com or call (424) 237-2994. CampSurf is located at 38th Street in Manhattan Beach.
Science, Educational
SEA Lab
Category: Nature, Science
Ages: 4-11
Young environmentalists, marine biologists and animal lovers can get an up-close look at the SEA Lab, with opportunities for feeding the animals and touring the facilities. Younger campers (ages 4-6) stay at the aquarium most of the time during their half-day Mini-Mariners camp, but do include beach visits. Older campers (ages 7-11) enjoy the Ocean Explorers camp. Campers spend six hours a day exploring the aquarium and the marine life beyond its walls, including kayaking and tide-pooling trips. Registration for 2018 summer camps is now open; register by March 20th and receive 20% off the full-week sessions or 10% off the daily rate.
The 2018 “Mini Mariners” sessions will be offered July 9-13, July 23-27, and July 30-August 3; The 2018 “Ocean Explorers” sessions will be offered July 16-20, July 23-27, and July 30-August 3. Sea Lab is located at 1021 N Harbor Dr. in Redondo Beach.
Destination Science
Category: Science
Ages: 5-11
Full or half day options available for science-minded girls and boys preparing to enter kindergarten through sixth grade. Choose between camps such as: Amusement Park Science Camp, Rovers Rocketing to Space Camp, and Transforming Robots Camp. Classes take place Monday through Friday, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm., beginning in early July and running through the end of the month, and are held at Valor Christian School at 525 Earle Lane in Redondo Beach.
LEGO Camp
Category: Engineering, Science
Ages: 5 -11
Half-day LEGO engineering camps give kids an opportunity to boost confidence, creativity and collaboration through a familiar toy: LEGOs. Kids learn key engineering and physics concepts while having fun. Program options include Jedi Engineering, Minecraft Engineering and Stem Challenge. Morning sessions for ages 5-6; afternoon sessions for ages 7-11. Classes meet at the Morris Scout House in Perry Park in Redondo Beach.
Book-A-Roos
Category: Enrichment
Ages: K-3rd grade
Book-A-Roos is a reading camp for little kids, with sessions for kindergarten/first-graders and second/third graders, the program addresses fundamentals through phonics to help children learn to read and spell. One-week sessions with various themes such as High Seas Adventure and Mad Scientist’s Lab are offered in July and August to students in Manhattan Beach and surrounding areas. To register or for more information, visit book-a-roos.com or call (310) 686-5858. All instruction is performed by credentialed South Bay instructors with a student/teacher ratio of 1 to 6 or less.
