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Favorite Outdoor Summer Camps in Los Angeles

Where else are kids going to learn archery, besides summer camp? Photo courtesy of Tom Sawyer Camp
Where else are kids going to learn archery, besides summer camp? Photo courtesy of Tom Sawyer Camp
2/14/22 - By Roberta B

Los Angeles parents are blessed with the widest range of summer camps choices imaginable (just check our camp guide and directory!). Kids who are driven to spend their summers focusing on musical theater, art, surfing, science, horseback riding, or even making movies have all the day camp options in the world, right in our backyard. But sometimes, summer needs to just be about being a kid and having fun. Kids need to let loose and play, play, play. At these traditional outdoor summer camps from Santa Monica to Altadena, that's exactly what they can do.

For more summer camps in Los Angeles, including picks for preschool summer camps in LA and the best free and cheap day camps in town, be sure to bookmark our Los Angeles Summer Camp Guide and our Camp Directory, where you can search for camps by type, age, and town.

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Horseback riding is just one of many activities offered at Cali Camp. Photo courtesy of Cali Camp
Horseback riding is just one of many activities offered at Cali Camp. Photo courtesy of Cali Camp

Best Outdoor Summer Camps on the Westside

Camp Cosmo

Santa Monica
For kids ages 5-12
Camp Cosmo is a favorite with local kids because every single day, kids get to decide what they do. Campers choose from activities including making music, creating art, jewelry making, science projects, cooking, water play, taking apart computers, or something else entirely. Camp Cosmo Live begins in June and runs through September, in small groups and for full weeks only. There is also an online option. READ MORE

Cali Camp

Topanga
For kids ages 3-15
Cali Camp offers kids from pre-K through high school a chance to spend the summer engaging in classic outdoor activities, up in the fresh air of artsy, woodsy Topanga. Kids get a taste of horseback riding, gymnastics, target sports, tennis, rock climbing, rope climbing, and more. Kids are grouped together based on age. Transportation is included in tuition, with pick-up locations all over town—and once your kid is on the bus, Cali Camp promises a non-stop ride to Topanga. READ MORE

Camp Awesome

Playa del Rey and Redondo Beach
For kids ages 4-13
Camp Awesome is a drop-off only beach summer program that consists of play, leisure, sports, arts and crafts, water activities, exercise, and positive reinforcement. Parents can follow their children at any time online through social media. READ MORE

Sandy Days Kids Camp

Pacific Palisades
For kids ages 4-14
The Pacific Ocean is steps away, so kids can spend a day romping and camping on the beach in the Palisades, enjoying sand, water, and sunshine at Sandy Days Kids Camp. A typical day includes a nature walk, hula-hooping, boogie boards, ball games, and crafts. READ MORE

Camp Tocaloma

West LA
For kids ages 4-14
Founded in 1945, Tocaloma's location in the hills above Brentwood houses a day camp with values of fair play, adventure, and mutual respect and friendship. Campers ages 4-14 enjoy swimming, sports, theater, hiking, and more. Transportation is available from several LA neighborhoods. READ MORE

Tumbleweed Day Camp

West LA
For kids ages 4-14
Tumbleweed has been providing children with a place to unplug, explore, and play for over 60 years. The day camp offers over 100 activities including archery, swimming, arts & crafts, nature exploration, farm animal centers, and ropes courses on 100 acres of beautiful, unspoiled nature in the Santa Monica Mountains.  READ MORE

Aloha Beach Camp

Malibu
For kids ages 4-14
Aloha Beach Camp offers kids a chance to surf, boogie board, and swim in the ocean, along with some tubing, jet skiing, wakeboarding, beach ecology, and other seaside activities. Kids are grouped in one of three age-appropriate aquatic programs and then can choose from over 200 beach and ocean activities. Free transportation is available from just about any neighborhood in the LA area, so you don't need to worry about how they'll get there. And if you're very busy and don't want to commit to a fixed schedule, there's an option where you can send your kids on a day-by-day basis. READ MORE
Cowabunga! Photo courtesy of Tom Sawyer Camp
Cowabunga! Photo courtesy of Tom Sawyer Camp

Best Outdoor Summer Camps in the San Gabriel Valley

Tom Sawyer Camps

Altadena
For kids ages 3-14
Tom Sawyer Camp strives to live up to the legacy of its namesake, offering classic outdoor adventures for kids young and older. Activities include such old-fashioned kid fun as fort building, hiking, making dams, frog catching, horseback riding, archery, obstacle courses, and swimming.  Camps can be reserved with 1 and 2-week sessions, five days a week and transportation is included in the fee. Pre Camp for the littlest campers is offered, and Tom Sawyer Camp is a great first summer camp experience for kids. Pre Campers must be potty trained and 3 years old. READ MORE
Kids jump for joy at Camp Wildfolk! Photo courtesy of Camp Wildfolk via Facebook
Kids jump for joy at Camp Wildfolk! Photo courtesy of Camp Wildfolk via Facebook

Best Outdoor Summer Camps in Mid-City

Got Game Camp

Mid-City, Valley, and West LA Locations
For kids ages 4-13
At Got Game Camp, campers ages 4-13 experience live, interactive, and personalized camps complete with sports, arts, games, theater, science, cooking, robotics, and more. The program runs Monday thru Friday, 9am-3:30pm, and parents can sign up by the week. READ MORE

Camp Wildfolk

West Hollywood and Valley Village
For kids ages 4-17
Camp Wildfolk is a wildly fun, unique day camp centrally located in West Hollywood, blending the spirit of traditional camp with a progressive, camper-centered approach. Campers are given the autonomy to influence their experience by choosing class electives. Wildfolk is a hands-on, project-based adventure where kids team-build, explore, create, and innovate. Camp is for ages 4-12, and a Guides-in-Training program is offered for teens ages 13-17. READ MORE

Best Outdoor Summer Camps in the San Fernando Valley

Camp Keystone

Agoura Hills
For kids ages 3-15
Set on 30 acres of park-like land in the Santa Monica Mountains, Camp Keystone is non-stop fun that includes a giant waterslide, horseback riding, go-karts, boating, swimming lessons, rock climbing, classic arts & crafts, and every sport a kid could want to play. This place does camp the old-fashioned way. There are 3 camps specially designed according to age. Transportation is available from many locations around the Valley and the Westside for an additional fee. READ MORE

Camp Kinneret Summer Day Camp

Agoura Hills
For kids ages 4-18
Located in Agoura Hills on the site of a former sleep-away camp, Kinneret feels pleasantly far from home. Traditional outdoor camp activities include swimming, horsemanship, crafts, hiking, archery, ropes, paddle boats, and miniature golf—there's even a petting zoo. Campers can attend their age-specific program, two, three, or five days per week, in four or five-week sessions. Transportation is included.  READ MORE

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About the Author

Roberta Brown

Editor-in-Chief

Years spent at Nickelodeon prepared Roberta to launch Mommy Poppins' Los Angeles branch in 2011, eventually becoming Mommy Poppins Editor-in-Chief in 2013. Previously she served as LA Editor for GoCityKids, National Editor for ParentsConnect, and Editor for NickMom—all of which works out well for her son, who has grown up serving as Chief Guinea Pig for all things fun in LA and beyond.

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