The temperatures are warming up in the East Bay and bringing the taste of summer into the region. With that taste also comes that knowledge that summer vacation is right around the corner and now is the time to enroll your children in summer camp! Below, Berkeley Hills Realty researched and put together a list of some of the dozens of summer camps available in the East Bay this summer. As #REKindess is part of our mission, some of the camps we chose for this list focus on building compassion and kindness in their campers activities.
The list below includes summer camps located in Albany, Kensington, Berkeley and Oakland. Choose between outdoor adventures, sports, cooking, STEM, writing, theater, music and even circus performances! So much to offer, it makes you wish you were a child again yourself!
Outdoor and Adventure Camps
Adventure Day Camp is a traditional day camp for children ages 3-15 years old. Children gain confidence in arts, sports, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, sailing, tennis, horseback riding, archery, and more! THREE Oakland bus pickup/dropoff locations.
Camp Hours: 8am to 6pm
Earliest Drop off: 08:00 am
Lastest Pick-up: 06:00 pm
Price: Prices vary, see dates & rates. Discounts available: early bird, sibling, multiple sessions
Grades: toddlers (ages 2+), preschool (ages 4+), K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
Avid4 Adventure
Experience the power of authentic outdoor adventure for entering pre-K – 7th graders of all abilities at Avid4. Through activities like biking, climbing, paddling and hiking, kids build confidence, learn to take positive risks and are inspired to stay active and instill a lifelong love of adventure.
Camp Hours: 8am-6pm
Earliest Drop off: 08:00 am
Lastest Pick-up: 06:00 pm
Price: $429
Grades: toddlers (ages 2+), preschool (ages 4+), K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th
Berkeley Day Camp
Children ages 5-13 explore our local parks with supervision including Tilden and Berkeley Marina and one beach usually on Friday.
Camp Hours: 9am to 3pm
Earliest Drop off: 07:30 am
Lastest Pick-up: 06:00 pm
Price: $209/week non-resident or $174 Berkeley resident
Grades: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th
Berkeley Forest School Summer Camp
We’re ready to hike, climb, explore, and roar! Fueled by natural curiosity, children lead the day’s discoveries, facilitated by experienced outdoor educators. Teachers support a child’s connection with the natural world, while blackberry picking, using tools, and tracking banana slugs!
Camp Hours: 9:00-1:30, M-F for ages 5 and up/ 9:00-12:30, M-Th for ages 3-5
Earliest Drop off: 09:00 am
Lastest Pick-up: 01:30 pm
Price: $345/week. – 5% discount for signing up for 4-7 weeks of camp. – 10% discount for signing up for all eight weeks of camp. – 10% sibling discount.
Grades: toddlers (ages 2+), preschool (ages 4+), K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd
KIDS for the BAY
Looking for a fun-filled summer of science, friendship and nature exploration? Our campers will explore shorelines, hike through forests, kayak on the bay, create nature art, investigate creek life, swim at Lake Anza, enjoy a twilight hike/campfire, and much more!
Camp Hours: 9:00 am to 3:30 pm
Earliest Drop off: 08:30 am
Lastest Pick-up: 05:30 pm
Price: $380.00, 15$ Early bird discount before March 15, $15 sibling discount, check websites for scholarships
Grades: K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th
Sports Themed Camps
Albany Berkeley Soccer Club Camp (ABSC)
ABSC soccer camps are open to all players aged 4 to 19. Under-5 players join half-day morning session. Full day camp spends one afternoon per week swimming.
Camp Hours: 8:30am to 4pm
Earliest Drop off: 08:30 am
Lastest Pick-up: 04:00 pm
Price: $305/week with discounts available
Grades: preschool (ages 4+), K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
Cal Sports Camps
Cal Sports Camps offer the opportunity to learn from amazing coaches at Cal’s world-class facilities. Both for novices and those working to take that next big step in their game. Programs include baseball, volleyball, golf, water polo & lots more.
Camp Hours: Varies per camp
Earliest Drop off: 07:00 am
Lastest Pick-up: 09:00 pm
Price: Varies per sport
Grades: K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
Cal Youth Camps
Cal Youth Camps offers a variety of camps and sport/outdoor activities including swimming, soccer, skateboarding, rock climbing, gymnastics, martial arts, sailing and more for all ages. Drop-in, 1- and 2-week options available. Payment plan and camp scholarships available.
Camp Hours: 9am- 4pm (Morning care included at no charge: 7:30-9am)
Earliest Drop off: 07:30 am
Latest Pick-up: 06:00 pm
Price: Varies by program
Grades: K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
Oakland Youth Sailing
Youth ages 7-17 come to Lake Merritt for boating adventures. Younger children use boats and learn about ecology and older kids learn to sail. Advanced sailors go to the Oakland Estuary. (scroll way down for PDF about camp)
Camp Hours: 9am to 3:30pm
Earliest Drop off: 08:00 am
Lastest Pick-up: 06:00 pm
Price: $240/week or $200 for Oakland residents
Grades: 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
Kinetic Arts Circus Camp
Circus arts day camp includes clowning, trapeze, juggling, acrobatics, climbing, and aerials.
Camp Hours: 9am to 4pm
Earliest Drop off: 09:00 am
Lastest Pick-up: 06:00 pm
Price: Varies $385 to $510/week
Grades: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th
Dance and Theater
Ballet Boot Camp
Oakland Ballet Company’s summer dance program offers dancers ages 9 and up the opportunity to train intensively with one of the Bay Area’s leading professional dance companies. Daily classes in ballet, pointe, and pilates along with repertoire and a choreography workshop.
Camp Hours: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Earliest Drop off: 09:00 am
Lastest Pick-up: 05:00 pm
Price: $1,650 for the full program (weekly rates offered)
Grades: 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
Berkeley Ballet Theater Summer Ballet Workshops
Experience ballet in a fun, challenging, and nurturing environment in 1-3 week sessions at Berkeley Ballet Theater’s summer camps. Specialized workshops include ballet technique, pointe, character, and Cuban technique. Something for all levels from age 7 to teen.
Camp Hours: 9am – 3pm
Earliest Drop off: 09:00 am
Lastest Pick-up: 04:30 pm
Price: $420
Grades: toddlers (ages 2+), preschool (ages 4+), K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
Bay Area Children’s Theatre
At BACT Summer Camps, children discover that the same techniques actors use can help them shine in all areas of their lives. Theatre helps children learn leadership skills through empathy and teamwork.
Camp Hours: 9am to 4pm
Earliest Drop off: 09:00 am
Lastest Pick-up: 06:00 pm
Price: $715
Grades: K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th
Berkeley Playhouse Summer Camps & Classes
Come sing, dance, and play at Berkeley Playhouse’s award-winning summer program! Choose from 4 camp themes inspired by popular titles (The Lion King, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Bye Bye Birdie, and Mary Poppins), plus skill-building classes. Before and after care available.
Camp Hours: 9am – 3pm
Earliest Drop off: 08:00 am
Lastest Pick-up: 05:00 pm
Price: varies based on age and activities
Grades: K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th
East Bay Dance Center Summer Camp
Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Tumbling, African Dance, Drama, Art, and lots of fun with flexible scheduling. Multi-week/ sibling discounts. Before/after care available. Creating more confident kids for 28 years.
Camp Hours: 9:30am – 3:30pm
Earliest Drop off: 08:00 am
Lastest Pick-up: 06:00 pm
Price: $62/day, $250/week (5 days)
Grades: preschool (ages 4+), K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th
East Bay BALL Summer Camp
Baseball After Little League, BALL, is a camp for boys and girls who love baseball and outdoor playtime.
Camp Hours: 9am to 4pm
Earliest Drop off: 09:00 am
Lastest Pick-up: 04:00 pm
Price: $325/week
Grades: K- 6th
Skills Based Camps
Bliss Belly Kitchen Cooking Camp
Bliss Belly Kitchen offers a mindfulness based farm to table culinary education. Beginning each day with yoga and mindfulness, then transitioning into cooking with local, seasonal organic ingredients to make fresh, delicious, nutritious, and healthy creations! Ages 5-13. CIT 14-17.
Camp Hours: 9am – 3pm
Price: $475; Sibling discount and multi-session discount available
Grades: K-12
Kitchen on Fire Teen Culinary Camp
Instructors are not only talented chefs but mentors and parents who love to share their passion for food. Teens gain valuable and meaningful cooking skills they can build on as young adults.
Camp Hours: 11am – 2pm
Earliest Drop off: 09:00 am
Lastest Pick-up: 02:00 pm
Price: $495
Grades: 6th-11th
Camp Stitch
Hello Stitch provides a supportive, fun, and stress-free atmosphere for exploring adventures in sewing. Learning to sew is a life skill your camper will never forget. Camp Stitch provides all the tools and materials needed to complete the projects.
Camp Hours: 9am to 3pm
Earliest Drop off: 09:00 am
Lastest Pick-up: 03:00 am
Price: $425
Grades: 4- 8th
Brushstrokes Art Camps!
Offering Mini Matisse Camps (ages 4-5), Art Camps for Kids (ages 6-9), Weeklong Workshops (ages 10 & up), and a CIT Program (ages 14-18). The studio is light-filled with a lovely garden and patio where campers enjoy lots of outdoor time.
Camp Hours: 9am – 3pm
Earliest Drop off: 08:15 am
Latest Pick-up: 05:30 pm
Price: $365 – $400 per week. 10% discount for siblings or for the same camper enrolling in more than one week.
Grades: K-12th
Camp Doodles
Doodles campers, age 3-12, grow their creative intelligence (CIQ) through making and art. Engage in weekly themes about basic engineering, renewable fuels, propulsion and others. There is something to inspire every child through building, woodworking, 3D art, sculpting, cooking, sports & games.
Camp Hours: 9am to 4pm
Earliest Drop off: 07:30 am
Lastest Pick-up: 06:00 am
Price: $399/week; early brid and multiweek discounts
Grades: preschool (ages 4+), K-5th
Deborah Davis’ Creative Writing Camps
Small, supportive groups for middle and high school students who love to write, wish to regain a love of writing, or want to build confidence with writing. Lively writing activities and time to write what most interests them. Also includes camps for high schoolers to learn to write college entrance essays.
Camp Hours: 9am to 3pm
Earliest Drop off: 09:00 am
Lastest Pick-up: 03:00 pm
Price: $475
Grades: 7- 12th
Firecracker Math
Campers take half-day morning math instruction followed by fun activities in the afternoon. Class topics range from number theory, algebra, geometry, combinatorics, graphs, and logic. Instructors use games, magic tricks, and paradoxes to boost kids’ interest and confidence in STEM.
Camp Hours: 9am to 4pm
Earliest Drop off: 08:45 am
Lastest Pick-up: 05:30 pm
Price: $275 for half day or $425/week for full day; sibling, multiple-weeks and early registration discounts are available.
Grades: K-9th
Go Girls!
Go Girls! educates, inspires, and activates girls to take center stage! At Go Girls!, girls learn how to love themselves and stand up for each other through theater, acting, music, visual arts, and media.
Camp Hours: 9am – 4pm
Earliest Drop off: 08:30 am
Lastest Pick-up: 05:30 pm
Price: $749 (for 2 weeks)
Grades: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th
Jingle Jamboree Musical Camps
Campers learn an entire musical in these 2-week camps. The cost includes snacks, crafts, scenery creation, costumes, camp t-shirt and more.
Camp Hours: 9am to 3pm
Earliest Drop off: 08:00 am
Lastest Pick-up: 05:30 pm
Price: $700 for 2-week sessions
Grades: K-8th
Arts and Science
Camp EDMO
At Camp EDMO, Pre-K–8th-grade campers’ curiosity is fueled by immersing them in maker-infused art, science, technology, and the natural world. Kids build confidence through new experiences and build their compassion through kindness.
Camp Hours: 9am–3pm
Earliest Drop off: 08:00 am
Lastest Pick-up: 06:00 pm
Price: $409-$549/week depending on location. Discounts for multiple week enrollment, siblings, early birds, First-Time Families, and referrals.
Grades: preschool (ages 4+), K-8th
Dancing Paintbrush Studio Art Camps
Students can let their imaginations soar. Dancing Paintbrush teaches the fundamentals of fine arts skills and basic techniques, while nurturing creativity and individuality in a relaxed atmosphere.
Camp Hours: 9 am to 3 pm
Earliest Drop off: 08:00 am
Lastest Pick-up: 05:00 pm
Price: $485 for 6-13yrs; $465 14-17; discounts for earlybird before 5/20, siblings, referrals
Grades: 1-12th
Junior Center of Art and Science
Create and Explore with JCAS at Summer Camp! Offering fun, hands-on and creative camps in the arts and sciences for ages 5-12 years old. Campers can play and experiment in classes including visual arts, engineering, ecology, and carpentry.
Camp Hours: 9-4pm
Earliest Drop off: 09:00 am
Lastest Pick-up: 04:00 pm
Price: $345-$500 sliding scale
Grades: 1-7th
Galileo Innovation Camps for Kids
Galileo mixes day camp fun with hands-on projects in science and engineering to the visual and culinary arts. Kids grow from Camp Galileo (pre-K-5th) through Galileo Summer Quest (5th-8th), emerging as confident creators ready to turn their ideas into reality.
Camp Hours: 9am to 3pm
Earliest Drop off: 08:00 am
Lastest Pick-up: 06:00 pm
Price: $439 per week; discounts for multiple-weeks, signing up early or with friends.
Grades: preschool (ages 4+), K-8th
Music
One Generation
Through music, games, and outdoor exploration, children ages 4.9 to 10 learn about kindness, community and culture. In Tilden park, One Generation features some of the best teachers in the Bay area in Brazilian Capoeira, West African hand drumming, and West African song and dance.
Camp Hours: 8:30am-3pm
Earliest Drop off: 08:30 am
Lastest Pick-up: 04:00 am
Price: $400/week, $90/day drop in, discount for all 3 weeks
Grades: K-4th
If you have locally based summer camps to suggest, let us know!
We are so fortunate to have an abundance of outdoor experiences and indoor opportunities from some of the brightest and most talented people in the world in one of the most vibrant places on Earth. Yes, we do love the East Bay!
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