So many peoples’ lives were changed by summer camps. They are places not just to get away from parents and make new friends, but to try new things, enjoy nature and learn crafts. We canoed, made lanyards, caught frogs and snakes, learned guitar, made fires in the wilderness and cooked and cleaned up afterwards. Those were timeless experiences that gave us a lifetime of memories.
DAY CAMPS
All About Theatre
Tannery Arts Center
1010 River Street, Santa Cruz
831.345.6340
Celebrating nearly 23 years of theater, and over 180 productions in Santa Cruz County. Offering training in the performing arts for children aged (3-6), Youth (6-10), Pre-teen (10-13) & Teens (13-17) and Adults. Our upcoming Summer Season; Between the Lines Jr., 42nd Street (Youth Edition) and Dare to Dream Jr. will be performing at our new home The Colligan Theater, located in the heart of the Tannery Arts Center at 1010 River Street, Santa Cruz. With a new state-of-the-art theater, we will be offering training and advancement classes in audio visual, stage managing, lighting design, broadway dance, voice and more…. There’s a place for everyone! Come be a part of the magic of theater this Summer.
“Our family loves this amazing community! We started a year and a half ago and my daughter has flourished and challenged herself. Lindsey Chester has brought out gifts that my daughter did not know that she has. Please run, don’t walk and join us!” Joanna E.
Art Factory
7960 Soquel Drive
831.400.2744
Summer Art Camps at Art Factory Studios! Get ready for a summer full of unplugged, creative fun! Each week features a unique theme, inspiring young artists to explore new techniques and ideas. Little Artists (ages 5-7) will experiment with painting, clay, and mixed media. Young Creators (ages 8-12) will dive into mixed media, sculpture, and printmaking—plus, a special Comics Camp led by former Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon illustrator David Freemont! Teen Studio (ages 13-17) focuses on fiber arts and ceramics, offering an immersive experience in these hands-on mediums. Join us for our 17th year in Aptos—spaces fill fast!
“My three daughters and I have been part of the Art Factory since 2011. It’s enriched our lives through art, friendships, and community. We’ve celebrated birthdays, joined camps, and found a creative home!” – Monica Baldacci
Cabrillo Extension Summer Camps for Kids
6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos
831.479.6331
Cabrillo Extension Summer Camps for Kids offer safe, fun, and engaging camps for children to explore and grow. Diverse, high-quality content for developing young brains and growing young bodies. Join us for cooking & baking camps, games design & coding camps, sports camps, music & art camps, or science & exploration camps. Camps available for kids ages 5 through 17 years old, and you can choose half day camps, or a full day schedule. Dozens of new camps this summer, and plenty of returning favorites. Join us for one week, or all summer long!
Cabrillo Youth Chorus Summer Voice Camp
This week-long camp July 28–August 1 will give your child an unforgettable experience as they put together an original musical performance! Children ages 8 to 18 learn music theory and musicianship; participate in dance, improvisation, and rhythm games; play recorders, Orff, and other instruments; and perform in musical theater. No experience is needed – just a love of singing! For more information, check out our website, or contact us at [email protected].
Camp Gateway
255 Swift Street, Santa Cruz
831.423.0341
Unplug and Engage at Camp Gateway! Gateway School Santa Cruz is hosting a screen-free interactive summer camp for rising 1st – 5th graders. Campers will engage in counselor-led activities and enrichment classes, including art, coding, jewelry making and jiu jitsu. June 16 – July 18th. Register now (QR code – see our ad in this month’s issue). For more information, visit gatewaysc.org.
Camp Kayetz
831.479.3444
Now 5 weeks! Camp Kayetz offers a wholesome, inclusive, Jewish day camp experience to campers ages 6-15. June 16-July 18, 2025 9am-3pm. Camp meets at Temple Beth El in Aptos with weekly field trips including Skyzone Trampoline Park, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, beach trips and camping in the redwoods at Henry Cowell. Come for the summer fun; stay for the friendships! Email Jess Mitchell with questions: [email protected]
Drawn2Art Studios
19C Rancho Del Mar Shopping Center, Aptos
831.661.5652
SIGN-UP NOW – OFFERING REALLY FUN SUMMER CAMPS! Sign-up by or before April 30th, Receive – $40 OFF each camp. New Students ONLY Pay the Registration Fee. Here are some of our summer camps, each camp is themed! Anime & Cartooning Camp: Learn to draw traditional style Anime, make your own Anime self-portrait. Cartoon Clay Camp: Learn sculpting and painting methods, create landscapes, characters and more. Portraiture: Learn the fundamentals of drawing different portraits, learning different techniques and working in media, such as graphite charcoal, colored pencils and pastels. Come Join Us for a Fun-Filled Day!. Offering a Free Class for our studio art classes!
International Academy of Dance
IADance.com | NutcrackerSantaCruz.com
831.466.0458
International Academy of Dance, home of Santa Cruz City Ballet, provides world class instruction in Classical Ballet, Tap, Contemporary, Lyrical, and Jazz. The studio is an encouraging and supportive community from ages two to eighty-two. It is our mission to inspire students of all ages to develop a lifelong love of dance. Through choreography, balance, agility, strength and flexibility, we work with each dancer to hone artistry, technique, focus and musicality. We aspire to bring joy and generate growth in every class. We can’t wait to see you in the studio! Come see us on stage in Coppél-ai, at the Scotts Valley Performing Arts Center, June 5-8th!
Into the Heart of Nature
Tara Redwood School Campus, 5810
Prescott Rd, Soquel
831.462.9632
tararedwoodschool.org/summer-camp/
Located on 108 acres of Redwoods, oaks, and sunny meadows bordered by bubbling creeks, our big playground, a sunny clearing in the woods, will be the center of our camp activities of fun games, nature exploration, and nature-themed art. Each week we will focus on one of the essential elements that support all life; earth, water, air, and heat; explored through themes of the forest, ocean, earth, and the universe. As we learn more about the interconnectedness of our world, children will develop friendships, practice mindfulness, and learn how to care for each other, animals, bugs, and the environment we all share. 9am – 3pm, ages 4 – 8.
Kennolyn Day Camps
8205 Hacienda Lane, Soquel
831.479.6714
kennolyncamps.com/santa-cruz-day/
Ready to get your child away from technology and into a nourishing community in the great outdoors? On 450 acres of privately owned redwood forest only 4 miles from town Kennolyn Day Camp is just a short bus ride away. Your child will thrive in this fun, active, supportive environment. And after a day of exploring the fields, pond, and miles of trails, they’ll be happy-tired after each fun day! Nowhere else in the local region will you find a more complete, authentic summer day camp experience. Just ask your friends and neighbors.
Kuumbwa Jazz Camp
Registration for Kuumbwa’s annual Jazz Camp is now open! Jazz Camp is a performance-based day camp for students grades 8-12. Featuring nine days of collaboration, learning, and listening, this camp covers all aspects of jazz theory and appreciation, and will help students grow as musicians. Camp concludes with a performance on the renowned Kuumbwa Jazz Center stage. Dates: June 16 – June 27, 2025. Location: Cabrillo College, 6500 Soquel Dr., Aptos, VAPA Complex. Times: Grades 8-9 attend from 9 AM-12 PM; grades 10-12 attend from 11 AM-2 PM. Jazz Camp Concert: Friday, June 27 at Kuumbwa Jazz Center.
Life Lab
1156 High St, Santa Cruz
831.200.3703
Join Life Lab this summer in our Garden Classroom on the UCSC Farm for a fun camp experience for ages 7-10. We’re thrilled to offer a summer camp program where a vibrant, diverse group of campers come together to explore the outdoors, plant seeds, make farm-fresh snacks, sing songs, and grow side by side!
Mountain of Fun, Mount Madonna School
491 Summit Road, Watsonville
408.847.2717
Summer day camps on Mount Madonna School’s redwood-forested campus, offering weekly unplugged, outdoors and active summer camps: Nature explorers age 3-6 June16-August 1, Mountain Explorers 6-9 July 7-August 1, Redwood Explorers 9-15 July 14-August 1, and Outdoor Survival Camp. Outdoor Wilderness Survival Camp with a low ropes course, martial arts, hiking, astronomy, team-building and an overnight campout. Forest play, nature crafts, friends and more – unplugged, outdoors and active! Camps are Monday through Friday, 9am-3:30 pm. Transportation is available. Details and registration online at www.mountmadonnaschool.org/summer.
Redwood Music Camps
Young musicians explore the music of Ireland, Scotland, and more! For players of violin, viola, flute, penny whistle, recorder, harp, guitar, mandolin, ukulele, accordion, small keyboards, and cello. Students practice in instrument-specific groups, and with the entire ensemble. Crafts include making your own bamboo flute! Teen Camp (June 16-21) is a one-week sleepover camp for ages 12-18 in Aptos. Kid Camp (July 21-Aug 1) is a two-week day camp for ages 7-13 in Scotts Valley; a family concert is on Saturday, August 2nd at 10am. Information and registration is online at CommunityMusicSchool.org.
Summer at Santa Catalina
1500 Mark Thomas Drive, Monterey
831.655.9386
Summer at Santa Catalina is an all-girls camp for grades 2-9 featuring 1-week and 2-week options as well as a 5-week musical theatre program. With a wide variety of classes like marine biology, art, ceramics, dance, surfing, volleyball, and more, along with fun off-campus excursions to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and Monterey Farmers Market, campers enjoy trying new things while making life-long friends.
Santa Cruz Gymnastics
831.462.0655
Beginning June 3rd, we will be offering Gymnastics Camps for ages 5–12! Come FLIP WITH US at our weekly themed camps. Camps include gymnastics lessons on all Olympic events, supervised open gym time, group games, crafts and time in our foam pit! Full and half day options are available for each weekly camp. Check scgym.com for more information and to register
Santa Cruz Waldorf Redwood Summer Camp 2025
Santa Cruz Waldorf School, PreK-8
2190 Empire Grade Santa Cruz
831.425.0519
Redwood Sprouts Camp (Age 5 by Jan 1, 2026 and entering Kinder and entering 1st grade) is capped at 15 campers per session. Redwood Explorers Camp (entering 2nd – 5th grades) is capped at 20 campers per session. Weekly session between June 16 and June 27th; July 7th through July 25th and special dates in August from the 18th to the 29th.
June 16- 20 M-F 8:30-3:30 weekly $425
June 23-27 M-F 8:30-3:30 weekly $425
July 7-11 M-F 8:30-3:30 $425
July 14-18 M-F 8:30-3:30 $425
July 21-25 M-F 8:30-3:30 $425
August 18-22 M-F 8:30-3:30 $425
August 25-29 M-F 8:30-3:30 $425
Seven Directions Creative Learning Center
831.713.9392
Seven Directions has fun and creative summer camps for kids ages 5 & up! Art, science, theater, table top role playing games and so much more! Whether your kid loves animals or anime, fairies or Pokémon, practical or digital art, theater or science, exploring nature here in Santa Cruz or exploring the realms of imagination in Dungeons & Dragons, there is something for everyone at Seven Directions. And nearly every camp gets daily interactions with our 35+ live exotic animals! Join us at our bright and lively studio space at the entrance to downtown Santa Cruz or meet us on site at some of Santa Cruz’s most beautiful scenic locations. Make friends, express creativity and keep learning alive during the summer months with Seven Directions Summer Camps!
Tannery Arts Center
Tannery Arts Center, 1010-1070 River St, Santa Cruz
Discover creativity, movement, and expression at Tannery Arts Center Summer Camps! These diverse programs offer hands-on experiences in visual arts, music, dance, theater, and more. Whether your child wants to paint, perform, or sew, these camps provide a vibrant space for growth, inspiration and an unforgettable summer of artistic exploration in Santa Cruz.
“Every summer, I see kids light up with confidence as they create and explore. These camps are more than just classes—they’re a place for young artists to find their creative voice and community.”
Bree Karpavage, Tannery Arts Center Program Manager
WEST Performing Arts
831.425.9378
Santa Cruz
Summer 2025…CREATIVE CHAOS! Get ready for next level imagination with our award-winning youth theatre company for ages 6 -18. Our unique, process-based theatre and art classes, camps, and conservatory-style studies encourage young performers to embark on a creative journey and craft their own performance experience full of innovative collaboration, From immersive theatre-based day camps to original plays and classic productions or improvisation to hone your funny bone. We have it all. Come play! Our classes, training programs, and presentations are process-driven, believing that the creative journey is what matters. We build confidence, communication, and community.
Web of Life Field (WOLF) School
220 Cloister Ln, Aptos
831.684.0148
WOLF School’s Summer Nature Day Camp offers amazing outdoor adventures every day! Kids will experience redwood trail walks, music, camp arts & crafts, cooperative games, science activities, exploration and more. Weekly themes on Redwood Forest Plants, Animals, Ecology, Stewardship, Science, and Teamwork. WOLF School’s educational nature camps inspire kids to experience the outdoors, connect to nature, build healthy relationships, and gain awareness of their impact on environment and community—all in a fun camp setting led by our knowledgeable, friendly, caring and energetic naturalists.
ENRICHMENT
Growing Social
408.914.0552
Growing Social serves neurodivergent students ages 5-young adults, who could benefit from support with social emotional learning (including perspective taking, emotional regulation, problem solving, flexible thinking, etc). Serving those with Social Communication Disorder, Autism Spectrum, ADHD, social anxiety, and those without a formal diagnosis. Small, age and skill matched groups are led by Speech-Language Pathologists who specialize in teaching Social Thinking®. Farm animals, gardening, cooking and other creative group activities are utilized to teach and practice social learning concepts. Social vocational and camp counselor opportunities for teens and young adults. Weekly school year sessions and summer camps available.
Jim Booth Swim School
Watsonville
831.722.3500
Be a water wonder! Lessons for all ages! From our Little Otters swim class for parents and their babies to our adult beginner class. The whole family can splash together at Jim Booth Swim School. Little Otters is a gentle introduction to our 94-degree indoor pool that will make you confident that you are guiding your infant to a happy water experience. Our lessons emphasize quality swimming in an exciting class taught by our caring, well-qualified teachers. Developmental swim team and advanced swim lessons will be offered at our outdoor pool located in Watsonville at Toadal fitness. The whole family can swim at Jim Booth Swim School!
Junebug’s Gym
3910 Portola Drive, Suite 2, Santa Cruz
831.464.BUGS (2847)
June Bug’s Gym is a place where your child can experience a fun-filled adventure in movement. We have a caring, respectful staff that encourages every child to grow at their own pace while supporting social, emotional, and cognitive development. Our goal is to promote confidence and self-esteem in our students, open up their imaginations, and help them experience the joy of movement in an ever-changing environment designed to test their skills.
Music Together/MusicalMe, Inc.ogether/MusicalMe, Inc.
Locations throughout Santa Cruz and Santa Clara County
Call/Text: 831.332.9002
Come join the fun at our Music Together classes – where magical moments happen through playful, rich, and engaging music experiences! Let your little ones, from babies to preschoolers, explore their inner music maker alongside you, their favorite grown-up. Our music and movement classes are not only a blast but also provide essential support for your child’s early development. Summer-only special: Unlimited Bonus Classes! Join us now and create beautiful memories together.
School of Psychogeographic Arts
34 Seascape Village, Aptos
775.303.8863
The School of Psychogeographic Arts is a studio-school based in Aptos that uses outdoor exploration as a catalyst for art making. All classes are taught by artist and art educator Ross Sheehan. Students will embark on walks in and around the beautiful Seascape Village, Park, Beach, bluffs, and trails. Self-expression and experimentation are encouraged. Students will learn about traditional art mediums, applications, and techniques as well as relevant artists and historical art movements. Our studio-school is for all ages and abilities. We offer after school (K-12) art classes, summer camps, adult classes, and custom workshops. Classes and camps range from Urban and Landscape Design, Post Modern Architecture, Mapmaking, En Plein Air Painting, Experimental Printmaking, Alternative Comics, Street Art, Junk Sculpture, and more… Join the walk today
SCHOOLS WITH SUMMER PROGRAMS
Chartwell School
2511 Numa Watson Road, Seaside
831.394.3468
Summer Chartwell School, located on 60 acres in Seaside, CA, serves students with dyslexia and other related learning differences who are not currently reaching their full potential. We do this in grades 1-12 by providing targeted and direct instruction to empower learners with the skills, strategies, tools, and social-emotional mindset they need to thrive in college and beyond. Summer@Chartwell is a three-week program that emphasizes literacy, math, STEAM, and enrichment skills.
“Before we found Chartwell, our son was struggling every night with homework, his confidence shattered because he couldn’t understand why learning was so difficult for him. At Chartwell, he gained the tools and skills to support his learning profile, and now he confidently advocates for himself and is excelling in high school. I can’t express enough how profoundly Chartwell changed our son’s life—and ours.”
Milda E., Parent of Chartwell Alumnus
4 Comments
Teresa Goldberg
I will be spending the summer in Santa Cruz with my 13-year-old daughter. She loves art. Do you know of any art camps or art classes?
Linda Kay
Santa Cruz Mountain Arts and Mon Ami offer children’s art classes
brogan dahl
Hi. How can my summer camp program get on your website?
Summer camps
Your article captures the essence of summer camps as transformative experiences for children. In martial arts, we often emphasize the importance of structure and discipline, which can also be found in these camp environments. Encouraging kids to try activities like martial arts could provide them with not only physical skills but also confidence and resilience that carry into other areas of their lives. It’s fascinating how these varied experiences contribute to holistic development.