With its location in Orange County, the city of Irvine has all the benefits of big city life while being considered one of the safest cities in the United States. However, just because Irvine is a big city doesn’t mean there is no opportunity to enjoy nature, as it’s home to many parks and nature reserves.
If you’re considering sending your children to summer camp this year, Irvine, CA, has plenty of amazing options. With sunny weather and beautiful parks, Irvine gives children plenty to explore during their summer vacation.
You can find an array of camps for a wide variety of activities and interests. With both overnight and day camps, there is a program for every child in the city. Here are some of the best summer camps in Irvine, California.
PlanetBravo Techno-tainment
PlanetBravo’s Techno-tainment camp is offered to rising 2-9th graders in one-week sessions. Apart from Irvine, there are several other locations throughout the Los Angeles area, including Santa Monica and Pasadena.
Campers can enroll in courses that interest them, with a total of sixteen different classes offered. This includes game design, coding, animation, video editing and creation, and drone flying. If your child is interested in video games and technology, this is the perfect camp. There is also plenty of outdoor time and activities to enjoy.
PlanetBravo’s camp has a ratio of 8:1 students to teachers as they believe that not all children learn the same, and smaller classrooms can help guarantee success. The goal of PlanetBravo is to build self-confidence in students while having fun through creative pursuits and meeting new friends.
Steve & Kate’s Camp
Steve & Kate’s Camp, located in Costa Mesa, believes in putting children in control of how their day will look. It allows them to challenge themselves to build their confidence and inspiration to learn new things.
Offered to children ages 4-12, this summer camp has day passes or a full summer pass, allowing you to better fit it into your family’s schedule and refund anything that isn’t used. There are a variety of activities, such as sewing, animation, baking, acting, and water games. If a camper-led experience sounds perfect for your child, this might be exactly what you’re looking for.
Steve & Kate’s camp was created out of love for the summer camp experience. With a desire to give campers and their parents more freedom to choose rather than setting activities by age. Lunch and snacks are included. You can also find some of their programs in Northern California, like San Francisco.
UC Irvine iD Tech Camp
The iD Tech camp, held at UC Irvine, offers week-long programs for ages 7-17 with day and overnight camps. A lengthy list of classes is provided with topics covering game design, coding, video production, and Roblox.
You have varying focuses depending on age and for all levels, from beginners to advanced campers. They use the latest tech to teach and give students a taste of college life on campus.
The mission of the iD Tech camp is to take kids on a STEM learning journey that can give them the confidence they need to succeed in a future major and career. This educational camp is intended to prepare campers for what comes next.
Summer at Turtle Rock
Turtle Rock in Orange County offers an enriching, age-appropriate day camp program for children ages 5-9. With a different theme and array of activities each week, their adventure-focused programming includes activities such as whale watching, swimming, laser tag, and horseback riding.
The summer camps provide active and varied activities with something for every child to enjoy. The rotation of themes throughout the weeks allows campers to explore new things that enrich their curiosity and keep their boredom at bay. Plus, there are also fun field trips students go on.
Turtle Rock offers two different day camps, the Explorers program for kindergarteners and first graders and the Adventurers program for second and third graders.
Parents have the option to book for individual weeks or the entire program. The session dates begin on June 12th and end on August 15th.
Irvine School of Music
This music summer camp is offered by the Irvine School of Music. Their music programs are built for elementary and middle school students as early as two years old. They run Monday to Friday between 10 am to 2 pm.
There are five different day camps, including a Music Funtime camp for the youngest campers ages 2-5. ISM also offers piano, songwriting, music production, and Instrument Discovery lessons so campers can learn a new kind of instrument each day.
ISM believes that learning music builds confidence, coordination, self-discipline, and an appreciation for all things art. If your child is interested in music or is already a talented musician, this could be the right fit with experienced staff and teachers to guide them.
Dynamic Martial Arts
Dynamic Martial Arts Summer Camp offers engaging lessons in martial arts as well as a variety of other fun educational activities. It’s an ideal summer program to keep your child active over the school break.
They provide lessons in Taekwondo as well as craft, outdoor, language, reading, and STEM activities. Campers can also enjoy a fun field trip at the end of the week. Dynamic Martial Arts offers week-long day camps for children of all ages and fitness levels.
It creates a fun environment for students while placing an emphasis on education. The majority of activities offered by the Dynamic Martial Arts Summer Camp have educational merit to them, from classes in coding to lessons in Japanese and Korean languages.
SoCal Elite Youth Basketball Camp
SoCal Elite Youth Basketball Camp offers a high-energy sports summer camp for students in K-8th grade. It occurs in several locations across Irvine, such as Concordia University, The SCCCA Gym, and New Horizon Upper School.
The summer camp can keep your child active during the summer season and promotes engagement with athletics. It’s run by SoCal Elite sports, a non-profit with a mission to provide children with basketball and other athletic opportunities.
SoCal Elite Youth Basketball camps are open to players of all skill and fitness levels. They can learn the basics of basketball or take their game to the next level.
Campers are separated into groups based on age and skill levels as they engage in training, including practice drills and fun scrimmages. You can select from both four and five-day summer camps.
UCI COSMOS
UCI California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science (UCI COSMOS) is an education-focused STEM program for high school students. The overnight camp is hosted at the University of California Irvine college campus.
High school students can apply to specific clusters specializing in different topics that cover classes on math, technology, science, and more. Each cluster is taught by a university faculty member or graduate student.
If you have a high schooler interested in a STEM career, UCI Cosmos can provide an array of immersive, academically challenging activities that look great on college applications. Since it’s residential, it can also help them learn a bit about what college life is like.
Students must submit their applications to enroll, and financial aid is available.
Lango Spanish Immersion Camp
Located in the New Horizons Community Center, Lango Spanish Immersion Camp is a great way for your 5 to 10-year-old to get a head start in learning Spanish.
Camp Lango teaches children Spanish through a variety of fun activities. This includes learning about the different cultures and traditions of various Spanish-speaking countries in Europe and Latin America.
Camp Lango also offers various creative activities each week, accompanied by fun water games to keep them having fun. There is a final presentation at the end of each camp for parents to enjoy.
Campers are separated into groups based on age and Spanish proficiency level. You can pay for your child’s spot at Camp Lango by the week or book for the entire program. The full begins at the end of June and ends in early August.
IPSF Summer Camp
Irvine Public School Foundation offers summer camps to rising K-12 students. Covered by three different sessions lasting between 2-3 weeks. They’re broken up into different grade levels, so everything is age-appropriate.
The goal is to prepare your child for the next academic year. IPSF features academic classes and more fun-centered elective classes. For high school students, ACT and SAT prep is also available.
Students can focus on the topic they will be learning about in the following school year to better prepare for it. Otherwise, they can choose to put more energy and focus into their specific area of interest.
IPSF provides support to public schools and lets students learn in small groups with other peers.