Located at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, just 10 miles from downtown Los Angeles, Pasadena has the perfect mixture of big city amenities and small town charm.
Thanks to its size, Pasadena is able to offer tons of variety when it comes to summer camps. At the same time, campers are never far from nature. We’ve helped you narrow down your choices by creating this list of the best summer camps in Pasadena, California.
Amplify Sleepaway Camp
Experience the best in sleep away and day camps with Amplify—an award-winning and American Camp Association Accredited music and arts program! Nestled in the breathtaking Topa Topa Mountains of Ojai, CA, just 1.5 hours from the vibrant city of Los Angeles, Amplify beckons campers from across the U.S. and around the world.
The affordable 2-week sessions, extendable up to 8 weeks, offer a transformative journey for campers to delve into their passions. Choose from a range of creative focuses, guided by top-notch instructors in music, photography, film (including music video making), theater, music production, skateboarding, dance, choreography, and more.
At Amplify, the adventure doesn’t stop there. Campers craft their own schedules with daily fully elective activities, providing a plethora of options like screen printing, DJing, swimming, beach days, surfing, karaoke, dance parties under the stars and more. Amplify ensures an unforgettable summer, fostering creativity, a deep sense of belonging and friendship in a secure, supportive, and age-appropriate environment. Join for a summer like no other!
Summer of Surf
The Summer of Surf camp is exactly what it sounds like–a full summer of learning how to surf and boogie boarding. Running from June 5 to August 18, 2023, this camp welcomes surfers of all skill levels ages 7 to 18.
A typical day at Summer of Surf starts with a chartered bus ride to Santa Monica Beach, just in front of the Annenberg Community Beach House.
After a morning meeting, campers complete their morning water activity. More experienced surfers are put into groups of three or four with one instructor. Beginners receive 1:1 instruction.
Next comes lunch and a short afternoon activity, with sports like soccer or games like capture the flag, followed by the second water session of the day.
Summer of Surf also runs Adventure Tours, an all-inclusive trip to surf spots around the world that includes hiking, boat safaris, and scuba diving.
Tom Sawyer Camps
Tom Sawyer Camps have been around for almost 100+ years, so it’s safe to say they know a thing or two about running fun summer camps in Pasadena. They’re offered nine weeks throughout the summer in one- or two-week options.
Kids are divided by age/grade level at the summer camp. The youngest campers attend Pre-Camp, which focuses on fostering a love of physical activity and the outdoors. Activities include swimming, archery, and free play.
Day Camp is reserved for kids currently in kindergarten to 4th grade. This group is invited to participate in a number of activities, including wilderness exploration and good old-fashioned camp games.
For older campers currently enrolled in grades 5 to 8, Outpost is Tom Sawyer Camps’ most rugged and adventure-filled option. These campers spend their day stand-up paddle boarding, rock climbing, horseback riding, and completing high ropes courses.
South Pasadena Educational Foundation
The South Pasadena Educational Foundation (SPEF for short) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to raise funds to support public school programming in Pasadena.
With the money it raises, SPEF operates a number of programs ranging from after-school classes to musicals and summer camps.
SPEF’s summer camp offerings are diverse and are sure to appeal to your child, regardless of their interests. For example, there are sports camps covering dance, soccer, and basketball, STEM camps about coding and science, art sessions, and even a Mandarin language course.
Camps are typically open to Pasadena students entering grades K through 12, but check the specific session you’re interested in for exact details. Most summer camps last one week and are only offered once a season, with a few exceptions.
Waterworks Aquatics
Located off Foothill Boulevard in Pasadena, Waterworks Aquatics is a professional swim school providing swimming lessons and summer swim camps and clinics.
Summer camps last one week and start in June. The last session runs until August. Depending on your schedule and your child’s interest level, you can sign up for one or multiple sessions. Children ages 5 to 14 are welcome to apply.
Sessions start at 9 AM and run till noon. During the half-day camps, students work with professionally-trained swimming instructors to hone their skills in a number of areas, including turns, competition strokes, and dives.
But it’s not all work at Waterworks. The end of the day is reserved for games and free play, complete with pool toys and other fun accessories.
School of Rock Pasadena
School of Rock Pasadena welcomes aspiring musicians and songwriters of all levels to hone their chops in one of its many summer camp sessions.
Camps typically last one week and are open to kids ages 4 to 18+. Apart from playing music and instruments, students can learn about songwriting and music theory.
Each session at School of Rock covers a different genre or era. For example, there are camps focused on Blues, 80s rock, Pop Punk, and even The Beatles.
In addition to instrument-specific instruction covering guitar, drums, keyboard as well as vocals, campers have the chance to participate in team-building activities, trivia games, and stage presence workshops.
It all culminates in a performance for friends and family where kids play live songs for the audience. Since some of the programs are 18+, adults are also welcome here.
Camp Adventurewood
Camp Adventurewood is an adventure camp operating out of Arroyo Park. Its day camps with extended care are open to boys and girls 4-13.
The summer camp offers one six-week session, allowing kids to enjoy all the perks of sleepaway camp without the long absence from home. Activities include canoeing, archery, sports, hiking, and more.
Campers are grouped by age and are paired with counselors who have received leadership and safety training. Care is taken to ensure a 6:1 camper-to-counselor ratio at all times.
Your kid has fun games and events they can participate in, like capture the flag, panning for gold, and a month-long treasure hunt in the scenic Arroyo Seco. All of these things are designed to create a fun and diverse environment that promotes growth and creativity.
Getting to camp is easy, as they have van shuttles that pick up children from all over Los Angeles county and other places.
Spartan All Stars
Operating at La Canada High School’s sports fields, Spartan All Stars welcomes kids entering kindergarten through 7th grade to participate in one-week day camps focused 100% on sports.
Kindergarteners attend morning-only sessions, while 1st graders have the option to participate in morning-only or full-day camp. All others up to middle school students attend for the entire day.
Throughout the week, campers try out a variety of individual and team sports involving yoga, martial arts, ultimate frisbee, volleyball, and dodgeball. Crafts and other special activities are sprinkled throughout the week to provide some variety and much-needed rest.
Additional summer programs include Acting Camp and Spartan Basketball Camp. Older students who want to gain some leadership skills can try out their Junior Counselors program.
Pasadena Christian School
Every summer, Pasadena Christian School opens its doors to all students looking for engaging summer camps, including those that don’t attend the school. You can find several camps available, with options for students in preschool through 8th grade. Most sessions last either four weeks or eight weeks.
Your youngest children can attend Fun In The Sun, a full- or half-day camp that blends free play, outdoor activities, and themed events. Kinder Camp blends academic instruction with Bible lessons and outdoor play.
Older kids can work on either basketball, flag football, or volleyball skills at a one-week Cougar Sports Camp.
The musically inclined can enjoy improving their skills at the Summer Music Academy. It’s a month-long camp for piano, string, brass, and woodwind players that blends music theory and practice sessions.
Summer Culinary LA Cooking Camp
If you’re eager to reclaim your kitchen from your budding chef this summer, then look at some of the offerings by the Summer Culinary’s LA Cooking Camps. They offer both day camps and overnight camps.
Open to kids ages 12 to 17 of all skill levels, this camp provides access to training from professional chefs in a professional kitchen setting at the Institute For Culinary Education in Pasadena.
Sessions start on June 25th, 2023, and run for one week. Four sessions are offered throughout June and July, with the last session beginning on July 16th. Campers who choose the residential option will stay on this campus in Southern California.
Over the course of the week, campers make hundreds of recipes of delicious sushi, kebabs, salads, and cakes. They offer fun evening activities for your kids, like field trips into town and pool parties.