Looking for some exceptional summer activities to get your pre-K, elementary and middle school age children out of the house this summer? We’ve highlighted just three of the many local summer programs designed to do just that, affording the kids educational fun they'll love and mom and dad a few child-free hours to spend at their leisure. It’s an escape for the whole family!
If funds are a concern, ask for a scholarship. Many organizations like the YMCA offer membership discounts to families and may be able to offer a discount on camp as well.
- Huntington Explorers is a summer half or full day camp for children ages 5-12 that runs July 18–August 5 at The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens. The classes celebrate the gardens and galleries of The Huntington through drawing, painting, storytelling, writing, cooking, sculpting, gardening, acting and more. From staging a Shakespearean play and sculpting Mythical Greek characters to exploring the beauty of China's gardens and playing cactus hunter in the desert, your kids will be talking about this camp nonstop at the dinner table every night. Visit The Huntington's website Education page for details.
- Monrovia’s offers three summer camps. Summer Day Camp for grades K-8 offering games, crafts and unlimited fun at the YMCA located on South Mountain Avenue, Resident Camp where kids sleep away at a beautiful camp facility in the San Bernardino National Forest, and Summer Surf Camp for grades 3-8 where kids spend five days in San Diego learning to surf and kayak. Call the YMCA at 626-359-9244 for dates and more details or visit their site.
- Tom Sawyer Camps runs a summer camp program in the Arroyo Seco for kids ages 3 through 6th grade, June 20-August 26. Pre Camp is for ages 3-5 (and kindergartners) and includes swimming and horseback riding from 8:55am to 2:00pm, almost guaranteeing a long afternoon nap. Day Camp for grades 1-5 offers boys and girls groups that enjoy team sports, exploration and friendship. Lastly, Outpost camp for 6th through 9th grade offers horseback riding and swimming as well as rockclimbing, windsurfing and a ropes course taught by staff at local sites. A second location at Arcadia County Park offers TSC Too! where kids ages 4 through 4th grade enjoy horseback riding in Pasadena and swimming in a private pool in Arcadia, as well as archery and hiking in the foothills, from 9:00am to 3:00pm. Visit their site to learn more.