Best Summer Day Camps In LA For Teens
The best summer camps for teens are those that promote confidence and build self-esteem while inspiring creativity and encouraging a healthy lifestyle. Located near the entertainment capital of the world, Los Angeles summer camps offer a diverse set of programs geared to put every teen's best interest at heart. For teens who like performing, creative arts programs give them a chance to explore their deepest passions. For teens who love the outdoors, beach and adventure camps help them deepen their appreciate for nature and wilderness. Other camps help teens build useful leadership skills and explore their career interests.
Aloha Beach Camp
30100 Pacific Coast Highway
Malibu, CA 90265
(818) 932-4600
www.alohabeachcamp.com
At Aloha Beach Camp, an aquatic sports summer day camp, teens can enjoy the ocean in a number of ways regardless of their ocean experience. Camp counselors instill the values of ocean safety in a fun environment where working parents can send their teens on a day-to-day basis without adhering to a rigid summer camp schedule. Aloha's High Action Beach and Surf Summer Camp is geared toward teens 12 and older with summer programs that include day trips to the best beaches in Los Angeles and more than 100 aquatic activities for teens to choose from such as surfing at Zuma Beach, jet skiing at Castaic Lake, ocean kayaking at Channel Islands Harbor and boogie boarding at Santa Monica Beach. The best part of this summer day camp is its "do what you want" philosophy with all of its activities so every camp experience lies in the hands of the teens who attend.
SOCAPA Summer Arts Camp
Occidental College
1600 Campus Road
Los Angeles, CA 90041
(800) 718-2787
www.socapa.org
The School of Creative and Performing Arts is the perfect summer camp for creative teens interested in pursuing a career in the field of entertainment. With intensive programs that include acting, filmmaking, dance, photography, music and screenwriting, SOCAPA inspires creativity and self-expression through artistic development. The Los Angeles summer arts programs includes trips to real Hollywood studios and visits from industry professionals who share their experiences about working in the entertainment business. Occidental College hosts this rewarding camp experience and even offers high school students college credit for completion of the program.
Camp Kinneret Summer Day Camp
29646 Agoura Road
Agoura Hills, CA 91301
(805) 523-7711
www.campkinneret.com
Camp Kinneret's summer program for teens builds upon leadership development while participating in traditional camp activities such as swimming, hiking, horseback riding, archery, sports and a low ropes course. Every day starts with a morning assembly before campers are split off into seven 30 to 45-minute activity sessions, giving each of them an opportunity to do every activity at least once and swim every day during their camp experience. The camp is designed to build social skills and resiliency while fostering creativity and individuality. "We've been sending our daughter there since she was three, and she loves it. They are adept at weaving in the value of struggle in their activities," says Andy Weisser, one happy camp parent and communications consultant in Woodland Hills.
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Digital Media Academy
University of California, Los Angeles
West Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA 90095
(866) 656-3342
www.digitalmediaacademy.org
The Digital Media Academy offers an academic camp for teens at the most prestigious universities in the country. The Digital Media Academy, available at University of California, Los Angeles, offers day camps and overnight camp programs that combine physical activity with adventures in cinematic creations in the form of filmmaking, visual effects and game designs. As the top tech summer camp in the world, teens have a chance to gain real world experience while exploring their career options in preparation for college. DMA's creative summer programs last one to two weeks and even include web programming, app development and sports technology.
Sierra Adventure Camp
2633 Lincoln Blvd., Suite 604
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 392-3100
www.sierraadventurecamps.com
For the ultimate camping experience, the Sierra Adventure Camp provides a personal growth and learning experience through outdoor living. The goal of Sierra Adventure is to promote positive self-esteem and encourage active lifestyles through fun, non-competitive outdoor activities. All of Sierra's summer programs are accredited by the American Camp Association and include camp-outs, water sports, wilderness relays and other outdoor adventures. Programs are limited to no more than 70 campers per program to ensure maximum excitement and safety for all campers.
Niki Payne is a freelance writer covering all things Entertainment in Los Angeles. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.
