This roundup of summer camps for younger campers who are on break from preschool or just out of kindergarten is a sampling of the diverse offerings available in the East Bay. Learn more about these camps for two- to five-year olds and other East Bay camps in our 2017 Camp Guide.
Special thanks to our sponsors who make this guide (and these hecka fun camps!) possible:
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Camps for younger campers with starting age (sponsors):
Abundant Summers (Berkeley, Oakland)
Abundant Summers is an inclusive all-outdoors camp combining social justice, nature, arts, and free play in a mixed-age (2-10) setting. Loosely structured day is shaped by campers’ interests. Options include: fishing, readers’ nook, swimming, theater, fort-building, hiking, maker activities, and more.
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Ages: 2+
Hours: 9am – 3:30pm; aftercare by prior arrangement
Price: $75 membership to Abundant Beginnings plus $75/day, $325/ week; earlybird, sibling and sliding scale discounts available
Deal: Save 5% with code 510families
Galileo Innovation Camps (Berkeley, Alameda, Oakland, other Bay Area locations)
Galileo believes that kids can change the world (and have a blast doing it). Combining a mindset-shaping, innovation-based approach with crazy, summertime fun for camps kids love: Camp Galileo (pre-K—5th grades), Galileo Summer Quest (5th—8th grades).
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Ages: pre-K+
Hours: Mon–Fri, 9am–3pm. Extended care from 8am – 6pm.
Price: $429/week for core program; Discounts for multiple-weeks or signing up early.
Deal: Save $30 with code: FAMILY510
Monkey Business Camp (Berkeley)
Monkey Business Camp offers art, cooking, storytelling, nature exploration, treasure hunts, carnival games, singing, and organic food! Expect an exciting week outdoors in Tilden Park with 1 day of swimming. 17th year in Bay Area and winner of 2013-2016 Best of Camp awards. See also Pre-K program for 3-4 year olds at indoor location near Tilden and Boys on the Go Field Trip Camp, for 9-13 year olds.
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Ages: 3+
Hours: 8:30am to 3:30pm with extended care from 8am to 6pm
Price: $488/week with multi-session, sibling, and earlybird discounts available
Deal: 510 code for $10 off/week, can be combined with early special only
Rainbow Day Camp (El Cerrito)
Rainbow Day Camp (ages 4-11) and Camp Kickin' It (12-18) are summer day camps for gender diverse youth and their allies. Expect innovative projects, new friendships and an affirming space where everyone belongs. Teens explore SF and Oakland together.
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Ages: 4+
Hours: 9am – 3pm; extended care available
Price: $400/week; early bird and sibling discounts available
“For the first time in Chance's life she felt accepted and validated… She gained the courage and knowledge to come out as her true self.”
Sarah’s Science Camp (Tilden Park, Berkeley and Roberts Park, Oakland)
Each day at camp, kids make and take home a fun science project while exploring complex science topics ranging from physics to chemistry and beyond. Camp also includes hiking, music, art, games, and swimming. For children 5 and over. CIT program begins at age 11.
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Ages: 5+
Hours: 9am – 3pm, plus before care and after care
Price: $425-$470/week or $105/day with early registration, sibling, and multi-week discounts available
Steve & Kate’s Camp (Berkeley at The Berkeley School; Oakland at Park Day School)
This unique camp for ages 4 to 12 lets you use what you need. Kids plan their own day attending whichever activities interest them from film and animation to bread making, dance, coding and or sports. Additional locations around Bay Area
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Ages: 4+
Hours: 7:30am to 6pm; LUNCH PROVIDED
Price: $100/day; 5-day packs $90/day; 20-day packs $80/day. $2,800 gives you unlimited access for the summer.
Sunshine Kids at Claremont Kids Club Summer Camp (Berkeley)
Sunshine Kids Day Camp is for ages 2-4 led by experienced early childhood staff. Camp includes age-appropriate games, sports, music and movement, arts and crafts, special events and more activities. Daily, half-day and weekly rates are available. Adventure Camp begins at age 5.
Website >
Ages: 2+
Hours: 9am to 3pm with extended care available.
Price: $375 per week; $95 per day (half day rates also available); earlybird rates available
Techsplosion Junior Minecraft (Berkeley, Fremont and 25 other Bay Area locations)
Techsplosion harnesses kids’ passion for Minecraft and uses that as fuel for learning; Junior Minecraft camp begins at age 5. Kids learn introductory coding, arts & crafts and play outdoors, too!
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Ages: 5+
Hours: Most camps are 9am to 4pm. Extended care available.
Price: ~$500 for a 35-hour week
More camps for smaller campers that you can find in our Summer Camp Guide >
Camps that will take ages 3+
- Adventure Day Camp (Walnut Creek with bus from Oakland, Piedmont, Berkeley) Ages 3+ Website>
- Berkeley Forest School (Berkeley) 3+ Website >
- Doodle Primo (Berkeley, Orinda & other Bay Area locations) Ages 3+ Website >
- Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley’s French Immersion Camp (Berkeley) 3.5+ Website >
- Escuela Bilingüe Internacional Spanish Summer Camp (Oakland) Ages 3+ (potty trained). Website >
- Habitot Children's Museum (Berkeley) Ages 2.9+ Website >
- Head Over Heels (Emeryville) 3+ Website >
- Kids Gym Berkeley (S. Berkeley) Ages 3+ Website >
- Kids N Dance Dance and Theater Arts (Oakland) Ages 3+ Website >
- Rain or Shine (Berkeley) Age 3+ Website >
- Rec Room (Berkeley) Age 3+ Website >
- Shu Ren Pre-K Mandarin Camp (Berkeley) Ages 2+ Website >
- Sulphur Creek Nature Center Wildlife Camp (Hayward) Ages 3.5+ Website >
- Thingamakids Little Makers Camp (Oakland) Ages 3+ Website >
- Twirl “Mini Twirlers” Creative Camp (Alameda) Ages 3+ Website >
- Worlds of Wonder (Alameda) Ages 2+ Website>
Camps that will be work for your 4-year old and/or pre-K:
Do you have a rising kindergartner? Choose any of the above options for 3+ or these picks for age four and pre-kindergarten (if your upcoming kindergartner is already five, you can also see the list below for a few more):
- Alameda Ballet (Alameda) 4+ Website >
- Albany-Berkeley Soccer Camp (Albany-Berkeley) 4+ Website >
- Avid4 Adventure (Oakland and other Bay Area locations) Pre-K+ Website >
- Bay Language Academy (Alameda) pre-K+ Website >
- Brushstrokes Studio Art Camp (Berkeley) Ages 4+ Website >
- Cal Golden Bears Gymnastics Camp (Berkeley) 4+ Website >
- CAMP EDMO (Alameda, Berkeley, Oakland, many more) Pre-K+ Website >
- Camp Gan Israel (Oakland) Ages 4+ Website >
- Lawrence Hall of Science Camp (Berkeley) Age 4+ Website >
- Oakland ZooCamp (Oakland Zoo) Pre-K+ Website >
- Camp Sequoyah (Oakland) Ages 4+ Website>
- St. Paul’s Day Camp (Oakland) Transitional-K+. Website>
- Roughing It (Lafayette Reservoir, free pickup from {510} locations) Ages Pre-K+ Website>
- Trackers Earth (Berkeley and Walnut Creek) Pre-K+ Website >
Day camp options for 5 and up:
Not all camps accept five-year olds. Choose any of the above options or these additional picks:
- Bay Area Children's Theatre Summer Camps (Alameda & Oakland) Website >
- Berkeley Day Camp (Berkeley) Website >
- Camp Bladium (Alameda) Website >
- Bliss Belly Kitchen Cooking Camp (North Berkeley) Website >
- East Bay Dance Center (Oakland) Website >
- Cal Explorer Camp (Berkeley) Website >
- Children's Fairyland (Oakland) Website >
- Crowden Scrape, Squawk & Bang Camp (Berkeley) Website >
- Dancing Paintbrush Studio (Berkeley) Website >
- Junior Center of Art & Science Camp (Oakland) Website >
- KIDS for the BAY Adventurers (All drop offs in Berkeley area, locations vary daily) Website >
- Luna Dance Institute (Berkeley) Website >
- Monkey Ninja Camp @ Athletic Playground (Emeryville) Website >
- Pear Tree Summer Camp (Oakland) Website >
- Play-Well STEM using LEGO (Albany, Berkeley, Piedmont, Alameda, & other locations) Website >
- Polka Dots Dance Camp (Piedmont) Website >
- Richmond Art Center Camp (Richmond) Website >
- Summer Afternoons in France with Alliance Française de Berkeley (Berkeley) Website >
- TechKnowHow Robotics & Coding (Berkeley, Oakland, and other East Bay locations) Website >
- Camp Tzofim (Oakland with drop off in N. Berkeley available) Website >
Find the perfect camp for your child in our 2017 East Bay camp guide.
All decisions were made by Heather and Whitney with lots of research support by our team. Any omissions were accidental, we assure you. If you know of other camps that are good for the littlest day campers, please add them in the comments!
Sponsors are indicated by their logos on the top of the guide. The remaining listings are camps we know of that serve two-, three-, four-, and five-year olds.
[Photo provided by Monkey Business]
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