Best Traditional Summer Camps for Kids in the Bay Area

The Bay Area has a vast number of summer camps for kids. While many of the camps range in specialty from horseback riding, to soccer, to sailing, etc. there are also quite a number of "traditional" camps. Traditional camps are those that offer more outdoor nature activities, such as hiking, learning about the environment, doing arts and crafts, and singing camp songs. If your child loves nature-or just spending time outside-look seriously into the camps listed below.

Feather River Camp

Website: http://www.oaklandnet.com/parks/programs/featherriver.asp

Phone: 510.336.2267

Feather River Camp is put on by the Oakland Parks and Recreation of Northern California. The camp is an overnight outdoor camp that takes place in Quincy, California. Kids are transported to Quincy by Oakland busses and spend the week singing camp songs, star gazing, hiking, biking, and much much more. Feather River summer camp is perfect for kids who love nature and being active. The camp ranges from $400-$700 a week, depending on the age of your child.

Camp Arroyo

Website: http://www.ebparks.org/activities/daycamps/arroyo

Phone: 925.371.8401

Camp Arroyo takes place in 138-acre park in Livermore, California. It is touted as an "environmental education camp". Campers get to explore the environment, learn about sustainable living, wildlife, and nutrition. Check out the site for more details about the camp curriculum.

Roughing It

Website: http://www.roughingit.com

Phone: 925.283.3795

Roughing It offers a wide variety of summer outdoor day camps that kids of all ages can attend. The camp is held on a lake in Lafayette, California and parents have the option of having their kids bussed back and forth each day from certain locations in Alameda, San Francisco, and Oakland. The camp holds a variety of different activities, including sports, swimming, horseback riding, kayaking, canoeing, hiking, crafts and much more.

Montclair Summer Fun Camp

Website: https://securerw.oaklandnet.com/registrationmain.sdi

Phone: 510.482.7812

Montclair Summer Fun Camp is run by the Oakland Parks and Recreation Center of Northern California. This day camp takes place outdoors in Oakland's "Montclair" district-- kids of all ages and interests will love it. Camp activities include many arts and crafts, singing songs, sports, and even cooking! The camp counselors are all very fun and lovable-I went here as a youth and always idolized my counselors.

Because this camp is run through the City of Oakland, the fees are very low. One week is only $171 for Oakland residents and $205 for non-residents.

Discovery Camp

Website: http://www.recsports.berkeley.edu/youth/yinside.aspx?uid=e0a0311f-cf76-4116-bad1-01033b16f7e6

Phone: 510.643.CAMP

Discovery Camp is put on by the University of California, Berkeley Recreation Center. While their Youth Camps program offers a vast variety of summer camps, the majority of them consist mainly of sports-centered activities.

Discovery Camp is perfect for kids who want to spend their summers outdoors, learning about nature and science. While all campers meet at the Berkeley Marina in Berkeley, California, they are then transported each day to different locations around the Bay Area. Activities include: hiking at Tilden Park, Naturalist Program at Muir Woods, a ropes course at Strawberry Canyon, and paddle-boating in Alameda's Crab Cove. Parents who want to kindle a love of nature in their kids should definitely check this camp out!