STEM fields are growing at an incredible pace. Between now and 2026, STEM jobs will grow by 10.8%, more than 2% faster than any other industry.
How can we prepare our children for these fast-changing, higher-pay jobs of the future? Immerse them in STEM learning, of course.
Read on for 8 of the best science camps in Southern California.
1. California Science Center
Are you looking for one of the most diverse science summer camps in Los Angeles? The California Science Center offers over 25 topics for kids in their half day or full day summer camp.
Kids aged 3-13 can learn about outer space, chemistry, biology, robotics, wizardry, 3D animations, pirate science and so much more.
The younger kiddies can explore science with mom or dad in the parent and child programs. Older kids will get a chance at hands-on science exploration with experts from the field as well as education professionals.
Programs are divided by grade/age so that each junior scientist works with peers as they explore the amazing world of science together.
Hands-On Science takes place in the Wallis Annenberg Building for Science Learning and Innovation. Kids will have a chance to explore the Big Lab, a 32,000-sq-ft learning environment.
2. Engineering for Kids Camp
One of the best summer camps in Los Angeles for your little engineer is hosted by Engineering for Kids.
There are half-day programs during the summer for kids from pre-K to eighth grade. The topics build on what kids learned during the school year and cover a wide range of themes.
Their confidence will soar as they work in grade-appropriate camps that build rockets and sailboats and chemically crafted concoctions and more.
3. Pali Institute 3, 4, or 5 Day School-Trip Camps
Want to keep the hands-on learning going during the school year? Pali’s science camps during the year are just the ticket. The most popular science camp for school groups in Southern California is Pali Institute. It’s geared for kids in grades 4 – 8 and has 30 different classroom science modules teachers can choose from.
Classes follow outdoor education, leadership, and science themes and are neatly correlated with state education standards. Pali Institute is accredited by WASC and other associations. Programs are full of hands-on, exciting science learning and outdoor activities in beautiful natural surroundings.
It’s located on an unspoiled mountain top in the San Bernardino mountains. It’s looks and feels completely isolated. Best of all, it’s only about a 90-minute bus trip from in LA and Orange County metro areas.
4. Rolling Robots Drop-In Day Camp
Do you have a child that just can’t get enough of robots? The Rolling Robots drop-in summer science camp is the perfect place for kids ages 5-14.
The schedule at this summer camp is very flexible. You choose whichever time period suits your family. Choose from half-day, full-day programs or even pick a day or two instead of the whole week.
At Rolling Robots, your kids will be challenged with technical problems that will yield a huge sense of accomplishment for your kiddos.
The youngest age groups have fun experimenting with electronics and see how they function. Senior kids enjoy a week of designing and programming robots and by the end of the week have a competition-worthy robot ready to take over the world.
But there’s much more than robots here! The Minecraft Coding camp for ages 12-14 lets campers build your own Mod in Minecraft. They’ll learn to Mod the game using JAVA.
There’s also a camp on 3D printing, developing apps and more.
5. CodeREV Tech Camps
Of all the California summer camps, the CodeREV Tech is the one that is most laser-focused for little programmers, future video game designers, app developers, and engineers.
This summer science camp caters to ages six through 14. The teacher-student ratio is either 8:1 or 5:1 which allows your child the mentoring he or she needs on their project.
Best of all, campers get to take their projects home for continued learning. And parents will get a Google drive file with all the instructions and programs your child needs.
There are rented school locations across California including LA and Orange County.
6. Mad Science
The Mad Science summer camps in Los Angeles and Orange County are great for kids aged 5-11.
The hours and curriculum vary by location. The overall theme is reasonably priced science fun at local community venues.
Weekly themes include NASA Space Academy, Secret Agent Lab, Claws, Codes, & Constellations and Crazy Chemworks. This is one of the best budget-friendly science camps in California.
Mad Science offers a visiting guest speaker program during the school year.
7. Camp Tech Revolution at UCLA
Kids aged 7-14 can enjoy a full week of STEM learning at summer science camps held at UCLA. Camp Tech is run by an independent renter on the UCLA campus for the summer. The neat thing about this science summer camp is that campers can choose a major and minor each week just like college students!
If campers attend this camp for more than one week, they can choose a different major and minor each new week. How cool, right?
There are plenty of options to choose from. Minecraft, model rockets, game design, computer programming, cybersecurity, and robotics just to name a few.
This week-long in-depth exploration of a specific topic will help increase your budding scientists love of STEM. It’s never too early to begin exploring career options!
8. Project Scientist Day Camp
Do you have a little girl who is gunning to shatter glass ceilings? Then Project Scientist is the California summer camp for her.
Girls who are 4-12 will be nurtured and inspired by female role models and working professionals in the STEAM fields. This camp runs six weeks and includes field trips, hands-on projects, and fun games.
Final Thoughts on Science Camps for Kids
Thanks for reading! We hope this list of 8 science camps for kids in California help you find a suitable school trip camps, day camps, and summer camp for your young scientists.
Pali Institute offers customized three, four or five-day programs for school enrichment field trips. Choose from three categories: Outdoor Education, Science, and Leadership.
It’s a great excursion option for kids of all ages. Contact us to learn more.