154 camps found • Ages 3–18 • Prices from $7/week
Oakland's summer camp scene reflects the city's creative, community-driven character. The market spans an unusually wide range — from the well-resourced programs clustered around Rockridge and Montclair to community-focused, sliding-scale programs in Fruitvale and East Oakland. Families who dig into Oakland's camp ecosystem often discover that the city punches well above its weight for quality and variety.
Lake Merritt is Oakland's central camp anchor. The Rotary Nature Center at Lake Merritt runs nature education programs that introduce kids to the lake's wildlife and urban ecology — genuinely unique in the Bay Area context. Feather River and other paddling programs use the lake for kayak and canoe instruction. The Oakland Museum of California runs summer programs adjacent to the lake, leaning into art, history, and California identity.
The Oakland Zoo in Knowland Park hosts one of the most popular summer camp programs in the East Bay. Zoo camps blend wildlife education with hands-on science and run from late June through August. These programs book out fast — typically by March — and serve ages 4–12.
In the hills, Redwood Regional Park and Joaquin Miller Park serve as the backdrop for several outdoor adventure and wilderness skills camps. These programs are popular with Montclair and Piedmont-adjacent families, though Piedmont itself is a separate municipality. Rock climbing instruction through organizations like Touchstone Climbing also runs summer camps accessible from Oakland.
The Temescal neighborhood has become a hub for arts and maker-oriented camps, with several small-batch programs in ceramics, printmaking, and digital media that are hard to find elsewhere in the Bay Area. For STEM-focused families, a number of coding and robotics programs operate in the Uptown and Grand Lake areas.
Oakland Unified School District runs summer learning programs at select sites with subsidized pricing. Oakland Parks and Recreation offers sports and recreation camps at neighborhood parks — a strong entry point for families on a tight budget. Financial aid is more widely available across Oakland's camp ecosystem than in most Bay Area cities, reflecting the community's commitment to accessibility.
Last updated: 2026-05-03
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Collaborative tabletop roleplaying adventures, character creation, improvisation, storytelling, dice mechanics, puzzles, and imaginative world exploration
4920 Telegraph Ave, Suite B, Oakland, CA, 94609
Technical soccer drills, passing and shooting practice, small-sided games, scrimmages, and engaging multi-sport activities
4521 Webster St, Oakland, CA, 94609
Overnight adventure focusing on kayaking, boating, and aquatic skills in the scenic El Cerrito hills.
Camp Herms
A 7-week teen internship for students entering grades 11-12 to develop educational programming and guest interactions within the California Trail section of the Oakland Zoo.
Oakland, CA 94612
Camp Chrysalis, provided by The Oaklandside, offers Bay Area children aged 5-12 a diverse summer experience. Kids can explore a wide range of interests including arts, language, music, outdoor activities, sports, STEM, and theater.
Camp Galileo combines traditional summer camp excitement with a lasting innovative curriculum based in art, STEM & STEAM. For K – 10th graders at locations in the SF Bay Area, Southern California, Chicago, Seattle and Denver.
4215 La Cresta Ave
The Junior Center of Arts and Science provides hands on multi-disciplinary programming to children aged 5-17 years through our after school enrichment and visiting art and science programs. We also offer comprehensive summer camps.
558 Bellevue
An introduction to multi-hull sailing using Hobie 16s on the Estuary, including learning to trapeze.
Jack London Aquatic Center
Chabad Culinary Camp, offered by the Chabad Jewish Center of Oakland, provides a unique summer experience for Bay Area children aged 5-12. Campers will engage in hands-on culinary activities, alongside enriching programs in language and STEM.
Storytelling games, dramatic play, park exploration, puppet theater, gentle animals, rides, arts projects, stop-motion animation
699 Bellevue Avenue, Oakland, CA, 94610
Aspiring young thespians receive over 30 hours of performing arts training with professional artists and educators to bring fairy tales to life on stage.
Oakland, CA 94612
An advanced track for middle school-aged campers to master aerial silks and lyra while exploring classic circus skills like poi and clowning.
3840 MacArthur Blvd
A beginner-friendly circus camp for kids to explore aerial silks, juggling, plate spinning, clowning, and acrobatics while building confidence.
3840 MacArthur Blvd
Perfect for both experienced aerialists and first-time flyers, this camp focuses on aerial silks, lyra, juggling, acrobatics, and character play.
3840 MacArthur Blvd
Theater games, hip hop dance, drumming, storytelling, puppetry, and arts and crafts culminating in Friday performances
3800 Mountain Blvd, Oakland, CA, 94619
A multi-disciplinary arts camp where campers cycle between drama, puppeteering, storytelling, hip-hop dance, and drumming, concluding with a variety talent show every Friday.
3800 Mountain Blvd.
Painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, and mixed-media projects with daily outdoor play
6472 Moraga Ave, Piedmont, CA, 94611
A leadership development program for middle schoolers to build communication and teamwork skills while assisting with younger campers.
3245 Sheffield Ave
Leadership program for youth to assist in activities and games, developing leadership skills while gaining real-world experience as role models for younger campers.
Oakland, CA 94612
A magical dance experience featuring costumed story dances, musical theater scenes, art crafts, and gymnastic room fun for preschoolers.
3840 MacArthur Blvd
Bay Area Role Playing Games hosts D&D games for all ages in the Bay Area, offering camps, private sessions, and birthday parties in a safe and inclusive environment.
4920 Telegraph Ave B
Ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, and Bollywood classes plus drama, arts and crafts, and games
1318 Glenfield Avenue, Oakland, CA, 94602
Nature day camps across East Bay Regional Parks. Wildlife observation, trail exploration, pond study, and environmental science.
Animal care lessons, shelter service tasks, supervised pet meet-and-greets, training exercises, crafts, games, and humane education
8323 Baldwin Street, Oakland, CA, 94621
Weeklong animal day camp at East Bay SPCA in Oakland. Animal interactions, crafts, games, and for older students, basic veterinary skills and training.
Specialized weekly themes for 4-year-olds including magical imagination, engineering with blocks, and hands-on STEM exploration.
3245 Sheffield Ave
Campers learn sailing skills through pedalboats, kayaks, and whaleboats, alongside map making and nature study at Lake Merritt.
568 Bellevue Avenue
Celebrate 75 years of magic at Children's Fairyland in Oakland, California! Join us in celebrating the creation of lasting memories & inspiring imaginations.
Axé Oakland's mission is to heal, nurture, and build community through movement and culture.
3700 East 12th Street
Hitting, pitching, fielding, base running, drills, scrimmages, games, and Baseball Olympics with positive coaching
12000 Campus Drive, Oakland, CA, 94619
Showing 30 of 154 camps
Oakland summer camps range from free (OUSD learning programs, city park programs for qualifying families) to $600/week for specialty arts or science camps. The average private day camp runs $300–$450/week — generally lower than SF or Palo Alto. Many providers offer financial aid; ask directly or look for the badge on KidPlanr.
Oakland's camp scene skews more arts-forward and community-rooted than Silicon Valley cities. You'll find more ceramics, printmaking, theater, and community-focused outdoor programs. The Oakland Zoo camp, Lake Merritt-based nature programs, and Redwood Regional Park wilderness camps are genuinely unique to Oakland.
Yes — Rockridge and Temescal have some of the highest camp density in Oakland. Several arts programs, a strong YMCA presence, and private school summer programs cluster in this corridor. The Rockridge BART station makes drop-off convenient for families commuting from other East Bay cities.
More Oakland camps offer financial aid than in most Bay Area cities. YMCA East Bay, Oakland Museum of California, Oakland Zoo camps, and many independent providers have scholarship programs. Start applications in January — most financial aid decisions are made by March.
Most Oakland camps open registration in January or February. The Oakland Zoo camp and Oakland Museum programs open in late January and fill quickly. City recreation programs often open in March. Check KidPlanr for registration links and camp-specific opening dates.
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