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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Oakland Summer Tech Camps featuring LEGO robotics, Scratch coding, Roblox and Minecraft. Ages 5-13.
FREE 5-week summer camp blending arts, activism, leadership, and identity exploration. Music production, dance, sports, cooking and more for East Oakland youth.
Galileo Camps' Oakland Summer Camp offers children ages 5-12 a diverse program covering arts, math, outdoor exploration, and STEM. This camp provides engaging activities across various disciplines for a well-rounded summer experience.
Oakland families, ignite your child's imagination with Galileo Camps. Enroll them in our dynamic summer programs for an unforgettable adventure.
Award-winning day camp at Oakland Zoo with zoo tours, animal close-ups, behind-the-scenes experiences with zookeepers, nature play, and educational activities.
One Village Sports Oakland: multi-sport summer camp with soccer, basketball, flag football, volleyball, and field games. Weekly sessions for youth ages 5-14 in East Bay Oakland. Recreational athletics, team building, physical education summer program.
201 Hegenberger Loop
***This program is not affiliate with the Borough of Oakland and/or Oakland Recreation Summer Camp*** Oakland After Camp Registration - Summer 2025 https://www.oaklandaftercamp.org Program Information We are happy to offer for a second year now, Oakland After Camp (OAC), for all of Oakland's summer
Overnight adventure expeditions focusing on hiking, exploration, and wilderness lore.
Camp Herms
Focus on developing real skills in archery during this fully outdoor overnight camp experience.
Camp Herms
A fun, hands-on overnight art camp teaching life skills and leadership for Oakland youth.
365 45th St
Expert-led overnight camp featuring outdoor excursions to nearby field sites for boating and kayaking adventures.
Camp Herms
Discover outdoor adventures and expeditions based out of Camp Herms in the El Cerrito hills.
Camp Herms
Campers stay at Camp Herms and take excursions to nearby field sites for rock climbing adventures with expert guides.
Camp Herms
A real overnight camping adventure at Camp Herms in the scenic El Cerrito hills where campers learn essential wilderness survival skills.
Camp Herms
Hiking, swimming, fishing, ecology activities, field games, art projects, and supervised field trips to parks
6500 Broadway, Oakland, CA, 94618
Led by gifted instructor and stuntman Andrew Neis, this camp challenges students' parkour skills, encouraging cooperation and critical thinking through fun, active movements.
3840 MacArthur Blvd
Project-based day camps with STEM builds, sports, art, creative writing, math, and local field adventures
3245 Sheffield Ave, Oakland, CA, 94602
An intensive summer program designed to sharpen core academic skills in math, reading, and writing through engaging interactive lessons.
3245 Sheffield Ave
Children become the heroes of their own stories through character creation, world-building, and acting out magical tales.
3245 Sheffield Ave
Campers learn foundational ceramics skills including hand-building, shaping, texturing, and glazing using real clay and firing techniques.
3245 Sheffield Ave
Budding chefs learn kitchen techniques, explore diverse cuisines, and discover the science and nutrition of cooking.
3245 Sheffield Ave
Students learn computational thinking and Python programming to create AI projects for social good, from social robots to medical predictions.
3245 Sheffield Ave
A unique blend of STEM and the arts where campers build gadgets and artistic structures to bring their innovative visions to life.
3245 Sheffield Ave
Artistic exploration through line, texture, and pattern using tools for stamping, layering, and repeat design creation.
3245 Sheffield Ave
An action-packed week of epic quests and tabletop role-playing games where campers learn to play and master DnD.
3245 Sheffield Ave
Young trendsetters explore color, patterns, and design basics while sketching and creating unique fashion pieces to take home.
3245 Sheffield Ave
An adventurous week exploring the Bay Area culture and diverse microclimates using public transit and walking.
3245 Sheffield Ave
A traditional day camp featuring weekly themes ranging from visual arts and theater to environmental innovation, physics, and creative invention.
3245 Sheffield Ave
Outdoor overnight camp featuring rock climbing excursions and safety training in a beautiful forest setting.
Camp Herms
Immersive outdoor role-playing games where kids learn skills and teamwork through fantasy-based stories and quests.
Oakland, CA 94612
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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