Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Summer Camps
Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation, 620 Laguna Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
About
Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Summer Camps offer over 45 unique summer camp experiences where kids take part in activities such as art, business, engineering, sports, theater, and water safety. Campers can join focused programs like basketball, beach volleyball, ceramics, ice skating, LEGO engineering, nature science, ocean activities, pickleball, skateboarding, soccer, tennis, recreational swimming, and theater with acting, singing, dancing, and set prep. Some camps include themed activities such as Star Wars, Minecraft, Pokemon, and Robotics, as well as singalongs, outdoor games, arts and crafts, field trips, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, boogie boarding, surfing, and snorkeling.
• Ages: 5–17 years old
• Schedule: Camps run in sessions with options ranging from half-day (for example, 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.) to full-day (for example, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.), and Junior Lifeguards offers 2-week or 8-week sessions.
Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Summer Camps include specific skill-based sports camps such as Basketball Camp with adjustable hoops and appropriately sized basketballs, Beach Volleyball Camp with courts grouped by level from beginner to AAA, Soccer Camp with dribbling, passing, shot technique, teamwork, and daily scrimmages, Tennis Camp with structured lessons and on-court games, and Pickleball Camp with shot and volley techniques, proper serving and receiving, and game strategy in a sport described as one of the country’s fastest-growing. Ocean Explorers Camp includes kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, boogie boarding, surfing, and snorkeling and is described as being created with conservation, education, and exploration in mind. Nature Camp is described as a classic sleepaway camp experience without the sleepaway and includes nature science, outdoor games, field trips, singalongs, and a family night with skits and awards.
Bizzy Girls Entrepreneur Camp focuses on entrepreneurship, where campers develop their own product line, learn business concepts, sales, and marketing, create logos and marketing materials, and present their products at a pop-up store. Ceramics Camp includes wheel throwing, hand building, glazing, and exploring different artists and cultures. LEGO Camp has kids use LEGO engineering to solve real-world engineering challenges and explore physics, architecture, and engineering concepts. Ice Skating Camp includes lessons from professional coaches along with ice skating and other camp activities.
Theater Camp includes acting, singing, dancing, prepping the set, and a special performance for friends and family where campers help run the show. Tennis and Swim Camp combines structured tennis time with recreational swimming. Junior Lifeguards focuses on youth ocean safety in Santa Barbara and includes water safety, first aid, surf lifesaving, age-appropriate workouts, and competitions. A Junior Counselors program for ages 13–17 offers work experience while supporting younger campers at Ceramics Camp, Bizzy Girls Entrepreneur Camp, LEGO Camp, Nature Camp, Theater Camp, Junior Lifeguards, and Skate Camp.
Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation states that “Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation is your place for fun!” and offers Spring Break and Summer Camps with scholarships and inclusion services. Along with market rate programs, Parks and Recreation offers free and low cost programs for all ages and youth scholarships for market-rate camps, and it has an Adapted Recreation Program with programs specifically designed for individuals with disabilities and a robust inclusion support program. Parks and Recreation offers over 1,800 acres of parkland, including developed parks, open space, beaches, trails, sports facilities, a beachfront skate park, 60 parks and sport facilities, 16 community buildings, 3 swimming and wading pools, 5 sports fields, a golf club, 24 volleyball courts, 21 tennis and pickleball courts, 2 community gardens, and 2 lawn bowls facilities.
The department’s leadership team includes Parks and Recreation Director Jill Zachary and Assistant Parks and Recreation Director Jazmin LeBlanc, along with managers and supervisors for business, marketing, administration, recreation programs, aquatics, youth and adult sports, parks, urban forestry, capital projects, and planning. Santa Barbara is designated as an official Bee City USA and Pollinator-Friendly City since 2018 and has been an official Tree City USA since 1980, with that designation held for over 40 years. Through an Integrated Pest Management strategy, Santa Barbara has transitioned all of its parks to pesticide-free zones, and the city states that residents and visitors can expect parks and public facilities to be maintained at a high public safety and aesthetic quality while using an IPM approach. Parks and Recreation also coordinates with community partners to offer 35 miles of front country trails in the Santa Ynez Mountains, and every year the City of Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara Beautiful work with local schools to plant trees in observance of Arbor Day.
Last updated March 25, 2026.
• Ages: 5–17 years old
• Schedule: Camps run in sessions with options ranging from half-day (for example, 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.) to full-day (for example, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.), and Junior Lifeguards offers 2-week or 8-week sessions.
Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Summer Camps include specific skill-based sports camps such as Basketball Camp with adjustable hoops and appropriately sized basketballs, Beach Volleyball Camp with courts grouped by level from beginner to AAA, Soccer Camp with dribbling, passing, shot technique, teamwork, and daily scrimmages, Tennis Camp with structured lessons and on-court games, and Pickleball Camp with shot and volley techniques, proper serving and receiving, and game strategy in a sport described as one of the country’s fastest-growing. Ocean Explorers Camp includes kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, boogie boarding, surfing, and snorkeling and is described as being created with conservation, education, and exploration in mind. Nature Camp is described as a classic sleepaway camp experience without the sleepaway and includes nature science, outdoor games, field trips, singalongs, and a family night with skits and awards.
Bizzy Girls Entrepreneur Camp focuses on entrepreneurship, where campers develop their own product line, learn business concepts, sales, and marketing, create logos and marketing materials, and present their products at a pop-up store. Ceramics Camp includes wheel throwing, hand building, glazing, and exploring different artists and cultures. LEGO Camp has kids use LEGO engineering to solve real-world engineering challenges and explore physics, architecture, and engineering concepts. Ice Skating Camp includes lessons from professional coaches along with ice skating and other camp activities.
Theater Camp includes acting, singing, dancing, prepping the set, and a special performance for friends and family where campers help run the show. Tennis and Swim Camp combines structured tennis time with recreational swimming. Junior Lifeguards focuses on youth ocean safety in Santa Barbara and includes water safety, first aid, surf lifesaving, age-appropriate workouts, and competitions. A Junior Counselors program for ages 13–17 offers work experience while supporting younger campers at Ceramics Camp, Bizzy Girls Entrepreneur Camp, LEGO Camp, Nature Camp, Theater Camp, Junior Lifeguards, and Skate Camp.
Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation states that “Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation is your place for fun!” and offers Spring Break and Summer Camps with scholarships and inclusion services. Along with market rate programs, Parks and Recreation offers free and low cost programs for all ages and youth scholarships for market-rate camps, and it has an Adapted Recreation Program with programs specifically designed for individuals with disabilities and a robust inclusion support program. Parks and Recreation offers over 1,800 acres of parkland, including developed parks, open space, beaches, trails, sports facilities, a beachfront skate park, 60 parks and sport facilities, 16 community buildings, 3 swimming and wading pools, 5 sports fields, a golf club, 24 volleyball courts, 21 tennis and pickleball courts, 2 community gardens, and 2 lawn bowls facilities.
The department’s leadership team includes Parks and Recreation Director Jill Zachary and Assistant Parks and Recreation Director Jazmin LeBlanc, along with managers and supervisors for business, marketing, administration, recreation programs, aquatics, youth and adult sports, parks, urban forestry, capital projects, and planning. Santa Barbara is designated as an official Bee City USA and Pollinator-Friendly City since 2018 and has been an official Tree City USA since 1980, with that designation held for over 40 years. Through an Integrated Pest Management strategy, Santa Barbara has transitioned all of its parks to pesticide-free zones, and the city states that residents and visitors can expect parks and public facilities to be maintained at a high public safety and aesthetic quality while using an IPM approach. Parks and Recreation also coordinates with community partners to offer 35 miles of front country trails in the Santa Ynez Mountains, and every year the City of Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara Beautiful work with local schools to plant trees in observance of Arbor Day.
Last updated March 25, 2026.
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