UCSB Summer Day Camp
UCSB Recreation Center, 516 Ocean Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-3025
About
UCSB Summer Day Camp offers activities such as pool time, swimming, a ropes adventure course, arts & crafts, group games, gymnastics, soccer, softball, tennis, ultimate frisbee, nature hikes, movies, field trips, and special events. The camp also features themed weeks that include Camp Olympics, Superheroes, Party in the USA, The Great Outdoors, Carnival week with Rock Wall, Bounce Houses, Carnival games and more, Magical World of Camp with Disney-themed games and crafts, Young Einsteins science-focused week with real-life college lab experiences, Camps Got Talent with a talent show, and a Summer Send Off week with a music festival. Fun Fridays, a Carnival, and a Talent Show are part of the scheduled activities.
• Ages: 5–14 years old
• Schedule: 9 weekly sessions running June 15–August 14, 2026, Monday–Friday, with full-day programming; swim lessons run in separate two-week sessions
• Price: Early registration $315 per week ($215 for the four-day Juneteenth and July 4th weeks), regular registration $345 per week ($276 for the four-day Juneteenth and July 4th weeks), with sibling and Junior Counselor Program pricing as listed
All Summer Day Camp staff and counselors are CPR and First Aid certified. The Junior Counselor Program is a volunteer position that may count toward community service or volunteer requirements, includes a T-shirt with registration, and requires completion of an online Bullying Prevention training before the first day. Junior Counselors work under the direct supervision of UCSB Summer Day Camp counselors and the coordinator, and community service paperwork for this program must be submitted to the Youth Programs Coordinator no later than August 14, 2026.
The UCSB Department of Recreation states that it serves the Gaucho community by cultivating well-being through its programs, services, and facilities. The Recreation Center has received several sustainability-related certifications, including being the first recreation center in the United States to earn a LEED Silver Certification for an Existing Building in 2008 and later achieving LEED Gold Certification in 2013, along with a Gold Certification from the California Central Coast chapter of the Green Building Council. Facility features related to energy and resource use include a photovoltaic array on the Multi-Activity Center roof that supports 80% of that building’s energy, pool pumps that adjust to time of day and pool use, pool covers kept on overnight, washable cloth towels in weight rooms, low-flow urinals and dual-flush toilets, LED lighting with motion sensors at workstations, a turfed Robertson Field with minimal upkeep needs, and thermos-style water containers for employees.
The camp partners with UCSB and community partners and hosts special events at the camp headquarters. Campers in the Gauchos group (ages 11–14) visit the Sci Trek laboratory on campus to participate in nature-based science experiments, work in a real college lab, and take part in the Young Einsteins science-focused week.
Parent testimonials describe appreciation for the full-day schedule, the energy of the counselors, the environment, the variety of activities, and access to UCSB campus resources. Parents also note that their children enjoy the weekly themes, the carnival, swimming and using the high dive, and that the camp hours are described as parent-friendly in these testimonials.
Last updated March 27, 2026.
• Ages: 5–14 years old
• Schedule: 9 weekly sessions running June 15–August 14, 2026, Monday–Friday, with full-day programming; swim lessons run in separate two-week sessions
• Price: Early registration $315 per week ($215 for the four-day Juneteenth and July 4th weeks), regular registration $345 per week ($276 for the four-day Juneteenth and July 4th weeks), with sibling and Junior Counselor Program pricing as listed
All Summer Day Camp staff and counselors are CPR and First Aid certified. The Junior Counselor Program is a volunteer position that may count toward community service or volunteer requirements, includes a T-shirt with registration, and requires completion of an online Bullying Prevention training before the first day. Junior Counselors work under the direct supervision of UCSB Summer Day Camp counselors and the coordinator, and community service paperwork for this program must be submitted to the Youth Programs Coordinator no later than August 14, 2026.
The UCSB Department of Recreation states that it serves the Gaucho community by cultivating well-being through its programs, services, and facilities. The Recreation Center has received several sustainability-related certifications, including being the first recreation center in the United States to earn a LEED Silver Certification for an Existing Building in 2008 and later achieving LEED Gold Certification in 2013, along with a Gold Certification from the California Central Coast chapter of the Green Building Council. Facility features related to energy and resource use include a photovoltaic array on the Multi-Activity Center roof that supports 80% of that building’s energy, pool pumps that adjust to time of day and pool use, pool covers kept on overnight, washable cloth towels in weight rooms, low-flow urinals and dual-flush toilets, LED lighting with motion sensors at workstations, a turfed Robertson Field with minimal upkeep needs, and thermos-style water containers for employees.
The camp partners with UCSB and community partners and hosts special events at the camp headquarters. Campers in the Gauchos group (ages 11–14) visit the Sci Trek laboratory on campus to participate in nature-based science experiments, work in a real college lab, and take part in the Young Einsteins science-focused week.
Parent testimonials describe appreciation for the full-day schedule, the energy of the counselors, the environment, the variety of activities, and access to UCSB campus resources. Parents also note that their children enjoy the weekly themes, the carnival, swimming and using the high dive, and that the camp hours are described as parent-friendly in these testimonials.
Last updated March 27, 2026.
Is this your business? There is no cost, but you will be asked to sign up or log in.