Best Girls Softball League
Mission Viejo Girls Softball (TIE)
The USA-affiliated, non-governmental, nonprofit Junior Olympic fast-pitch softball league wins the top spot again. Practicing at William S. Craycraft Park in Mission Viejo, this program emphasizes good sportsmanship, loyalty, honesty and courage — qualities young girls ages 5 to 15 from cities around south Orange County get to learn as they practice their skills and bond with their teammates.
mvgs.org | Mission Viejo
Best Girls Softball League
Newport Mesa Girls Softball (TIE)
Home of 2024 14U All-Star USA Softball Central C District GOLD Championship Finalist and12U All-Star USA Softball C States 3rd Place Winners, sharpen skills and build confidence on the field with player development clinics led by experienced coaches, players will receive personalized instruction to improve technique and elevate their performance throughout the season. Clinics are designed to help both new and experienced players. Spots are limited.
newportmesasoftball.com | Newport Beach, Costa Mesa
Best Baseball Camp
Angels Baseball Camp
The week-long sessions for boys and girls ages 4-13 feature high caliber staff and are a combination of baseball instruction, competition, and fun. Coaches provide campers with individualized tips and tools for improvement during “Train and Compete” stations individualized instruction, marquee competitions, and special events.
mlb.com/angels/community/camps | Multiple Locations
Best Day Camp for Creative Kids
Merage JCC Orange County Camps
Accredited by American Camp Association and adhering to the highest standards, kids can spend a week doing science experiments, playing gaga and sockeyball, making arts and crafts, and cooking with friends. Each day has a different theme for half the day. Or, older kids can work hands-on with counselors and children on a daily basis, implementing programming and learning skills and techniques in order to be a counselor at the JCC.
jccoc.org | Irvine
Best Nature Camp
Environmental Nature Center Camp
The ENC has offered nature camps since 1977, which provide quality science education in an outdoor, hands-on setting. ENC Nature Camp emphasizes experiential learning. Campers spend most of their time outside observing nature up close using tools like binoculars, magnifying lenses and microscopes. Science concepts are introduced in a fun environment, with crafts, games and hands-on activities.
encenter.org | Newport Beach
Best Neighborhood Day Camp
YMCA
For more than 150 years, the YMCA of Orange County has offered high-quality, diverse, engaging child and youth development programs. Day camps are offered during summer, spring, and winter breaks, and are based around learning skills, developing character, and making friends. Camps provide opportunities for kids to learn both how to be more independent and how to contribute to a group as they engage in physical, social, and educational activities.
ymcaoc.org | Multiple Locations
Best Traditional Day Camp
Camp James
For kids ages 5 to 13, the camp offers 10 weeks of fun and learning-packed summer camp. Packages can be bought by the week. Parents can select their own schedule so campers can attend only on the weeks they desire, creating a flexible schedule for families that need it. Kids are encouraged to attend at least two weeks of the summer to experience all that we has to offer, like kayaking, archery, go karts and rock climbing.
campjames.com | Newport Beach
Best Scout Camp
Girls Scout Camp Scherman
A previous Reader’s Choice winner, Camp Scherman, in the San Jacinto Mountains, has been a special place for Orange County Girl Scouts for more than 50 years. Girls take on new challenges, learn to collaborate with others, become self-reliant, and develop lifelong leadership skills. Whether hiking the Cedar Springs Trail, playing games in the pool, kayaking across Promise Lake, or participating in the Camp’s many traditions, there are plenty of opportunities for girls to connect with nature.
girlscoutsoc.org | Riverside
Best School-Based Day Camp
Fairmont Private School Summer Camps
Fairmont Schools has ranked in each of Parenting OC’s Readers’ Choice Awards in some way for more than a decade. Fairmont’s summer programs keep students curious, challenged and connected, and include a variety of summer camp options. Whether its their English Language and American Culture Camp, their Speech & Debate Camp, their preschool or elementary camp, you’re sure to find a great match for your child.
fairmontschools.com | Multiple Locations
Best Special Needs Camp
The Shea Center for Therapeutic Riding
The Shea Center, established in 1978, provides equine-assisted services, including physical, occupational, and speech therapies, adaptive riding, mental health care, team building, and personal development. The center serves more than 1,400 participants year with the help of 28 horses and hundreds of volunteers. The Shea Center offers specialized programs addressing more than 85 disabilities and provides financial aid to support clients.
sheacenter.org | San Juan Capistrano
Best Camp at Sea
OC Juniorguards (TIE)
The California Junior Lifeguard program focuses on teaching young people how to handle themselves safely in the ocean and help others in an emergency situation. Participants learn about oceanic environment, first aid, CPR, patient assessment and more. Plus, they have fun with a variety of water activities.
jrlifeguards.com/junior-guards/ | Huntington Beach, Newport Beach
Best Camp at Sea
Camp Pinniped at Pacific Marine Mammal Center (TIE)
The camp allows kids to explore the words of marine mammals and marine science through a mission of rescue, research, rehabilitation, and release. You can hear the stories and watch the recovery of many of the center’s patients. Hands-on activities, experiments, crafts and discussions with the camp educators help mentor and inspire campers the whole week.
pacificmmc.org | Laguna Beach
Best Ranch Camp
Magic Steps Studios’ Farm School OC
Readers voted for Farm School OC because the camp brings an unusual mix of nurturing empathy and compassion for animals with an appreciation for farming, sustainability, buying local, eating healthy and making the world a better place for kids 3 1/2 to 7 years old. Programs are based at River Street Ranch.
farmschooloc.com | San Juan Capistrano
Best Science Camp
Bionerds, Inc.
Readers love to keep Bionerds a regular in our camps category. Children from kindergarten through eighth grade get to participate in fun, hands-on biology activities that encourage their curiosity in the subject. Bionerds offers weeklong half-day and full-day camps during winter, spring and summer breaks. They even throw birthday parties.
bionerdsllc.com | Multiple Locations
Best Tech Camp
Rolling Robots
Rolling Robots motivates kids to succeed in the tech world. Students learn the engineering design process which includes code development, computer aided design tools, testing and building techniques. They design and build their own robots to meet the challenge of a specific game. The camp provides an environment where students are free to make their own design choices and test their ideas, where failure is allowed or even expected, as one of the best ways to learn and stretch your abilities.
rollingrobots.com | Irvine
Best Soccer Camp for Kids and Teens
First Touch
The local, community-based soccer camp was created to provide high quality training sessions with enthusiasm, knowledge and fun. The camp works with and has developed thousands of players via a camp, academy or team training sessions. Led by experienced coaches who are enthusiastic and knowledgable and are given the resources and support to be successful.
firsttouchcoaching.com | Long Beach
Best Soccer Camps for Tots
Happy Feet
For kids aged 2-6, the camp uses a non-competitive approach designed to help kids form healthy exercise habits using the game of soccer. Using songs, stories, nursery rhymes and games to introduce the game to kids, curriculum triggers the child’s imagination by taking their soccer ball on adventures. It’s designed to encourage kids to learn dribbling and ball striking skills and leverages creative play and important developmental skills to make fitness and soccer their favorite weekly activity.
happyfeetsocal.com | Irvine
Best Surf Camp
Endless Sun Surf School
For six summers, Endless Sun Surf School has remained our readers’ favorite. Newport Beach’s original surf school has been around since 1963, teaching people of all ages and abilities how to ride the waves. The instructors are CPR-certified professional surfers with a passion for the sport. Surfboards and wetsuits are included in the price. Open year-round, offering summer camps, private lessons, and before and after-school classes.
endlesssunsurf.com | Newport Beach
Best Volleyball Camp
949 Volleyball Camp
949 Athletics has earned eight National Championship Junior Olympic Volleyball Gold medals over the last 10 years. In that time, the camp has developed an approach to teach every athlete the game of volleyball and to train them to reach their potential as an athlete and as a person. The camp creates a respectful environment in which student-athletes receive positive athletic instruction, experience challenging competition, and learn life skills that will help them beyond the volleyball court.
949vb.com | San Juan Capistrano
EDITOR’S CHOICE
Best Day Camp for Creative Kids
Chance Theater
Chance Theater hosts Speak Up, a free summer theater camp for kids in seventh through 12th grade. The six-week program gives them the opportunity to learn about writing, acting, directing, improvisation, performing in front of an audience and more. In the process, they build confidence, teamwork and friendships. The session ends in an original show written and performed by the kids for a live audience. There’s also a separate session for children on the autism spectrum.
chancetheater.com | Anaheim
Best Ranch Camp
Jameson Ranch Camp
The small, tech-free, self-sustaining camp in the Sierra Nevada mountains happens on a working ranch. The program for children ages 6 to 16 offers kids the opportunity to try swimming, rock climbing, archery, horseback riding and more. Campers choose what they want to participate in, and they might even get a chance to milk a cow.
jamesonranchcamp.com | Glennville
Best Language Program
LangoKids — Irvine
LangoKids is getting recognition in our ranking for the sixth year in a row. They offer Spanish classes for children ages 2 to 12 years old in a fun and immersive environment. The children learn to speak, read and write in Spanish as if it was their first language and through the process develop appreciation for it. LangoKids also has summer and winter camps.
langokidsirvine.com | Irvine
Best Swim Class
Australian Swim School
Australian Swim School has been fostering a love for water since 1977. Instructors work with children to build their confidence in aquatic skills and establish foundations for water safety, and they start with students as young as 3 months old. They also have adult classes and an adaptive program for children with special needs.
australianswimschool.com | Placentia, Tustin/Santa Ana, Fullerton
Best Theater Class
Acting Academy for Kids
Acting Academy for Kids offers after-school classes, workshops and camps for children ages 4 to 17. The programs are taught by professional educators and performing artists and are held at a genuine playhouse. The students perform on the theater’s main stage with professional lights, sound, seating and costumes.
actingacademyforkids.com | Mission Viejo
Best Music Lessons
Magic Steps Music
Magic Steps Music nurtures a love of music in infants to preschoolers who participate in the program with their caregivers. The interactive classes feature original songs, and the teachers believe that children learn best when they have fun in a hands-on environment. They also understand that life with little ones can be unpredictable and offer plenty of opportunities to attend the classes.
magicstepsmusic.com | Multiple Locations
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