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The Turtle Back Zoo holiday lights show in West Orange is one of our top picks for family fun this Christmas. Photo by Kaylynn Ebner
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Bobby Chez offers to-go options for Thanksgiving dinner in Cherry Hill.
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More than 50,000 illuminated tulips will line the fields of Holland Ridge Farms' Winter Wonderland show. Photo courtesy of the farm
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Join a magical trip on the Polar Express powered by the Morristown & Erie Railway. Photo courtesy of the railway
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Get drawn into the art at the Morris Museum next time you're looking for indoor activities for kids in New Jersey. Photo by Kaylynn Chiarello Ebner
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Romp with the triceratops and other dinos at Field Station: Dinosaurs in Leonia. Photo by Janet Bloom
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Summer Camps with Transportation for LA Campers

Photo courtesy of Tocaloma Summer Day Camp
Photo courtesy of Tocaloma Summer Day Camp
3/15/19 - By Roberta B

As wonderful as summer can be, it is also a puzzle that must be solved, year after year. Will they go to camp? Day camp or sleepaway? If it's day camp, who will drive them and pick them up? Is there a camp by your office, and if so does that really sound like a fun place to spend summer vacation?

Wouldn't your kids prefer the beach or the mountains, enjoying fresh air, nature, and wide open space? Many LA camps offer this traditional, outdoor experience plus the bus ride to get there—some even include the ride for free! Check out the 9 camps below that give campers an adventure of swimming, surfing, horseback riding, hiking, and a variety of sports and performing arts—all without Mom or Dad needing to veer off the morning commute.

Tom Sawyer Camp offers door-to-door service for Pasadena area families. Photo by Dominic Verhulst
Tom Sawyer Camp offers door-to-door service for Pasadena area families. Photo by Dominic Verhulst

Camps with Transportation

Tumbleweed Day Camp

Brentwood
Tumbleweed has been providing children with a place to unplug, explore, and play for over 60 years. The day camp offers over 100 activities including archery, swimming, arts & crafts, nature exploration, farm animal centers, and ropes courses on 100 acres of beautiful, unspoiled nature in the Santa Monica Mountains.  READ MORE

Cali Camp

Topanga
Cali Camp offers kids from pre-K through high school a chance to spend the summer engaging in classic outdoor activities, up in the fresh air of artsy, woodsy Topanga. Kids get a taste of horseback riding, gymnastics, target sports, tennis, rock climbing, rope climbing, and more. Kids are grouped together based on age. Transportation is included in tuition, with pick-up locations all over town—and once on the bus kids can participate in a "Bus-Cup Challenge" that runs throughout the week.  READ MORE

Camp Keystone

Agoura Hilla
Set on 30 acres of park-like land in the Santa Monica Mountains, Camp Keystone is non-stop fun that includes a giant waterslide, horseback riding, go-karts, boating, swimming lessons, rock climbing, classic arts & crafts, and every sport a kid could want to play. This place does camp the old-fashioned way. There are 3 camps specially designed according to age. Transportation is available from many locations around the Valley and the Westside for an additional fee. READ MORE

Camp Kinneret Summer Day Camp

Agoura Hills
Located in Agoura Hills on the site of a former sleep-away camp, Kinneret feels pleasantly far from home. Traditional outdoor camp activities include swimming, gardening, horsemanship, crafts, hiking, archery, ropes, paddle boats, and miniature golf—there's even a petting zoo. Campers can attend their age-specific program, two, three, or five days per week, in four or five-week sessions. Transportation is included.  READ MORE

Aloha Beach Camp

Malibu
Aloha Beach Camp offers kids a chance to surf, boogie board, and swim in the ocean, along with some tubing, jet skiing, wakeboarding, beach ecology, and other seaside activities. Kids are grouped in one of three age-appropriate aquatic programs and then can choose from over 200 beach and ocean activities. Free transportation is available from just about any neighborhood in the LA area, so you don't need to worry about how they'll get there, and parents can book camp one day at a time, instead of needing to commit to full weeks.  READ MORE

Malibu Makos Surf Club

Malibu
Malibu Makos Surf Camp is geared towards surfers of all abilities, ages 5 to 17. Kids also learn the safety, ocean education, and fitness components of a junior lifeguard program. Transportation is available from several locations. Private and small group lessons are also available. READ MORE

Fitness by the Sea Beach Camp

Santa Monica & Pacific Palisades
A beach camp in Santa Monica and Pacific Palisades, Fitness by the Sea offers a variety of activities on a daily basis, including team sports, water activities, creative activities, and theme days. Camp can be booked by the day, and bus stops are located in several communities. READ MORE

Camp Tocaloma

Mulholland
Founded in 1945, Tocaloma's location in the hills above Brentwood houses a day camp with values of fair play, adventure, and mutual respect and friendship. Campers ages 4-14 enjoy swimming, sports, theater, hiking, and more. Transportation is available from several LA neighborhoods. READ MORE

Tom Sawyer Camps

Pasadena
Tom Sawyer Camp strives to live up to its namesake by offering classic outdoor adventures. Activities include fort building, hiking, making dams, frog catching, horseback riding, archery, obstacle courses, and swimming.  Camps can be reserved with 1 and 2-week sessions, five days a week and transportation is included in the fee. Tom Sawyer Camp is a great first summer camp experience for kids. Pre-Campers must be potty trained and 3 years old. READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

About the Author

Roberta Brown
Roberta to launched Mommy Poppins' Los Angeles in 2011. Previously she served as LA Editor for GoCityKids, National Editor for ParentsConnect, and Editor for NickMom—all of which worked out well for her son, who grew up serving as Chief Guinea Pig for all things fun in LA and beyond.
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