Brent Ayers

YMCA Raintree: 40 horses on site

You love your children. You want them to grow up into happy, healthy adults. But you want them to savor their precious childhood. You want to give them opportunities to develop skills and interests. But you want them to learn self-reliance and discover their own path. You want them to rejoice in the freedom of summer vacation, to say with Calvin and Hobbes that “the days are just packed,” even — perhaps especially — when nothing much is going on.

If they have a little fun and learn something while they’re away, so much the better.

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But you want them to go somewhere else for a little while each day, or maybe for a week or two, if only to better appreciate the hours they spend at home. If they have a little fun and learn something while they’re away, so much the better. And at least some part of you wants them to spend just a little less time curating their lives online and a little more time doing stuff with people IRL. This is the promise and the glory of summer camp, and this list provides a healthy selection of San Diego’s remarkable range of options.

Camp Kesem: Expect lots of singing and dancing.

Outdoors and activities

YMCA, Outpost, Camp Kroc, Camp Stevens, Camp Kesem

Padres Baseball Camp. Bring a glove, lunch, and water bottle.

Sports

Baseball, basketball, golf, fencing, surfing

Arts and performance

Rock music, theater, studio art, ballet, cooking

Educational

Debate, French, coding, leadership, science, and the marine word

Special needs

For epilepsy, ADHD, Aspergers, and more

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