Summer Camps for “Indoorsy” Kids

With summer camp advertisements filling your inbox, you’ll likely notice that many focus on a traditional camp experience with mornings of crafts and camp songs, and afternoons of water balloon flights and capture the flag. While that might sound fun for some kids, what if your kid is more of the “indoorsy” type, preferring to cook, create art or learn coding this summer? 

The good news: There are plenty of camps in the Bay Area that are perfect for kids like this. 

When my kids were in the thick of their summer camp years, we liked to break up the summer weeks with some “downtime” camps that were less about running around in the sun and more about relaxing and learning something new. LEGO camps and art camps were perfect for this; my kids learned to solve problems, take turns and think creatively. 

You can find a camp for just about every interest. This list of summer camps throughout the Bay Area includes camps focusing on everything from puppet-making and junk journaling to AR game design and filmmaking. You can even find a few active indoor options, like my youngest son’s favorite: parkour camp. 

Here are some “indoorsy” summer camp 2025 options: 

San Francisco/Marin

Culinary Artistas – Kids Cooking Camps

Kids ages 4-10 can learn l about global cuisines, explore new flavors and discover where food traditions come from at this long-running camp in Ghirardelli Square (also available in Albany and Piedmont). Kids learn kitchen skills that they can use back at home. Parents are welcome to come early on the last day to taste a snack made by the campers.

culinaryartistas.com/kids

Camp Integem – AI + AR Camps

With programs all over the Bay Area, Camp Integem allows kids to design and fly AI drones, use holographic AR techniques in game design and practice their AR digital art skills. These camps are open to kids up to age 18, so those hard-to-please teens and tweens will be covered this summer. 

camp.integem.com

Celsius and Beyond – Science Camps

With a multitude of themes, such as sewing, metalsmithing, astrophysics, and LEGO engineering, these summer camps deliver the fun. Designed for kids in grades 1-9, they encourage campers to develop hands-on skills like woodworking while exposing them to saws and drills in a safe manner. 

celsiusandbeyond.com/camp-categories/summer-camp

East Bay

Bliss Belly Kitchen – Yoga of Cooking

A camp that combines yoga and cooking sounds amazing. Kids ages 5-12 start their morning with yoga and mindfulness activities, followed by knife and cooking skills that result in a meal the group enjoys for lunch each day. 

blissbellykitchen.com/camp

MOCHA Art Camps

Based in Oakland, these camps are great for your budding artist this summer. Kids aged 5-12 can take an Artful Upcycling class to learn how to turn trash into art or explore the world of fashion and design to create wearable art pieces. Comics, architecture and puppets are other options. 

mocha.org/artcamps

Mr. D’s Music Club

These fun camps for kids aged 8-13 focus on performing arts, such as singing, dancing and music. The week’s activities lead up to Friday when there’s a performance, pizza party and art show. Even if backstage is more your jam, there are opportunities for everyone to join in the fun.

mrdsmusicclub.com/camps

Peninsula

Art Attack – Art Camps

This oil painting studio, run by a mother-daughter team, welcomes young artists to build their skills at summer camps. Fun themes include things like Pass the Dessert, where campers enjoy a “sugar crawl,” visiting a number of Burlingame sweet shops to gather inspiration. It all culminates in the week’s creation: an oil painting of the camper’s favorite sweet treat. 

artattack911.com/summer-camp-descriptions

BrainVyne – LEGO Engineering, Robotic, and Money Camps

Starting at age 4 with LEGO DUPLO kits and going up to age 12 with LEGO Technic and Robotics, these camps for budding engineers get them thinking, problem-solving and learning.=. BrainVyne offers a STEM camp just for girls, as well as a Money 101 camp where kids aged 10-15 learn financial fundamentals, such as budgeting and saving. 

brainvyne.com/lego-summer-camps

Midpen Media Center – Filmmaking, Acting and Digital Animation Camps

Whether your camper dreams of life on the stage or behind the camera, Midpen Media Center has a camp for them. Learn about film production, from actor to writer to camera operator, and explore how they work together to make a performance. The week culminates in a screening of all camper-produced movies for family and friends. 

midpenmedia.org/youth

Silicon Valley

The Coder School – Roblox, Minecraft, Coding and Game Development Camps

Got a kid who wants to spend the summer coding or building their own video games? These tech-based summer camps for ages 8 and up, where campers develop critical thinking skills and learn the fundamentals of coding. 

thecoderschool.com/camps

San Jose Museum of Art – Art Camps

Kids explore different media in these art camps, combining art-making with science lessons. The week ends with an exhibition where campers show off their creations. SJMA also offers six weeks of teen camps with themes like Resourceful Junk Journaling, Creative Crochet and Mosaic Tiling. 

sjmusart.org/kids-summer-art-camp

Sessions Academy of Movement – Parkour Camps

If your little one aspires to be an American Ninja Warrior one of these days, this camp is for them. Kids ages 6 and up learn balance and jumping skills while making new friends. You don’t have to worry about your camper getting bored at this active camp, where they try out the trampoline and stunt bag. 

sessionsgym.com/classes/parkour-summer-camp