Summer Activities for Kids and Teens

Summer is right around the corner. Along with the long, luxurious days of carefree play for the kids, comes the inevitable summer slide, or summer learning loss. Want to help your kid stay on top of their game? Luckily, there are many options to get their minds working in fun and playful ways.

BrickSpace

This STEAM education-focused business offers camps and classes for preschool and elementary school aged kids throughout the summer. Kids learn through play, using Lego bricks and other tactile tools to enhance their creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication skills, and more. BrickSpace’s summer offerings include camps for Preschool-1st grade as well as for ages 6+. Within the 6+ grouping, there are more and less advanced options which are broken down by suggested age range. Camp topics include, Fiber and Mixed Media Arts, Mindstorms Robotics, Lego Sonic the Hedgehog STEAM Inspired Adventures, and more. The camps run for a 5-day week, for 3 hours each day, from mid-June to mid-August. For more information and to sign up, visit brickspacebenicia.net.

Learning Circles

This after-school tutoring business focuses on academic rigor with emotional well-being. Students have the opportunity to work one-on-one with a tutor or in a small group setting. Summer courses with Learning Circles include the following:

  • Morning STEAM camps for elementary ages with artist studies and projects, robotics, fossil excavation, and more. These camps emphasize collaborative learning, building confidence and social skills, and integration of multiple subjects. Instructor to student ratio 1:5.
  • Early afternoon small group series for elementary-middle school ages with an emphasis on honing one area of learning such as math or creative writing. Instructor to student ratio 1:4.
  • Afternoon and evening 1:1 private tutoring. Subjects offered include all math up to calculus, reading intervention, language arts, Spanish, French, biology, chemistry, and physics.

 More information can be found at learningcircleseducation.com.

Summer Cool Camp

This organization is another after-school tutoring service that offers a summer camp. Originally located in Benicia, off of Lake Herman Road, the camp is moving to Cordelia. A bus service will pick kids up at the old location to take them to the new location to make it easier on parents. Summer Cool Camp is structured like a school day and runs from the first week of June through August. The first part of camp focuses on reviewing what kids learned last school year and the second part dives into what they will be learning next school year. Fridays are always “fun Fridays,” focused more on play than academics. More information and new location can be found at summercoolcamp.com.

Benicia Library

Benicia Public Library offers many great programs for kids, tweens, and teens. Kids will be able to choose from six activity packets that foster summer learning, and each packet includes a booklist, several activities and some small prizes. The themes are Art, Movement, Origami & More, Outdoors, Science and Toddler. Programs will include fun acts like magician Mike Della Penna and Rock Steady Juggling – a juggling show that also teaches about water use. All programs and events at the library are free. More information can be found at benicialibrary.org.

Benicia Historical Museum

Kids can join Callie’s Kids’ Camps this summer, choosing between History Detectives, Archy Adventures (archaeology), Zany Brainy Science, and Innovation Station (STEM) camps. Each camp has either a 5- or 3-day option and one camp theme occurs each week mid-June through July. Camps are geared for kids age 7-12 and run from 9am-12:30pm. There is a 15% discount for Museum Members. More information can be found at beniciahistoricalmuseum.org/callies-kids-camps-summer-2023.

City of Benicia

The City of Benicia rec department offers Adventures Day Camp each summer. It takes place at the Benicia Community Center and utilizes surrounding facilities within walking distance, like James Lemos Pool, City Park, etc. The camp keeps kids active, socialized, engaged, and learning through a combination of craft activities, mystery solving, sports, and free play. The camp runs from 7am to 6:30pm. Camp registration is based on grade level. More information can be found at ci.benicia.ca.us/adc.

Summer is also a great time for your kids to discover new extracurricular activities. Check out the City of Benicia’s rec department for their list of summer classes, including youth oriented dance classes, sports, and theater. Teens can also spend time this summer getting babysitter, lifeguard, and CPR certified through City programs. More information can be found at ci.benicia.ca.us/pcs.