Camp · Community/Rec Center · Ages 8–13
Directory · United States · California · Santa Barbara
▌ Community/Rec Center · Ages 8–13

Ocean Explorers Camp

Santa Barbara

Ocean Explorers Camp, offered by Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation, provides marine-themed day camp activities for children in Santa Barbara, focusing on oc...

▌ Editor's read The Ocean Explorers Camp is a day camp program offered by the City of Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department, as evidenced by its listing on the santabarbaraca.gov domain (https://sbparksandrec.santabarbaraca.gov/activities/youth/summer-camps). The camp is not accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA), as a search of the ACA directory for 'Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation' or 'Ocean Explorers Camp' yielded no results. The website indicates that all staff and volunteers undergo background checks, stating, 'All staff and volunteers are fingerprinted and background checked' (https://sbparksandrec.santabarbaraca.gov/activities/youth/summer-camps, under 'Safety'). The camp is clearly a day program, with listed hours and no mention of overnight stays. Social media presence is maintained through the main Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation accounts, including Instagram (@santabarbaraparksandrec) and Facebook (SantaBarbaraParksandRec). The camp's ownership type is municipal-parks, as it is run by the city's parks and recreation department. While the specific years of operation for the Ocean Explorers Camp are not explicitly stated, the Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department has a long history of providing community programs.
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Parks-department programPublic, often subsidized
Shortlist in planner → Visit website

Who thrives here Ages 8–13

Ocean Explorers Camp sits in the upper-elementary to middle-school window where specialization starts to mean something. Kids in this band often want to go deeper on one thing rather than rotate through five, and many camps begin offering pre-CIT (counselor-in-training) tracks here. The right community/rec center fit at this age depends on whether the child wants more autonomy or still wants the safety of a structured rhythm.

Facts & Credentials

Program type
Day camp
ACA accredited
Not accredited or not found
Established
Not listed
Operator
Municipal parks department
Staff-to-camper ratio
Not listed

How we verify these →

Details

  • Category: Community/Rec Center
  • Ages: 8–13
  • Hours: 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
  • Address: 620 Laguna St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
  • Phone: (805) 564-5418
  • Cost notes: Contact for pricing 2026 pricing TBD as of 2026-04-16.

Logistics

  • Lunch provided: No
  • Transportation: No
  • Financial aid: No
  • Setting: mixed

Frequently asked about Ocean Explorers Camp

What ages does Ocean Explorers Camp accept?
Ocean Explorers Camp is open to children ages 8–13. Camps publish their own age cutoffs, and some run mixed-age groups internally; check the registration page for that summer's grouping if your child sits at a boundary.
How much does Ocean Explorers Camp cost?
Ocean Explorers Camp doesn't publish a flat per-week rate — pricing varies by session. Contact for pricing 2026 pricing TBD as of 2026-04-16. Contact the camp directly for the current schedule of fees.
What are Ocean Explorers Camp's hours?
Ocean Explorers Camp runs 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM. If those hours don't quite cover your work day, check whether extended care or early drop-off is offered separately.
Who runs Ocean Explorers Camp?
Ocean Explorers Camp is operated by the local parks department. The operator type matters for tuition policy (refunds, financial aid eligibility) and for what kind of staff training pipeline the camp uses.
Does Ocean Explorers Camp provide lunch?
Ocean Explorers Camp does not include lunch — campers bring their own. Most day camps without provided lunch are nut-free or nut-aware, so check the allergy policy before packing. Frozen water bottles double as ice packs and drinks; insulated lunch boxes hold below 40°F for about four hours.
How does Ocean Explorers Camp compare to other community/rec center camps in Santa Barbara?
Ocean Explorers Camp is one of 12 community/rec center camps in Santa Barbara that overlap its age range. The differentiation between options usually comes down to four factors: weekly price, day length, indoor/outdoor balance, and group size. Browse same-city alternatives in the directory to compare side by side.

Planning guides

Editorial checklists to use before you compare Ocean Explorers Camp with other camps.

Camps near here

Same city, with age-overlapping options first. Other camps to consider alongside Ocean Explorers Camp.