Welcome to the award-winning South Bay Eco Kids Nature Camp, where kids get to spend the day playing in, learning about and
connecting with nature.
What is South Bay Eco Kids Camp?
Why is South Bay Eco Kids Camp good for kids?
Who is South Bay Eco Kids Camp for?
Where will South Bay Eco Kids Camp take place?
When will South Bay Eco Kids Camp take place?
How much does South Bay Eco Kids Camp cost?
What to bring to South Bay Eco Kids Camp?
What?
South Bay Eco Kids is a program of TeachingGreen, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people love and protect our natural world. At Eco Kids Camp, we get children back into nature where they can thrive. No computers, no smart phones, no man-made playground equipment. Just trees and ponds, insects and wildlife, waiting to be discovered and explored.
With three central camp themes…
- Ecosystems Services: What are some of the many ways that we depend on nature each and every day?
- Human Impacts: How is human activity damaging nature and the ecosystem services we depend on?
- Eco-Conscious Kid: What can we do to minimize these impacts and protect nature each and every day?
…campers learn about our natural world and how and why we should protect it.
Upon arriving at camp each day, your camper will be given his or her own Eco Kid explorer vest. With lots of pockets for holding maps, rocks, leaves and other natural treasures, these vests help to instill a sense of adventure and encourage a feeling of community among our campers.
In addition to exploratory free play, campers enjoy activities such as:
- scavenger hunts
- journaling
- trash-to-treasure crafts
- nature- and environmentally- themed games
- hands-on science activities
- live wildlife show
- and lots more!
We use every possible teachable moment to convey the importance of nature and how and why we should take care of it.
Nature Helping Kids…
If you’ve ever taken your child camping, you know just how much kids love to play outside. No need for slides or swings, computers or video games. When it comes to spurring creativity, calming the senses and just plain fun, it’s really hard to beat nature. Kids will play outside with sticks and stones – and anything else they can find – for hours on end, lost in the wonder of it all.
But sadly, for too many urban kids today, opportunities to play in a truly natural setting are few and far between. South Bay Eco Kids aims to help fill that gap and reestablish a connection with nature that children today so badly need. Increasingly, research is showing that many of the problems afflicting today’s youth, such as depression, obesity, reduced attention span and difficulty focusing are all due in part to a lack of exposure to nature.
Kids Helping Nature…
Living in an urban environment, 
it’s easy to forget that we humans are part of nature. It often feels like nature is something separate from us. But it’s simply not so! From the air that we breathe, to the water that we drink and the food that we eat, we depend on nature to provide us with everything we need to thrive and be healthy. When nature is healthy, so are we.
But increasingly, nature is suffering, which is why now more than ever, we need to motivate and empower our children to protect and take care of the natural world. At South Bay Eco Kids, we nurture children’s innate fascination with nature, so that they will grow to love and appreciate it. In this way, we can help them to become the stewards we will need to protect it.
Why?
With American kids now spending more than 90 percent of their time indoors, many are likely suffering – both mentally and physically – from a lack of exposure to nature. Indeed, evidence is mounting that many urban children are suffering from “nature deficit disorder,” a term coined by Richard Louv in his 2005 book “Last Child in the Woods.” A report released in March 2017, which pulls from more than 200 academic studies, finds that access to nature improves both physical and mental health, and that the more time spent in a natural environment, the better we fare overall.
At the same time, we find ourselves in the midst of Earth’s 6th mass extinction – the first since the dinosaurs went extinct 65 million years ago – this time due entirely to human activity. South Bay Eco Kids aims to address both of these problems, by reconnecting children with nature so that they will one day grow up to protect it.
Who?
South Bay Eco Kids camp is designed for children ages 7 – 10 years old (currently enrolled in 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th grade). And because we strive to maintain a 7:1 camper to counselor ratio, you can be sure that your child will receive the quality attention that he or she needs and deserves.
Where?
Wilderness Park, 1102 Camino Real, Redondo Beach, CA 90277
At 11 acres, Wilderness Park is a very rare slice of wilderness right here in Redondo Beach, CA. Where most parks have playground equipment, Wilderness Park has trees, boulders and a pond and creek, and is home to turtles, fish, ducks and all kinds of other wildlife.
When?
- Weeks of June 17 – 21, July 15 – 19, July 29 – August 2, August 12 – 16
- 10am – 4pm, Monday – Friday
How Much?
- $395 per week
- + 2.3% charge for credit card payments
- Sibling Discount: 10% off for each additional sibling you enroll
Refund Policy
- NO REFUNDS for any cancellations received less than two weeks prior to the start of your chosen camp week
- For all other cancellations received after May 15, a 15% administrative fee will apply.
- Cancellations received before May 15 will receive a full refund.
What to Bring?
In order to ensure that everyone has the best possible experience at Eco Kids Camp, please be sure to send your child(ren) with the following items:
- A nutritious, filling lunch. Please pack a waste-free lunch if possible, for example, Tupperware and a reusable water bottle instead of baggies and a disposable plastic water bottle. Also, please limit sugary foods.
- A snack, also waste-free if possible.
- Water!! (preferably in a reusable water bottle if possible)
- Comfortable shoes and socks (no open-toe shoes please!)
- Waterproof sunscreen. Please apply sunscreen before bringing your child to camp. We will remind children to apply additional sunscreen throughout the day.
- A backpack for carrying your child’s lunch, snack, water, sunscreen and any extra clothing he or she may need, including socks.
- Personal hand sanitizer (optional, as we will have hand sanitizer at camp).
Please be sure to write your child’s name on all items brought to camp, especially water bottles, lunch boxes, and hats.
Please Do NOT Bring:
- Personal items of value that may be lost, stolen, or broken. Such items will be held by the camp counselors and returned to parents upon pickup.
- Toys or games, including electronic devices, of course!
- Any items that may cause injury or harm to your child or others.