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LA County Is Offering Drop-In Day Camps For Kids 7-17, Free Of Charge

An overhead shot of a pool with blue and yellow dividers separating swimming lanes. Several children are seen swimming in the foreground and background.
Kids cool off at the Glassell Park Pool.
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School’s out for the summer, which means that working parents — and parents who just need a breather — are looking for camps to help their kids fill those long summer days.

L.A. County will be offering drop-in day camps at 56 parks this summer, free of charge.

  • June 12 through August 4, 2023
  • Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
  • Ages 7-17
  • Camps will include a rotation of arts and crafts, theater, fitness and field trips
  • A free lunch and snack will be provided

Sam Estrada, an assistant director with the L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation, says the drop-in model is a pivot from previous years, when the county had traditional camps requiring pre-registration each week.

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But as of Jan. 1, 2023, a new ordinance requires that day camps obtain permits from the L.A. County Department of Public Health — a change catalyzed by a child’s death at a Pasadena summer camp not affiliated with the county. Estrada says the county aims to return to the traditional model by summer 2024.

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