Connecting Children to Nature

Inside the Outdoors Summer Day Camps nurture a natural curiosity — and kindness. From late June through early August, Inside the Outdoors (ITO) offers a series of week-long day camps for kids, led by the program’s field naturalists.

ITO’s Summer Day Camps run Monday through Friday and feature lessons, activities and games related to the theme of the week. Three sites located in Southern California include Inside the Outdoors’ Rancho Soñado headquarters in Silverado Canyon, the Shipley Nature Center at Huntington Beach Central Park and Irvine Regional Park in Orange.

Funding for Aspiring Anglers Scholarships, in honor of Allen Chariton, provide sponsorships for youth in underserved communities. For many of the youth served it is the first time they have been able to go to summer camp and an experience they will never forget.

Campers experience unique activities that incorporate science, fun, learning and leadership while tying lessons on nature, wildlife and the environment to kindness as part of  Orange County Department of Education's One Billion Acts of Kindness campaign.  #kindnessonebillion

Activities included fresh water pond experiments, wetland field studies, and native plant growth during a year with significant rainfall. Summer Campers learn how animals adapt to changing ecosystems as they became young scientists and performed field studies at Rancho Soñado, Shipley Nature Center, and Irvine Regional Park.

New Summer Camp themes are created each year. The 2019 ITO Summer Camps included:

Biggest, Brightest, Best Week Ever  

Celebrate all the "-est" of our natural world. Summer Campers learn about the fastest, tallest, slimiest, and most unique parts of our natural world through games, activities, and crafts.

Outdoor Superstars  

All about skills that will make your time in the outdoors the best it can be. Learn navigation and survival skills, make tools to help you learn and enjoy the outdoors. Summer Campers learn to Leave No Trace but only footprints and take nothing by memories.

Get Your Scientist On!          

Explore what it's like to be a scientist in different fields like Biologist, Engineer, and Meteorologist with games, crafts, experiments, and outdoor fun. Summer Campers conduct hands-on experiments, collect data, and make observations as they become Junior Scientists.

Water Week  

Dive into the world of water with games, science, and exploration of the wet stuff we can't live without. Summer Campers stay cool in the hot summer days while exploring the "What About Water" all around us.

Scales, Feathers, and Fur      

All about animals. Meet animals, observe them, and celebrate all their adaptations and habitats. Campers hike the local trails, explore the OC Zoo, meet some local species up close and personal, and take an OC Safari train ride.