Summer Science Camps
YSI Summer Science Camp in Los Gatos was voted the best summer camp in Silicon Valley. Our Summer Science Camp promotes science and playful experiences that foster the development of important social skills for children.
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Voted Best Summer Camp in Silicon Valley
An Unforgettable Experience With Nature
Friendly Hiking With Each Summer Camp
Science Education With Every Summer Camp
Located in Beautiful Vasona Lake County Park
Summer Science Camp Experts Since 1953
Summer Camps run from June 1st to August 14th
Early Registration & Multi Session Discounts
We make science camps fun! YSI summer camp culture is infused with games that foster social skills and playful science camp activities that bring YSI summer camp spirit to life! All of our Summer Science Camps incorporate hiking, games, and arts & crafts, and feature special programs with our live animal ambassadors.
Most importantly, our exceptional summer camp staff makes our summer camps special. We carefully screen and interview to get high quality summer camp staff. Our team includes passionate college students, classroom teachers, and full-time YSI educators. Our summer camp staff receives training to ensure child safety, content knowledge, and customer service. Our summer camp staff strives to provide personal instruction to campers and most of our science camps provide a staff to camper ratio of 1:7. All YSI summer camp staff carry dedicated cell phones during each camp day for prompt communication, if needed.
Most importantly, our exceptional summer camp staff makes our summer camps special. We carefully screen and interview to get high quality summer camp staff. Our team includes passionate college students, classroom teachers, and full-time YSI educators. Our summer camp staff receives training to ensure child safety, content knowledge, and customer service. Our summer camp staff strives to provide personal instruction to campers and most of our science camps provide a staff to camper ratio of 1:7. All YSI summer camp staff carry dedicated cell phones during each camp day for prompt communication, if needed.
Select Your Child's Grade Level for the 2020-2021 School Year
(Science camp weeks sold separately)
(Science camp weeks sold separately)
Investigators Camp: $199
Take a deeper look at some of the invisible forces that act on the world around you with hands-on science! Join fellow campers as we investigate sound, the power of magnetic fields, and buoyancy through scientific experimentation. Meet an isopod and learn the important role they play in keeping the environment in balance.
Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
June 8-12June 22-26July 20-24August 3-7Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
Discovery Camp: $199
Come join the fun and discover the facts behind many natural wonders using hands-on science. How do birds fly? Why do animals move the way they do? Are there different ways to make bubbles? Discover the science behind these questions and more through your journey with YSI Discovery Camp.
Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
June 1-5June 22-26July 13-17July 27-31Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
Curiosity Camp: $199
Let your curiosity run wild with hands-on science activities, crafts, and guided exploration. Learn about flowers and leaves then take a close look at worms and insects! Explore and understand what we have in common with other animals. Actively experiment with solids and liquids to learn more about the states of matter. Explore your senses and then answer the question - can the color we see affect how we taste?
Note: June 29- July 2 session is priced at $159.
Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
June 15-19June 29- July 2July 13-17July 27- 31Note: June 29- July 2 session is priced at $159.
Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
Explorers Camp: $199
Delve into the world of energy by experimenting with sound and motion. Make musical instruments and do hands-on experiments demonstrating how sound travels. Meet a toad and analyze the difference between living and non-living things. It’s time to examine, experiment, and explore!
Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
June 8-12July 6-10July 20-24August 10-14Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
Questers Camp: $199
Begin to develop skills used by scientists. Learn different ways to categorize what is around us, and then sort items we find into categories. Learn about different mixtures - can colors be mixed? How about oil and water? Learn about different types of rocks and how to sort them into different categories (now that you’re an expert at sorting!). What is wind, what’s in the wind? And how do plants use the wind to their advantage? Learn about evaporation, make a cloud and more!
Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
June 15-19July 6-10August 3-7Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
Feathers, Fur, and Scales: $299
Dive into zoology with YSI! We will actively investigate different kinds of animals from head to toe, and from the inside out. Examine bones, fur, feathers, claws, teeth, scales, and skeletons to learn more about animal adaptations. Together we will meet YSI’s live animals and get an up-close look at how these animals are built for survival.
Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
June 15-19June 22-26July 6-10July 20-24August 3-7Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
Radical Reptiles: $299
During the week, campers will have the chance to meet and touch YSI’s wide variety of live reptiles. Take an up-close look at reptilian anatomy as we learn the proper techniques scientists use to examine skeletons, skins, shells, and fossils. Discover the fascinating adaptations that snakes, lizards, turtles, and tortoises use for survival and gain insight into how these creatures live.
Note: June 29 - July 2 session is priced at $249.
Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
June 8-12June 22-26June 29 - July 2July 13-17July 27-31Note: June 29 - July 2 session is priced at $249.
Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
Nature Sleuths: $299
Learn to use your senses and the tools of a scientist to look more deeply into the mystery of the world around us. YSI’s favorite camp mascot, Peppermint Bob, will help us understand scents and the sense of smell, while more activities explore other senses. Experience the scientific method with a simple chemical experiment. Learn to take fingerprints and follow a footprint trail. Decode a message and later transform yourself into a world-class detective! Finally, campers will combine their knowledge and apply these tools and insights to solve a natural mystery.
Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
June 8-12June 22-26July 13-17August 3-7Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
Curious Chemists: $299
Microscopes, lab coats, and test tubes, oh my! Prepare yourself for a week of experimentation and creation. Learn about molecules and bonds as you make slime and perhaps see the famous Elephant Toothpaste experiment. Learn about chemical reactions and changes of state. Make your own chemical reaction and create rocket power! Find out what molecules have to do with bubbles and scent. Let your curiosity run wild!
Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
June 15-19July 6-10July 20-24August 3-7Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
Water World: $299
Conduct hands-on investigation of the properties of water by dropping, spraying, heating, freezing, and mixing it. Explore the local watershed and meet live aquatic animals. Campers will develop a better understanding of water as both a liquid and as an ecosystem.
Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
June 8-12June 15-19July 13-17July 27-31Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
Bike Hike: $319
Biology and ecology are as easy as riding a bike! Practice and improve your riding skills, learn trail etiquette and bicycle safety. Delve into the mechanics of various bike parts with hands-on experiments. As we ride through Vasona Park and along Los Gatos Creek, we’ll discuss facts and concepts about the environment we’re in and the creatures that live there. Participants must bring their own helmet and two-wheel bicycle (no training wheels) and be comfortable riding. YSI cannot provide overnight bike storage.
Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
June 8-12June 22-26July 6-10July 20-24July 27-31August 3-7Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
Wildlife Wonders: $299
Actively investigate animal bodies and behaviors with art, experiments, and games. Meet live animals, handle specimens, and learn to identify adaptations that help species survive. It’s going to be a wildly wonderful week of wildlife!
Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
June 22-26July 13-17July 20-24August 3-7Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
Fishy Fun: $319
Explore our watershed and examine how its health affects the fish that live there. Learn special traits that our aquatic friends possess to survive and thrive in the water. Learn how to fish, fishing safety and etiquette, and then go fishing! YSI provides fishing poles and bait, so grab your hat and sunglasses and get ready to go fishing!
Note: June 29 – July 2 session is priced at $255.
Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
June 15-19June 29 – July 2July 6-10July13-17July 27-31Note: June 29 – July 2 session is priced at $255.
Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
Phunky Physics: $299
Unlock the secrets to the physical realm with physics! Discover the principles of physics while making music, creating and flying airplanes and rockets, and conducting experiments with magnetism, electricity, light, and more.
Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
July 15-19July 20-24Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
Mystery Solving Science: $299
Examine evidence under a microscope. Use chemistry to identify mysterious substances. Learn techniques anthropologists use to uncover bones and find clues.Discover hidden messages and decipher secret codes. Then, use your newly developed skills to solve a mystery!
Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
June 8-12July 6-10July 27-31Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
Bike Explorers: $319
Explore our park and beyond on two wheels! Practice and improve your bike skills, learn how to keep your bike in good working order and do some basic repairs while learning some biking physics. Do an egg drop experiment to see how helmets protect us and make gyroscopes. Stop along the Los Gatos Creek Trail and discover the many habitats there. Participants must bring their own helmet and two-wheel bicycle with gears, and be comfortable riding up and down hills. YSI cannot provide overnight bike storage.
Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
June 15-19July 13-17July 27-31Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
Nature Magnified : $299
Immerse yourself in all sizes of science from the microscopic level to outer space. Learn about animals that inspire innovation and their biology. Explore the rapidly growing world of nano-technology. Conduct experiments in nature, use powerful microscopes to observe water samples, and investigate the worlds of big and small.
Note: June 29 - July 2 session is priced at $249.
Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
June 29 - July 3August 3-7Note: June 29 - July 2 session is priced at $249.
Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
Something's Fishy: $319
Explore the aquatic environment and search the creek for critters. Dissect a fish and learn more about their unique adaptations that allow them to survive in water. Cast a line and go fishing in Vasona Lake! YSI provides the fishing poles and bait, so grab your hat and sunglasses and get ready to go fishing!”
Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
June 8-12June 22-26July 20-24Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
Innovative Engineering: $299
Make it, shake it, maybe even break it! Build and test your own inventions, including small-scale bridges, towers, and simple machines. Investigate forces, motion, mechanics, and power while making chemical-powered cars, high-flying gliders, and other great gadgets.
Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
July 6-10Location: Vasona Lake County Park (333 Blossom Hill Rd., Los Gatos, California 95032)
Click available dates below to register online now!
You will be redirected to complete your payment and registration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there multi-session discounts?
10% OFF 3rd week plus all additional weeks. For Example: If you are registering your child for 4 (non-sequential) weeks, then the first 2 weeks will be full-priced science camps, and the following 2 weeks will be 10% off!
Are there multi-person discounts?
5% OFF all camp weeks for the 2nd child registered plus all additional children registered. For Example: If you are registering 4 children, the 1st child registered will have a full-priced science camp, & the following 3 registered will each have 5% off their science camps!
Is Financial Assistance offered?
Yes, there is. Click here to find the appropriate paperwork to submit.
Are there any YSI Summer Science Camp extensions available?
There are early-drop-off and extended-camp options to meet your scheduling needs! All of our summer camps for 1st grade and older have the option to add an Extended Day Camp that runs from 1:00pm - 5:30pm. The cost of this extended day is $139 per week.
For preschool and kindergarten aged science camps we offer an Extended Morning Camp that runs from 11:30am -1:00pm at $65 per week.
All camps also offer an Early Morning Drop-Off extension from 8:00am - 9:00am at $39 per week.
What ages can attend YSI Summer Science Camp?
YSI's Summer Science Camps are weekly, half-day camps that run from 9:00am-11:30am for our preschool and kindergarten camps, and from 9:00am-1:00pm for our campers entering 1st-6th grades. All preschool campers must have a birth date before January 1, 2020 and be able to use the restroom independently.
Where and when is YSI Summer Science Camp?
All YSI Summer Science Camps are located in beautiful Vasona Lake County Park with new sessions starting weekly from June 1st through August 14th.
Do you have an immunization policy?
Yes, we do. Click here to read our immunization policy.
10% OFF 3rd week plus all additional weeks. For Example: If you are registering your child for 4 (non-sequential) weeks, then the first 2 weeks will be full-priced science camps, and the following 2 weeks will be 10% off!
Are there multi-person discounts?
5% OFF all camp weeks for the 2nd child registered plus all additional children registered. For Example: If you are registering 4 children, the 1st child registered will have a full-priced science camp, & the following 3 registered will each have 5% off their science camps!
Is Financial Assistance offered?
Yes, there is. Click here to find the appropriate paperwork to submit.
Are there any YSI Summer Science Camp extensions available?
There are early-drop-off and extended-camp options to meet your scheduling needs! All of our summer camps for 1st grade and older have the option to add an Extended Day Camp that runs from 1:00pm - 5:30pm. The cost of this extended day is $139 per week.
For preschool and kindergarten aged science camps we offer an Extended Morning Camp that runs from 11:30am -1:00pm at $65 per week.
All camps also offer an Early Morning Drop-Off extension from 8:00am - 9:00am at $39 per week.
What ages can attend YSI Summer Science Camp?
YSI's Summer Science Camps are weekly, half-day camps that run from 9:00am-11:30am for our preschool and kindergarten camps, and from 9:00am-1:00pm for our campers entering 1st-6th grades. All preschool campers must have a birth date before January 1, 2020 and be able to use the restroom independently.
Where and when is YSI Summer Science Camp?
All YSI Summer Science Camps are located in beautiful Vasona Lake County Park with new sessions starting weekly from June 1st through August 14th.
Do you have an immunization policy?
Yes, we do. Click here to read our immunization policy.
