Camp Info
| Ages: | 4–10 |
| Type: | Day |
| Month: | Summer |
| Gender: | Co-Ed |
| Setting: | City |
| Adventure: | Adventure, Nature, Animals, Conservation |
[email protected]
Carlsbad, CA, USA
Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation Discovery Camp is an outdoor nature and environmental education camp for children in Kindergarten through 5th grade. Campers must be at least 5 years old to attend. The program is built around hands-on lessons, animal interactions, nature walks, and crafts tied to a weekly theme.
The camp takes place at the Agua Hedionda Discovery Campus, a learning environment connected to gardens, wildlife, animal ambassadors, trails, and lagoon education. The Foundation’s broader mission is to inspire future lagoon stewards and watershed warriors through environmental education. Discovery Camp fits directly into that mission by helping children understand nature through action, not just observation.
Each week has a different theme. Campers may explore animal facts, lagoon creatures, nature engineering, air and flight, earth elements, creek-to-coast connections, fur and feathers, surprise nature activities, land and sea relationships, or eco-hero challenges. The activities change with the theme, so returning campers can experience something new.
The camp suits children who like animals, nature, science, outdoor projects, and active learning. Younger campers benefit from small groups and simple discovery-based activities, while older elementary students can dig deeper into ecosystems, animal adaptations, environmental questions, and hands-on problem-solving.
| Ages: | 4–10 |
| Type: | Day |
| Month: | Summer |
| Gender: | Co-Ed |
| Setting: | City |
| Adventure: | Adventure, Nature, Animals, Conservation |
You won’t be charged yet. The camp will contact you to confirm all terms first.
| Dates | Days | Price | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 20 - Jul 24, 2026 | 5 | $500 | |
| Jul 27 - Jul 31, 2026 | 5 | $500 | |
| Aug 3 - Aug 7, 2026 | 5 | $500 |
Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation Discovery Camp is a day camp. Campers attend during the scheduled camp day and return home afterward. No overnight lodging, cabins, dorm rooms, hotel stays, or residential supervision are included.
The camp runs from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM. Campers may be dropped off as early as 8:45 AM and picked up as late as 3:45 PM. This gives families a short buffer around the main camp day, but the listed program is not an extended-care camp.
All camp activities take place outdoors in the Foundation’s Nature Nodes. The setting is different from that of a school classroom or an indoor recreation center. Campers should be ready for outdoor learning, walking, animal areas, nature-based crafts, and hands-on activities connected to the lagoon environment.
Campers bring their own snack and lunch every day. Discovery Camp includes both a snack break and a lunch break, but food is not provided by the camp.
Families should pack food that works well for an outdoor day. A simple lunch, an easy snack, and a refillable water bottle are practical choices. Since campers spend time outside in Nature Nodes, on walks, and around hands-on activities, food should be easy for the child to manage independently.
Discovery Camp uses small age-based groups. Camp groups are capped at 12 campers per teacher, and the teacher-to-student ratio may be lower depending on the group. This supports closer supervision during outdoor activities, nature walks, animal interactions, and craft projects.
Camp teachers are Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation employees in the Academy for Environmental Stewardship and teach at the Discovery Campus throughout the school year. This gives campers instructors who are familiar with the campus, animals, outdoor education spaces, and environmental curriculum.
Campers are divided by grade level because the curriculum and activities are designed for different developmental stages. Siblings a few years apart may be able to stay together, but the standard structure places campers with peers of a similar grade level.
Discovery Camp has a clear outdoor learning rhythm: explore nature, meet animals, make something with your hands, and connect the day’s activities to a larger environmental theme. The camp does not feel like a worksheet-based science class. Campers learn in nature, surrounded by gardens, animal ambassadors, trails, and the lagoon’s broader ecosystem.
Weekly themes shape the camp tradition. One week may center on local animals. Another may focus on nature engineering, earth elements, air, water, or eco-hero actions. This theme-based structure keeps the summer varied and gives campers a reason to return for more than one session.
Animal interactions are a major part of the experience. Campers may spend time with animal ambassadors and learn how living things connect to habitats, watersheds, and stewardship.
Crafts are another recurring camp feature. Take-home recycled crafts help children connect creativity with sustainability. The larger message is simple: nature is worth understanding, protecting, and enjoying.
Discovery Camp focuses on learning about nature in nature. Each week has a central theme, and lessons, crafts, walks, and animal experiences are built around that theme. Campers are not just told about ecosystems; they observe, explore, create, and interact with the outdoor world around them.
Nature walks help children notice plants, animals, habitats, and seasonal changes. Animal interactions give campers a closer look at creatures connected to the Discovery Campus. Hands-on lessons introduce environmental science in a way that younger campers can understand. Recycled crafts add a creative piece and reinforce sustainability.
The weekly themes add range. Campers may investigate fact versus fiction in nature, learn about Agua animals, build like nature engineers, study air and flight, explore earth elements, follow water from creek to coast, compare fur, feathers, and scales, or think about how they can become eco heroes.
Campers are divided into groups by grade level.
