Adults wearing yellow jerseys sitting on a surfboard with a small child wearing a yellow life jacket and a teal and pink wet suit

Recreational & Social

Entertainment & Fun

  • AMC Sensory-Friendly Movies: AMC theaters has partnered with the Autism Society to develop sensory-friendly movie showings. On the second and fourth Saturdays (family friendly). Local participating locations: Emeryville, Brentwood, Metreon SF, and Kabuki SF. More info and tickets at: https://www.amctheaters.com/programs/sensory-friendly-films

  • We GET It! Contra Costa County Chapter: Play dates, parent support groups, weekly social skills virtual groups, teen only events, outings, and more. Look for them on Facebook, and find out more about the parent organization: https://yeswegetit.com

Scouting:

  • Boy Scout Troop 224 in Lafayette, CA: Partners with an existing scouting program that is very experienced with scouting for special needs boys & girls. Visit their website for more information: www.troop224lafayette.com

  • Girl Scout Daisy Troop 32887 in Lafayette, CA: Inclusive Girl Scout Daisy troop (Kindergarten & First grade) that proud welcomes youth with disabilities and neurodivergence into the leadership, friendship, and fun of Girl Scouting. Contact Hillary Benham-Baker with questions and interest at hillarybenhambaker@gmail.com

Sports Organizations & Inclusive Play Spaces:

Summer Camps

  • Camp Harmon (Easter Seals): Located in Boulder Creek, CA, Camp Harmon is a fully accessible overnight camp for campers aged 8-65. There are different sessions based on age groups. Lear more: https://www.campharmon.org

  • Camp Krem: Located in Boulder Creek, CA, Camp Krem provides respite services in the form of summer camp for people with developmental disabilities ages 5+ (12, 10 or 5 days) and weekend day trips and overnights. For more information, go to: www.campingunlimited.org

  • Camp Wamp: Camp Wamp is a summer camp for children with physical disabilities in the high Sierras, near Lake Tahoe, CA. They offer four one-week sessions for varying age groups. For more info: https://stephenjwamplerfoundation.org/camp-wamp/

  • Camp We Go: Offered by WellSpring Educational Services and located at a private home in Lafayette, Camp We-Go includes engaging and enriching activities, including music, swimming, dancing, art, games, crafts and sensory play, as well as developmentally appropriate, small group outdoor stations.
    Learn more here: https://www.wellspringeducation.org/camp-we-go

  • Camp Winning Hands: This is a free overnight camp for children ages 7 - 17 with congenital hand and upper limb differences. Located in Livermore. https://www.ucsfbenioffchildrens.org/services/camp-winning-hands

  • Quest Therapeutic Camps: Quest provides a 7-week summer therapeutic program for children with mild to moderate emotional/social problems. Individualized treatment plans are utilized to facilitate change with all of the fun camp activities. Go to https://www.questcamps.com for more information.

  • Tikvah: Tikvah is a Jewish residential summer camp and offers a two-week program for campers with special needs. Amitzim program primarily serves campers with mild to moderate intellectual and developmental disabilities and are roughly in grades 4-12. The most important factor is fit not grade level. Ezra is a vocational program for young adult campers (ages 18 to 26) with special needs. We are fortunate to have many individualized internship opportunities, and we pair each Ezra camper with a personal mentor to create a meaningful and rewarding experience as part of their participation in our camp community. From horse care to administrative tasks and everything in between there are opportunities abound. https://www.ramahnorcal.org/about/tikvah/

  • UC Berkeley’s Blue Camp: Blue Camp grew from the idea that all children need opportunities to play and engage in regular physical activity to support their mental health and well-being. This comprehensive recreational day camp for ages 7-12 combines developmental sports, outdoor learning, the arts, free play, and group games to create a fun, well-rounded, diverse camp experience. Two-week and one-week sessions are available, making summer planning easy. To determine if a particular camp is right for your camper, or if you have questions about accommodations, please contact us at camps@berkeley.edu or call Minha Khan, Inclusion and Well-Being Coordinator, at  (510)-643-2267. Find out more at https://recwell.berkeley.edu/youth-recreation/summer-camps/blue-camp/

  • Walnut Creek Parks & Rec Adaptive & Inclusive Programs: In partnership with Regional Center East Bay (RCEB), Walnut Creek Recreation offers Specialized Recreation Summer Camp, or Spec Rec. Spec Rec summer camps are carefully designed for children, teens, and young adults who have special needs. RCEB clients can register online with a $20 fee for each week of camp. https://www.walnutcreekartsrec.org/programs-activities/adaptive-and-inclusive-programs/

Further Away:

  • Life Rolls On: Nonprofit based in Southern California, offers FREE one-day adaptive surf, skate, and fishing events for children and adults with various disabilities. Seed Board member Hillary Stucker took her 4 year old son in summer 2024 to the Santa Monica surf day and was blown away with the organization and safety. https://liferollson.org/connect