My kid just wrapped up the first time at Camp Shi'ini. It was an excellent, five-Star experience. High fives to all the counselors and shout out to the camp co-directors who pour their heart and hard work into make this experience stellar. Camp Shi'ini is a day camp based in Pasadena with pick up and drop off at your residence. Hours are from 8:30am to 4:30pm approximately. This is a day camp that emulates the feeling of a going away camp so that kids can really have that real camp taste while not being so far from home. It's the best of both worlds- no homesickness and kinship with their "cabins" aka tribes. The vans that come to pick up and drop off are very new, air conditioned, and clearly display the camp logo on the door; they are driven by alumni campers who are college bound counselors. They are polite, are great with kids, and have great affinity and loyalty to the camp. It's so much like a real camp the campers love coming back every year and growing up with their camp buddies. Lunches have to be packed by yourselves but the kids are so active during the day they will pretty much demolish whatever is packed. Also any power bars or snacks. We froze a bottled water every night before camp so that the water stayed chilled during the day. Weeks 1-4 they do a variety of activities such as canoeing, archery, horseback riding, and camp lore storytelling and enactment by the counselers. They begin each day with the Camp shi'ini cheer, hiking, camp activities, lunch outdoors, crafts with nice materials, swimming at the pool, playtime at a park, and end with a chapter of their camp lore stories that are dramatised with special effects including use of a drone. Outings include Sunset Beach day and a visit to Ghost Town. Week 5/ the final week of camp consists of olympics where the kids participate in relay type races and silly old fashioned kid fun such as wrapping up their counselor in cloth bandages like a mummy. They serve hot dogs and a variety of fruit drinks at the finale, marking a great end to the camp. read more

This summer will mark a decade with Camp Shi-ini for our family. There were years when I truly felt this camp saved my children- when school was hard, when my ex and I divorced, Shi-ini created a amazing, interactive, dynamic experience where my son and daughter thrived. I cannot say enough positive things about owner/directors Peter and Noah Kazanjian. They are boots on the ground involved with the campers from day one and they build relationships with both the campers and their families, there is a personal touch here that is priceless. My son 'graduated' from Shi-ini in 2015, but he still receives cards and messages from the camp and will be applying to be a junior counselor this coming summer. My daughter is looking forward to continuing the adventure that began for her six years ago and is excited about it today as she was then. If you are looking for a truly magical summer camp experience, Camp Shi-ini is the only game in town. read more

Awesome camp!! Super fun for kids of all ages.

One of the best day camps out there. If you want to keep your children active over the summer, I highly recommend it.

My daughter has attended this camp for 3 years and loves it! The first year she attended twice a week and begged for more. I asked what made this different from other camps and she raved about the different characters, the cool outdoor journeys they'd go on and how there's a fun, suspenseful storyline each and everyday. She insists on riding the van and loves the staff. Not to mention, the owners and those running the camp are so easy to work with! read more

This is the best camp ever. My daughter, now 7, went 2 summers ago. She couldn't go last year because I enrolled her in summer school instead (which was at the exact same time). She continues to talk about it ALL THE TIME. So, this year, I enrolled both my kids (7 and 5). They can't wait. read more

Camp Shi'ini has wonderful counselors and the kids have an amazing time. In a city with all hustle and bustle it's great you can take your kids where they can do horse back riding, archery, canoeing and other outdoor adventures. They have a ongoing "play" thru out the summer with heroes and villains that allows the kids to feel excited and important. The kids who go year after year begin to form a family bond and can't wait to become counselors themselves. What a wonderful gift we have in our local Pasadena area. read more

I enrolled my daughter in Camp Shi'ini last summer and she had the time of her life! Great horseback riding program and she even got to feed the camp's Camel ... aptly named "Lumpy." She loved their treasure hunt, swimming, archery and made a ton of cool crafts. The camp vans arrived promptly each morning to pick her up and had her safely home by 4:30 each afternoon. I just signed her up for next summer, and our cousins are joining us too! Great camp! read more

Anyone know how this camp rates to Tom Sawyer in Pasadena? For a 5 year old boy and 7 year old girl? (I rated it because it made me but I've never been). read more

This camp is a one of a kind summer program! The counselors do a great job keeping the kids safe, and the treasure hunt characters entertain the children with more passion then anything you could ever imagine! The horseback riding, swimming, crafts, beach trips, canoeing, and hikes are all done with utmost professionalism. I can tell that the entire Camp Shi'ini team takes allot of pride in putting on this camp. I recommend you to give Camp Shi'ini a try. read more

This is a fantastic camp. My kids have attended since 2011 and love it! They love the archery and canoeing, and the treasure hunt is a one of a kind spectacular adventure. I strongly recommend this camp to anyone in the Pasadena area. Great counselor and staff. Best summer option in town! read more

Camp Shi'ini is a great camp for kids. The owners are invested in making the summer camp experience a safe and fun place to be. I would highly recommend this camp to anyone! read more

In a day and age where most businesses only care about how much money they can bring in vs the quality of service they provide, it's refreshing to know that Camp Shi'ini is one of the few establishments still around that puts passion into their work. They truly care about the campers and it shows. After having tried two other nearby day camps, and seeing how they were more of a basic day care than anything else, I decided to give Camp Shi'ini a try. These guys really do stand apart from the others, not only in the quality of service, but the fact that they really seem to care. Truly a unique experience. Highly recommended! read more

For everyone out there with kids, I highly recommend Camp Shi'ini. Our girls went there for years and loved each year. They are now in high school and still talk about how much fun they had and all the other kids and counselors they met. The owners, Noah & Peter are there each day joining in all the activities and fun. Camp Shi'ini is unlike all the other camps. Your child will take away a lifetime of awesome memories. I just can't say enough good things, we were blessed to have experienced the time with Camp Shi'ini. Please feel free to call me if you have any questions about our experience at Camp Shi'ini. Sincerely, Julie Ramirez read more

Absolutely fantastic. My boys, 4 and 6, had a great time and looked forward to camp everyday. Initially I was concerned that they were too young but definitely not an issue. Extremely well organized summer camp and wonderful experience. We will be back! read more

My 9 year old son loves Camp Shi'ini and the story that goes with it! This year was his second year of fun. Each day he comes home he has numerous tales to tell that I couldn't drag out of him after being in school. The camp is organized and the counselors enjoy being with the kids. One of the best parts is being in the van with the "mixed cd" that the counselors make that the kids learn and sing along to. I highly recommend this camp and am not surprised that it sells out so quickly every year. read more

This is the first review I have ever written, and that alone speaks volumes for just how amazing this camp is.. I seriously want to share it with the world! What I first loved, and what initially brought me to Camp Shi-ini was that they accepted children as young as 4 years old. My daughter was a VERY mature 4 year old and it was frustrating that all other camps I looked into didn't start until 5 at the youngest. These were places that my child would easily have excelled at. I am so glad now though :) I was of course nervous about leaving her alone for the first time all day, but Peter was so reassuring and accommodating of my very many phone calls leading up to the first day of camp :) I am not exaggerating when I say that this camp has had more of an impact on my daughter than any other experience, including Christmas, lol! It was literally all she talked about, all day, everyday. I feel the complete opposite of the person who left that bad review in 2012, which is also the first year my daughter went here, at the age of 4. The "adventure" and skits, bad/good guys, etc., is what she loved most of all! And I loved picking her up and hearing her so excited and telling me all about it with such enthusiasm and involvement! How Shish Boom Raw stopped the Medicine Man and so and so got blind from the potion, and the Sun of the Sioux is there now and we all cheered for our pick for governor, etc. She remembers very clearly how things left off last year and can't wait to see where the story goes! I would say that you know your child best, and the camp is very clear in the registration paperwork, about how everything goes. If you have a young child that is that sensitive and very easily spooked, of course you may want to make sure this is the camp for them. We had the complete opposite experience, and my girlie is counting the days till her 3rd consecutive year at camp! The camp counselors are so amazing, they become like big best friends to the kids. I could seriously just go on and on!! read more

I have a 6 year old son and he attended Camp Shi'ni this summer. He had such a great time. He loved all the activities and he was always excited to go back the next day. The staff is AMAZING....so caring to the campers and Noah went above and beyond for my son when he had some anxiety the first few days at camp. He personally checked on him and made my son feel comfortable. Pax was excited and happy from then on. I highly recommend Camp Shi'ni. He came back each day, dirty, tired, but excited to return the next day! read more

This summer will be our sons fourth year as Shi Ini campers! Overall our family has had a great experience! The setting of the camp in Lower Arroyo Park could not be lovelier and is one of the best park areas in all of LA. The Camp is very well run by brothers Peter & Noah who grew up going to the camp and have been a pleasure to work with. The various activities; horseback riding, canoeing & archery are great. But the real thrust of the camp is around the unfolding epic quest, in which some of the older campers along with other professional actors enact mythic battles in which all the campers participate. Our boys have loved the narrative/dramatic aspect & the evolving story lines. The young camp councilors are warm, fun & organized. Our boys have developed great bonds with them over the years. If anything we think more time and attention could be paid to sportsmanship; to horse back riding, archery & swimming. In the afternoons the kids do free play in the Pool. It would be nice if there were more instruction for swimming. But the camp directors have done a great job overall and with their Christmas Video & year round letters in keeping our campers connected & excited year round! Bravo Peter & Noah! Thank you for a great camp experience! read more

I sent my boys to Camp Shi'ini for the first time back in 2014 and we have come back every summer since. In fact, I just enrolled them for this summer! My eldest loves the camp's archery program, swimming and especially their one-of-a-kind treasure hunt adventure. My younger son is a big fan of horseback riding, padding their camp canoes, and the camp's ultra-cool American Indian Arts & Crafts program. I strongly recommend Camp Shi'ini, as they are by far the best summer camp in the Pasadena area. The Billington Boys LOVE this camp! read more

My two sons, ages 6 and 9, have been going to Camp Shi'ini for the past two years and they absolutely love it! They always come home with the greatest stories of the adventures they faced that day. The daily activities of canoeing, archery, horseback riding, and swimming are enough to keep them excited, but the treasure hunt adds a whole other element of excitement for them. They love being part of the adventure to find the treasure and help the heroes save the day. We just got our DVD and Christmas card a few weeks ago. The boys love reliving camp through the movie every year. They absolutely can't wait to return next year, and we are bringing along some friends from school as well! I highly recommend this unique camp for your child. It's unlike any other in the area! read more

My daughter attended Camp Shi'ini for the first time last year and she had a blast. She came home everyday, excitedly talking about the daily activities. More importantly, she spoke about how much she enjoyed spending time with the camp counselors. read more

Camp Shi'ini is an amazing summer camp. It has a fabulous story line, woven throughout the camp, and keeps the kids engaged through the summer. They provide a safe place for kids to be "kids" - which is rare now a days. The counselors and owners bring this story line to life, and provide an amazing camp experience that the kids won't forget. read more

Our 7 year old daughter had an amazing experience at Camp Shi'ini last summer. The camp does a really nice job putting on all the standard summer activities like swimming and archery but it was the treasure hunt adventures that really caught our daughter's imagination. The counselors dress up like heroes and villains, it's like a live theater performance for kids and the kids are part of the show. I highly recommend for imaginative and adventurous kids. Definitely going back. read more

EXCELLENT CAMP!! This was my 8-year old son's first year at Camp Shi'ini and I wish we'd started sooner. He's been to every camp on the Pasadena area and this is the only one he's liked. The staff goes above and beyond to make every camper happy and safe. The activities are a blast and story line is super creative. The kids are very engaged with the characters. We will be back! read more

CAMP SHI'INI IS THE BEST SUMMER CAMP IN ALL OF PASADENA BY FAR!!! They have an amazing group of counselors and my kids have attended for the past 3 summers and we are already are signed up for this year. The camp is reasonably priced and we highly endorse it! Give them a try and you'll see how great they are! No other camp in town has canoes or a camel like Camp Shi'ini!! read more

Camp Shi-ini is truly the best summer camp. Our kids have been going to this camp since they were in Kindergarten and first grade. (Now they are in 6th and 9th grade) Our oldest was a horse wrangler for 2 summers. She had a blast! Both kids hope to be junior counselors some day. They love the adventures, outings, stories, counselors, van rides, music, games and the amazing crafts. I love bringing out the totes full of wooden crafts from all the years past. Our mantel is decorated every summer with the many years of collecting treasures. Quite a site! Peter and Noah,Thank you for all the wonderful summer memories!! read more

I went to camp shi'ini as a kid and it was one of the more memorable camp experiences I have had. Would recomend to anyone with kids.

All the great reviews are no joke. This past summer was my 7-year-old son's first time at Camp Shi'ini, and he absolutely LOVED it. He has already asked me to enroll him for next year and wants to become a junior counselor there one day. Besides the great experience that the kids have, the parents benefit in other ways, too. Camp Shi'ini is very well organized, the owners do a great job keeping parents well-informed, and Peter was especially accommodating whenever I had a small request or question/concern. Thank you, Camp Shi'ini! You guys rock! read more

My son is has been going to Camp Shi'ini since he was 6 and he is now 12 and still loves it! Noah and Peter are wonderful and they make camp fun and interactive. The children are not only entertained by a new and very creative story that they come up with every year, but they also offer activities such as canoeing, archery, horseback riding, and swimming. They also offer door-to-door pick up and drop-off every day. This is the best camp and town! read more

Camp Shi' ini is truly an amazing summer place for all kids. My daughter had the most incredible experience going there this summer. All the stuff and counsellors were energetic and nice to the kids. The camp activities included archery, bear hunting , swimming, horse riding and making an impressive almost 4-foot tall totem pole for each camper. Everything was well organized, fun, and exciting. My daughter is already talking about going back next year, and we most certainly will. read more

Camp Shi'ini is the BEST that Pasadena has to offer!!!!! Our three children started going to Camp Shi-ini as soon as they were old enough to go at age 4 and went every summer! When they became too old to be campers, they became junior counselors. We've been a Shi'ini family for over 20 years! The campers have the best time and are so well taken care of by the staff. The counselors love the campers and have so much fun with them. The activities are amazing every year, and the camp owners put so much energy into keeping the story new and exciting. Everyone has fun everyday at Camp Shi'ini, and the kids are very well supervised. They have a wonderful adventure every day and will have wonderful memories of their summers at Camp Shi'ini! read more

My daughter is 5 years old. She's been to gymnastics camp, art camp, and pre-school camp, all of which she enjoyed. She'd never been to an outdoor camp and was a bit nervous about it. On day one of the camp, the campers assembled in one area and it was a hectic scene. The counselor for my Daughter's group was late and this, the youngest group of kids, were herded into their area with no leader to welcome them or make them feel comfortable. My Daughter kept looking at me, lost and wondering how to feel. Then a kid sat on her and she started to cry. I knew that if I let her come to me that would be that, good luck ever trying to get her to separate. I got another counselor's attention and asked her to help, which she did, but she had to attend to her own group and could not stay with the youngest ones. I had to go to work, I couldn't hang around any longer. My Daughter seemed reassured and I had to go, so I left thinking, or at least hoping, I was leaving her in good hands. I was wrong. The camp includes a running "adventure" or skit, in which an evil character harasses the campers on a daily basis. What the leaders of this camp don't seem to understand is that, developmentally, young children have difficulty separating make believe from reality and can be easily frightened by things like this. To quote a professional source: "The preschool child cannot reason through each new experience and decide what's okay and what's threatening." My Daughter became increasingly distressed by this running story line and the antics of this "bad guy" as she described him. I don't know what level of involvement the heads of the camp have with these presentations or the young counselors that are acting them out, but they were entirely inappropriate for my child's age group. My daughter became increasingly distressed by these skits, one in particular that depicted a group of counselors being burned by fire. She started getting more and more upset when dropped off and was waking up with nightmares. Again, to quote a child psychologist: "The ability to imagine monsters without the ability to reason them away as imaginary creatures results in a developmental stage where little persons are likely to have big fears. Fears vary from child to child. One child's fear is another's fascination." So while some of the older kids may have enjoyed this, and maybe some of the younger kids too, it was decidedly not age appropriate for the youngest groups. On one day, at pick up time, I personally saw the tail end of one of these skits in which the "bad guys" appeared and all of the counselors started screaming "run, run!" sending the children scattering and running across the park. While the older kids enjoyed it, because they could separate this from reality, many of the younger children were clearly distressed and some were in tears. When my Wife called the head of the camp to express her concerns, he was dismissive and rude and made it clear that this aspect of the camp would not change and that no special accommodation would be made for our child. I don't know why we left her in the camp after that... It just hadn't gotten that scary for her but as the days went on and she kept talking about the "bad guys' and waking with bad dreams, we'd had enough. I wrote a very fair and respectful letter to the camp leader, careful not to judge the camp in any way, stating simply that it was clearly not a "fit" for my child and respectfully requesting a pro-rated refund for the days we would miss (this is about $90 a day). I explained that my family was on a tight budget and that we would now need to make other arrangements for our child. The camp leader called me and stated that they never do refunds for any reason, but that he would talk it over with his partner and call me back. He never did. I do not recommend Camp Shi'ini to anyone who has a child sensitive to dramatic content and, frankly, I don't recommend it for anyone with young kids period. The camp wants to reap the financial benefit of having pre-school and kindergarten aged kids there, but they don't want to cater to their age specific needs. They treat the camp as a whole, kids from 10 or 12 down, no separation, no inconsideration for the feelings of the younger kids. Our Daughter did not enjoy the camp and, based on the rudeness and inconsideration we experienced in dealing with them, I don't much care for it either. We sent her to art camp for a week and she had a blast. Next year we'll do a different outdoor camp, one without the needless "adventure", just outdoor fun. read more

My son loves Camp Shi'ini!!! It is fun and creative with different programs and activities. The staff is great and dedicated. They also pick up and drop off the kids from the house. This past summer, my son came home every day anticipating and excited for the next camp day which is the best compliment for Camp Shi'ini! read more

Shi'ini is a wonderful camp and I am so glad we found it 3 years ago. We've attended ever since and their supervision and activities offered are so robust. There aren't any other camps in the Pasadena area that have actual canoes and canoeing pond, or that offer the remarkable one of a kind interactive treasure hunt that Camp Shi'ini has. My son talks about his counselor John all the time and my daughter is in love with Rah-Boom-Shish, which is one of the treasure hunt heroes that swoops in and saves the campers from peril whenever the villains come around. Our family has been patrons for a long time and we'll be back for as long as my youngest can attend. Strong recommendation for Shi'ini. read more

Camp Shi'ini is by far one of the best camp experiences both you and your child will have. Having worked in camp grounds for several years I was impressed with the overall leadership team, the programs that get every camper actively involved, the attention the counselors give to each camper and the genuine love and care of the staff. The fact that they have transportation to and from camp is an immense help and convenience given I'm a working parent. It's also a welcomed treat during the holidays to get the annual DVD that showcases your child's camp experience from the summer. My son was a camper for several years and is now on the staff. Camp Shi'ini far exceeded our expectations when it came to a summer camp experience. read more

i attended camp shi'ini as a kid, what a great camp it is! they have horseback riding and archery, along with swimming and a treasure hunt that captivates every kid. i remember begging my mom to go back to camp shi'ini every summer, and my brother and sisters attended too. the camp has a pick-up and drop-off service all throughout the pasadena area, where they will send vans directly to your home to pick up your kids. They also have extended care, which is an added plus. High quality counselors and entertaining activities make Camp Shi'ini truly one of a kind. This is the only camp in Pasadena that I trust. Go Shi'ini! read more

My kids have attended since 2010, and I just enrolled them for this upcoming summer. This is a very quality camp and the owners and counselors take a lot of pride in what they do ... and believe me, it shows! Both my kids come home every day, talking about all their amazing adventures at Camp Shi'ini. They love their archery and horseback riding programs. But their so-called interactive treasure hunt is their favorite activity. The counselors put on this treasure hutn wher the kids are always looking for some authentic native american indian treasure but then other costumed heroes and villains get involved in the hunt and it's all together amazing. It's great for any child with imagination and reccomend it very highly. My eldest child attended 2 other sumemr camps before joining Camp Shi'ini, and I can tell you first hand that this is the best camping experience in town. The staff is freiendly and the quality is A+ all the way. I highly reccomend this camp!!!! read more

Ever since 2006 I have sent at least one of my kids to Camp Shi'ini and thus year us the same ... I just signed up my youngest son! If you have never tried Camp Shi'ini you are really missing out. This is must-see summer programming at its best! First of all, this is by far the safest camp in all of LA County. Their counselors are awesome and their so well organized. No other camp offers the type of hands on supervision this camp has. Next we come to their activities. These guys spare no expense on entertaining the kids. They have archery bow and arrows, horse back riding, canoe races in actual canoes, totem pole making, teepees, a treasure hunt that puts all 4 Indiana Jones movies to shame, and swimming. And with their treasure hung adventure -- Camp Shi'ini puts on an actual live action treasure hung stunt show for the kids. My kids come home every day from camp and tell me all about it. Finally, the camp has door to door van service. They literally pick up my kids from my home every morning at 8:45 and bring them back each afternoon around 4. Such a great experience! Even my oldest child (who graduated from the came a few years ago) is still into it and asks my youngest child "what happened today?" when he gets home. We will always come back to Camp Shi'ini each summer and we're already counting down the days to the start of camp this June! read more