Best of the Beach Kids 2024
Best Kids Indoor Play Facility
Fly Studios Kidz Aerial Arts
When Fly Studios owner Michelle Nicolson-Bolong was told her business had won the Best of the Beach award for best indoor kids’ play facility, she said it was “a bittersweet moment.”
That’s because she is in the process of either selling or shuttering the aerial acrobatic performing arts studio, which she founded in 2010.
“It was a big part of me for a long time,” Nicolson-Bolong said. “Now I feel like it needs to go into somebody else’s hands where they can take it to the next level.”
A retired Cirque du Soleil performer for the Las Vegas-based Beatles show, ‘LOVE,’ Nicolson-Bolong founded the studio because she wanted to teach kids to fly.
“We teach a very unique art form for children,” she said. “We’re non-competitive and love-based.”
Nicolson-Bolong designed the unique program to be similar to a martial arts training — with levels and milestones. With each successful aerial move, students earn a patch and can go up a level and receive a new shirt color, similar to the martial arts system.
“It gives them confidence,” she said. “Plus, it’s an amazing art form. But the biggest thing is that it helps their self-esteem and gives them confidence while learning something that’s fun.”
She added that kids take to aerial arts quickly.
“They’re fearless,” Nicolson-Bolong said. “We tap into that — their fearlessness and agility. They defy gravity, and it’s easy for them to hang, twist, twirl, and fly.”
Former aerial instructor and current ‘LOVE’ Cirque du Soleil aerialist Lesley Vaughn believes the studio succeeded because of Nicolson-Bolong’s presence and vision.
“She really radiates out so much passion for what she wanted to offer the community,” Vaughn said. “So many kids and adults became like family. There could be an aerial studio anywhere, but she brought a personal touch and passion that really touched a lot of people.”
Ana Santana, a mother of three daughters who has attended classes at the studio since its beginning, is sad that it could potentially close.
“I could see such growth in my kids as far as their confidence, strength, and ability,” Santana said, adding that the positive environment was a big part of what makes the studio great.
Her daughter, 19-year-old Isabella, thinks that Fly Studios was a vital experience for her, not just because of the skills she learned but also because of the community she found from the studio and the confidence she gained.
“Learning to fly meant pushing myself to my boundaries and realizing that I could go beyond what I thought was my limit,” Isabella said. “Learning to fly and feel strong and powerful and beautiful in the apparatus, and feeling like I could do more than what people thought I could do. It’s so empowering to be a little girl and blow everyone away on the apparatus… I’m so grateful to everyone because they taught me not only how to fly physically but also how to fly internally and in my poise, how I carried myself and presented myself. I really did feel like I could do anything because of them.”
Nicolson-Bolong said she has students, both children and adults, who have been enrolled in the program since it opened, even during Covid when she hosted virtual classes.
“I want to thank everybody from the bottom of my heart,” she said. “It really was their support that got me through 13 years. I want to encourage our kids to keep flying to their dreams.”
To the new owners, whoever they may be, Nicolson-Bolong says that they have a gem on their hands “that has limitless potential.”
Fly Studios Kidz Aerial Arts
512 N. Pacific Coast Hwy.
Redondo Beach
(310) 340-6045
A Beach Cities Volleyball player gets vertical. Photo by Christian Cammayo
Best Youth Club Sports
Beach Cities Volleyball Club
For 25 years, Beach Cities Volleyball has provided top-quality volleyball training to people of all ages in the South Bay.
“We’ve been doing this for so long,” said Christian Cammayo, Director of Volleyball Operations at Beach Cities Volleyball Club. Cammayo is also head coach at Santa Monica College, a perennial volleyball powerhouse. “We’re trying to treat kids the right way and teach them in a real positive learning environment.”
Despite their recent successes, their organization doesn’t focus on winning; they focus on teaching kids to have fun and succeed at the same time.
“We were voted Best of the Beach because of the energy we bring to our players,” Miguel Vetus, a junior at Leuzinger High School, said. “Every team brings this sense of joy and the feeling of being at home with family.”
“Winning is not our only objective,” Cammayo said. “But, it’s kind of a neat thing that when you do things the right way, sometimes winning follows.”
Beach Cities Volleyball Club
1021 N. Sepulveda Blvd. Ste. M
Manhattan Beach
(310) 546-9150
thecoderschool coach John Swanberg helps Hayden Won, 11, during a coaching session after school. Photo by Chelsea Sekttan
Best Kids Enrichment (After School) Program
thecoderschool
If you’re looking for an after-school activity that will teach your child skills that will be particularly useful for the future, Silicon Valley-founded coding school — thecoderschool is the place to go. Voted the best after-school kids enrichment program in the South Bay, thecoderschool is a fun, laid-back place where kids learn to code in a fun environment.
“Everyone wants their child to get into coding and computer science,” coach John Swanberg said. “The thing that makes this one more fun is everything is catered to the individual student. It’s more organic.”
Eleven-year-old Hayden Won, who joined the school three weeks ago, signed up for the program because she was interested in learning how to code robots.
“A lot of kids these days like to be on their phones, but they get bored,” she said. “I wanted to try something new on a screen.”
At thecoderschool, children are taught in a two-to-one ratio with a coach, and the curriculum varies by each student’s skill level and interest. Students learn AI, Roblox, and web development, as well as bots, video game development, javascript, and html/css. The school offers an after-school program, as well as summer camps with a low 6:1 coach ratio.
thecoderschool
1884 ½ S. Pacific Coast Hwy.
Torrance
(310) 504-0159
Ohana Dance. Photo by Break the Floor
Best Youth Arts (Arts, Music, Dance)
Ohana Dance
Ohana means family, and is the heart and soul of Ohana Dance, founded in 2015.
“Their name really does stand for what they are,” Miriam Ramirez, a parent of long-time Ohana Dance students Eddie and Bella, said.
With a wide variety of classes, from jazz and ballet to hip-hop and adult hula, there’s something for everybody.
“We offer a very welcoming, family-friendly environment,” co-director Jack Virga-Hall said. “We strive to produce a happy and healthy environment for our dancers and their families.”
“The world of dance can be ruthless and cutthroat,” Virga-Hall said. “We want to ensure that the children who dance in our facility leave happy, healthy, and excited to dance for the rest of their lives.”
Ohana Dance
2772 Artesia Blvd.
Redondo Beach
(424) 452-6226
Best Kids Day Camp
Beach Sports
When South Bay families look for a summer day camp to send their kids to, Beach Sports is consistently the most recommended camp by parents in the know.
“I’ve witnessed other programs, and our organization goes over the top to make sure the program is safe,” owner Tommy Ostendorf said. “The ocean is such a dynamic place — I have to know the kids are being watched, and the people watching my kids are being watched.”
Beach Sports was founded in 1995 and offers an array of camps — including a beach camp for kids as young as four, as well as a volleyball, skateboarding, and junior lifeguard camp. Their beach program includes a week of fun on the sand while also teaching the basics of beach safety. Developed in collaboration with local teachers and lifeguards, their summer camps, which are located on all three Beach Cities beaches, offers kids a safe, educational, inclusive and fun experience.
“We go over and above what is reasonable and expected for safety to ensure that parents can be one hundred percent confident about sending their kids to the program,” Ostendorf said.
Every camp counselor is CPR and first-aid certified. It also offers job opportunities for campers who want to work at the camp when they age out of the program.
“The team we put together every year is truly incomparable,” Ostendorf said.
Beach Sports
214 Main St. Ste. 236
El Segundo
(310) 372-2202
Veronica Maguire, at her Riviera Village store, Lolipop, a Children’s boutique. Photo by Chelsea Sektnan
Kids Boutique
Lollipop, a Children’s Boutique
In the heart of Riviera Village in Redondo Beach, Lollipop, a Children’s Boutique’s dutch doors open into a room full of color, coziness, and fun.
“It’s all about the community,” owner Veronica Maguire said. “They support the store, and we have very loyal customers.”
Opened in 2010, Lollipop doesn’t just provide a fun in-store shopping experience for people looking for children’s toys, clothes and books; Maguire makes it a priority to keep on top of trends and really listen to what customers want to buy.
“We really engage with the customers and offer what they’re looking for,” Maguire said. “It’s all about the service and the relationships I build with my customers.”
Maguire says that the current trend for baby gifts is gender-neutral clothing and that magnetic footies are a top seller. And, she added, “Books, books, and more books! Books will always be big!”
Lollipop A Children’s Boutique
1813 S. Catalina Ave.
Redondo Beach
(310) 375-8787
Champ Camp’s motto is “High fives, good vibes” Photo courtesy of Champ Camp
Kids Beach Camp
Champ Camp
Summer in the South Bay includes a lot of sun, sand, and the opportunity to sign up for a beach camp. For Easy Reader readers, Champ Camp came out on top as the best beach camp in the South Bay.
BeachLife Festival in May has selected Champ Camp to host the music festival’s kids zone, where kids can spend the day playing games and having fun under safe supervision.
“We’ve been around for 12 years now,” founder Trevor Elder said. “We have a super high commitment to providing top-quality programs to our families. Over time, word has spread, and families have learned that our camps are a positive environment where kids make friends, connect with coaches, and have fun on the beach.”
Champ Camp’s motto is “High Fives and Good Vibes.” Elder said that they strive to ensure that their philosophy really drives their programs and fosters a positive, inclusive environment. They also have a low kid-to-coach ratio and are local and family-owned.
“We’re able to create an environment where kids feel safe and included, and that resonates loudly with families in the community,” he said. “…It’s all about creating a lasting impact on each camper.”
Champ Camp offers beach camps for kids as young as four. Their camps are located in Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, El Segundo, Malibu, and Playa Vista and they offer opportunities for kids to learn how to boogie board and skateboard. They also have kids’ nights and after-school programs that are popular throughout the year.
Chrissy Hubbell, a parent of two Champ Camp campers, thinks Champ Camp is the best camp in town “because kids can be absolutely free to be kids and have the best memories on the beach.”
Champ Camp
(310) 283-4509