Use this list to find a day damp tailored to your kid’s interests.
Credit: Colourbox
Here’s the information you need about some of the most popular day camps in the Philly area.
Arts Camps
Speciality: Theater
Place: Curio Theatre Summer Camp
Dates: July 1 – July 12 or July 15 – 26
Ages: 6 – 18
Price: $425
www.CurioTheatre.org
If your child is all about drama club, he or she will love getting immersed in all things theater at the Curio Theatre Day Camp. Besides acting, they can also try a hand at playwriting, dancing, improv and set design. On the last day, campers put on a production for family and friends.
Specialty: Fine arts
Place: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Dates: One week duration from June 30 – August 15
Ages: 5 – 15
Price: $250 – $280 for members; $270 – $300 for nonmembers
www.pafa.org/artcamp
Not only will your young artist spend his or her days creating works of art, he or she will take trips to some of Philadelphia’s best galleries and art studios meeting real artists. Kids explore new ways to express their creativity while learning about the importance of art.
Specialty: Fine arts
Place: University City Arts League
Dates: June 30 – August 29
Ages: 5 – 10
Price: $380 for members; $405 for non-members
www.ucartsleague.org
Young artists get a nice balance of indoor and outdoor activities at this summer camp, which focuses on finding beauty in nature. They can expect lots of outdoor activities and guidance on how to find inspiration in everyday surroundings.
Sports Camps
Specialty: General active game playing
Camp: Philadelphia YMCA
Dates: Five day sessions from June 23 – August 29
Ages: 4 – 14
Price: $165 – $175
Philaymca.org
The Philadelphia YMCA offers several different camp options – depending on your child’s age – all intended to keep them from getting lazy this summer. There are sports-specific camps, like tennis, soccer or swimming, camps that combine a variety of sports, a flag football camp and even a theater camp. No matter what you choose for your child, he or she won’t be bored.
Specialty: Biking
Place: Neighborhood Bike Works
Dates: July 7 – July 18; July 21 – August 1
Ages: 8 -14
Price: $200
neighborhoodbikeworks.org
At Neighborhood Bike Work’s day camp, kids stay active by biking around North Philadelphia, riding as a group. It’s OK if your child doesn’t have a bike; everything they need – including a helmet – will be provided.
Specialty: Swimming
Place: Cohocksink Rec Center and Lee Cultural Center
Dates: One week classes offered through July and August
Ages: 9 – 15
Price: $150
www.phila.gov/parksandrecreation
This camp is for swimmers of all ages. Kids who don’t know how will learn and be confident swimmers by the end of this six-week camp while those who already love the water will get even better. They’ll learn through a combination of water games and drills, while meeting kids from all over the city.
Academic Camps
Specialty: Journalism/film-making
Place: WHYY
Dates: June 30 – July 11; August 11 – August 22
Ages: Students finishing 9th – 12th grade
Price: $1,200 for members; $1,350 for non-members
www.whyy.org
Your high schooler can either enroll in WHYY’s journalism summer camp or film summer camp and meet other people from across the city who are just as passionate as he or she is. In the journalism summer camp, they’ll attend lectures from some top journalists who call Philadelphia home as well as learn interviewing and reporting skills. The film camp helps high schoolers perfect their script-writing, shooting, acting and editing skills.
Specialty: Computers
Place: University of Pennsylvania
Dates: Five day camps help from July 7 – August 8
Ages: 7 – 17
Price: $15-$20 an hour for day camp; $10 – $12 for overnight camp
www.idtech.com
Get your child to stop playing video games by giving them a place to learn how to make them instead. Building on the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) philosophy, iD Tech camp has a variety of courses to choose from such as Web design, coding, robotics, game design and many more. Besides offering a day camp, an overnight option is also offered.
