Summer may seem like so far away and with this cold Chicago winter, it seems like a distant memory. But, it will be here before we know it. And, that means making sure your kids favorite summer camp activity is reserved. Chicago has many camps to offer from sports to dance to language immersion. There is literally something here for everyone. Take a look to find the perfect fit for your kiddo and make sure to reserve your spot before they fill up.
ART CAMPS
Easel Art Studio
1911 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Chicago, IL 606047
What: Easel Art Studio offers Summer, Winter, & Special Day Off School Camps! Join the teachers at Easel Art Studio to paint, draw, sculpt, build and create masterpieces. Even if you are new to art or a well-traveled artist, let their teachers blossom your child's fine art skills all while having FUN! Half day and full day camps available.
Ages: 5 – 11
Starts: TBA
For more information and to register:
Unicoi Art Studio
2059 W. Belmont
Chicago, IL 60618
What: Summer camp at Unicoi is a fun filled cultural event! Each week features drawings, paintings, collages and sculptures from places around the world. Half day and full day camps available.
Ages: 4 – 12
Starts: June 15, 2016
For more information and to register:
Lillstreet Art Center
What: Half day, full day and after care camp offered throughout the summer in areas such as clay, explorations in art, wheelthrowing, intermediate metals, sewing, drawing and cartooning, water colors and more!
Ages: 3.5 and up
Starts: June 6, 2016
For more information and to register:
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
What: Multi art camp and Family camp offered throughout the summer. Half day morning or half day afternoon programs available.
Family camp at SAIC is truly a unique experience. Combining visits to the renowned Art Institute of Chicago museum with exciting studio-based explorations. Camp instructors guide all participants through each step of the creative process, using materials such as paint, collage, clay, pastels, or charcoal as a team and side-by-side. Recommended ages for children are 4–10 with at least one adult enrolled per family.
Ages: 4 – 10
Starts: June 13, 2016
For more information and to register:
Wishcraft
3907 N. Damen Ave.
Chicago, IL 60618
What: Summer camp for grades K to 6 offered. According to Wishcraft, “We play with important ideas, learn art and craft technique with open-ended projects of our own design, get kinda messy, make new friends and know every child by name.” They offer a different theme each week. Full day camp and after care offered.
Ages: 5 – 12
Starts: June 20, 2016
For more information and to register:
Kids Clay Room
2646 N. Halsted St.
Chicago, IL 60614
What: At Kids Clay Room, kids are taught how to make ceramic pieces from wet clay using the wheel, their hands, molds and clay tools through classes, camps and birthday parties.
More info coming soon.
For more information and to register:
The Paintbrush
2646 N. Halsted
Chicago, IL 60614
What: The Paintbrush is a unique art studio, where classes incorporate music appreciation into hands-on art appreciation lessons to teach students about the lives and the works of influential artists. Summer camp sessions offered for morning only, afternoon only and full day. All camp times include lunch.
Ages: TBA
Starts: TBA
For more information and to register:
Hyde Park Art Center
5020 S. Cornell Ave.
Chicago, IL 60615
What: Creativity Camp at Hyde Park Art Center provides kids the chance to explore the exciting world of art and creativity through a wide range of multi-media activities. The combination of visual art and theater art, together with outdoor play, gives campers a unique, hands-on art making experience that is active, stimulating, and tons of fun. Camps are M – F from 9 AM to 3 PM
Ages: Grades P-K to 5th grade.
Starts: June 13, 2016
For more information and to register:
www.hydeparkart.org
DRAMA/THEATRE CAMPS
Chicago Children’s Theatre
What: Join Chicago Children’s Theater for a high-energy summer of imagination, adventure, singing, dancing, acting and creativity.
Ages: 3 – 14
Starts: June 20, 2016
Location: Camps at Purple Monkey Playroom (2040 N. Western, Chicago) and Whitney Young Magnet School (211 S. Laflin St, Chicago)
For more information and to register:
Dream Big Performing Arts
What: Led by professional teaching artists, 1-week theater camps offer kids ages 3 and up an unforgettable collaborative experience acting, singing, and dancing with friends. Kids build confidence and foster creative expression, while having fun with a wide variety of themes that inspire imaginations! Pick a camp theme based on your child’s interest such as musical theatre or Annie.
Ages: 3 – 12
Starts: June 13 to September 2, 2016
For more information and to register:
Lookingglass Theatre
What: Lookingglass Theatre offers Spring, Summer, and Winter Camps in four Chicagoland locations for students ages 5–18 years old.
Ages: 5 – 18
Starts: June 20, 2016
For more information and to register:
Emerald City Theatre
What: Emerald City Theatre is proud to offer their critically acclaimed summer camps. Step into a world of creative play and fantastical journeys as campers use their imaginations to discover new characters, locations, and even write their own dialogue. Themes include Wizard of Oz, Annie, Peter Pan and Lion King to name a few.
Ages: 3.5 to 13
Starts: June 6, 2016
For more information and to register:
Lil Buds Theatre Company
5451 N Broadway
Chicago, IL 60640
What: Half day to full day drama camps offered ranging in themes from Shrek the Musical to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Ages: 3 – 14
Starts: June 13, 2016
For more information and to register:
Second City
What: Second City Comedy Camps are a place to exercise your creative energies in our improvisation and comedy writing camps! Campers play fun improv games to help access creativity, boost self-confidence and develop spontaneity and playfulness. Summer camps are one or two weeks long with classes on Monday through Friday each week. At the end of two-week camps, students present a show for their family and friends on one of the Second City stages.
Ages: 8 – 18
Starts: June 13, 2016
For more information and to register:
www.secondcity.com/courses/chicago/camps/
Chicago Kids Company
What: Chicago Kids Company has brought to life the magic and wonder of theatre for young children for nearly 25 years. One and two week camps offered in Summer 2016 ranging in themes from Fairy Tale Theater to Musical Theater.
Ages: 4 – 15
Starts: July 11, 2016
For more information and to register:
CircEsteem
What: Summer Circus Camp is a fun, safe, supportive and challenging environment where children explore the many skills that create the Circus Arts. Skills taught may include: acrobatics, clowning, juggling, stilt walking, gym wheel, rolling globe, tight wire, and rolla bolla.
Ages: 6 and up
Starts: June 27, 2016
For more information and to register:
Lifeline Drama Club
6912 N. Glenwood Ave.
Chicago, IL 60626
What: Explore new worlds at Lifeline Theatre's Drama Camps! Fun-filled programs celebrate children’s imaginations and help kids hone their natural abilities as performers. They will learn the tools of the actor, explore popular children’s books, and adapt them for the stage.
Ages: 5 – 12
Starts: June 20, 2016
For more information and to register:
www.lifelinetheatre.com
Provision Theatre Camp
1001 W. Roosevelt Rd.
Chicago, IL 60608
Once details become available, it will be updated here. Please check back.
For more information:
Raven Theatre
6157 N. Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60660
What: Raven’s Take Flight Summer Camp programs focus on fostering confidence and empathy in young people so that they can find the courage to connect with their peers, collaborate as an ensemble and create art that they can share with their community. One week and two week sessions available.
Ages: 5 – 13
Starts: June 27, 2016
For more information and to register:
DANCE CAMPS
A Fairy Tale Ballet
Coming Soon.
Starbright Dance
1511 W. Barry
Chicago, IL
Coming Soon.
Ballet Chicago
What: Join Ballet Chicago for an enriching summer experience exploring the magical world of ballet! Camp days are filled with dance classes to live music, costume decorating, and acting out classic ballet and children's stories. Each camp session focuses on a different theme such as Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty! Ballet Chicago’s camp is morning only.
Ages: 4 – 6
Starts: June 13, 2016
For more information and to register:
Duet Dance Studio Latin Dance
Coming Soon
Bollywood Groove
What: Summer Camp will have multiple activities including BollyGroove Kids! Dance, Indian Arts & Crafts and Plays based on Indian folk-tales.
Ages: 3 – 13
Starts: TBA
For more information and to register:
Hubbard Street
What: Renowned Hubbard Street Dance is offering a multitude of flexible summer dance camps. Coming Soon.
Thodos Dance Chicago
Coming Soon
Intrigue Dance Summer Camp
Coming Soon
FILMMAKING/SCRIPTWRITING
Facets Kids Film Camp
What: Facets Kids Film Camp is a summer enrichment program that introduces kids to the techniques, language, and process of film making. For 20 years, Facets' film educators, professional filmmakers and respected.
Ages: 7 – 14
Starts: June 20, 2016
For more information and to register:
Chicago Filmmakers Digital Moviemaking
What: 1-week and 2-week long camp sessions for kids and teens run June through August. Sessions offered: Digital Moviemaking, Advanced Digital Moviemaking, Screenwriting for Teens and an Adventure Sandwich Camp (ages 8-12), taught by creator and star of the weekly Adventure Sandwich web-series, Lily Emerson.
Ages: 10 – 17
Starts: June 27, 2016
For more information and to register:
LANGUAGE CAMPS
Intercultural Montessori
Chicago and Oak Park, IL Locations
What: Intercultural offers ten weeks of culture camp in Spanish, Japanese and Mandarin each summer. Camp is open to Intercultural students, as well as children who are not enrolled during the regular academic school year. All plans are available on a five-day per week basis in two-week sessions. Half day and full day programs available.
Ages: 3 – 6
Starts: Early June
For more information and to register:
Lycee Francais de Chicago
1929 W. Wilson Ave.
Chicago, IL 60640
What: World camp is open to Lycee students and non-Lycee students. Camps in five languages, students at all levels of fluency are welcome. Languages: French, English, Arabic, Italian, German and Mandarin. In addition to language camps, Lycee offers camp in arts, sports and science and technology.
Ages: Grades P-K to 12
Starts: June 2016
For more information and to register:
Instituto Cervantes Kids
31 W. Ohio St.
Chicago, IL
What: Spanish Camp program at Cervantes Kids will engage in full immersion Spanish classes. Kids will be placed in the appropriate class according to their proficiency in Spanish. Bilingual and heritage speakers are also welcome.
Ages: 4 to 17
Starts: June 13, 2016
For more information and to register:
Spanish Horizons
2836 N. Southport Ave.
Chicago, IL 60657
What: Spanish Horizons offers an innovative concept of Spanish Immersion Camp, in which the ultimate goal is to have a good time while learning Spanish. Children will be immersed in Spanish through a sequential weekly thematic approach and age appropriate activities, including hands-on projects, Arts and Crafts, Face Painting, Puppet Workshop, Giant Boards Games, Contests & Games, Park Field Trips (weather permitting), Singing and Dancing, among other. Half Day camp only.
Ages: 3 – 6
Starts: June 13, 2016
For more information and to register:
Language Stars
Various locations in Chicago and suburbs
What: Full immersion foreign language summer camps and classes in Spanish, French, Mandarin, Italian, German, and Arabic, taught by native-speaking teachers from around the globe. Your child will be immersed in language, culture, and pure fun!
Ages: 3 – 10
Starts: June 2016
For more information and to register:
Little Linguists Academy
3 locations in Lakeview, Logan Square and Andersonville
What: Half day and Full Day camps offered at Little Linguists Academy. If the camp dates do not work for your schedule, we will bring a camp to you for
as little as 3 campers. Before and after care camp also available. Languages: Spanish, French, English, Arabic, Hindi and more.
Ages: 3 – 12
Starts: June 2016
For more information and to register:
MUSIC CAMPS
Merry Music Makers
3759 N. Ravenswood Ave., Ste 119
Chicago, IL 60613
What: Two camps offered in the summer. Summer Jam is designed to introduce children to the world of sound. While the Sing & Swim Camp is a full day camp where kids explore music for the first half of the day and after lunch it's into the pool.
Ages: 3 – 8
Starts: June 27, 2016
For more information and to register:
UpBeat Music & Arts
4318 W. Irving Park Rd.
Chicago, IL 60641
What: The UpBeat Music and Art Summer Camps provide children with a fun, inspirational, safe environment for learning, recreation, and support. The music classes include theory, ear training, ensemble participation, and allow for gaining performance experience. Instruction is interactive and gives students a strong musical foundation. Weekly full day camps.
Ages: TBA
Starts: July 11, 2016
For more information and to register:
Old Town School of Folk Music
What: Summer camp offered at all three Old Town of Folk Music locations in arts, fiddle and teen arts. The arts camp is a broad theme including music, storytelling, visual art, theater, dance, movement and much more!
Ages: 4 – 15
Starts: June 27, 2016
For more information and to register:
Sherwood Music
1312 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60605
What: Sherwood School of Music offers a wide array of summer camps such as arts, Suzuki strings, drama, ukulele, sing & strum and more!
Ages: 4 – 14
Starts: July 6, 2016
For more information and to register:
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY CAMPS
The Laboratory Chicago
2349 W. North Ave.
Chicago, IL 60647
What: At The Laboratory, classes are, above all else, FUN, incorporating science and math with the arts, stories, and technology. The Laboratory Chicago promotes innovation through modern technology, like super cool 3-D printers, microcontrollers, single-board computers and solder less circuitry. Weekly sessions offer for Summer camp 2016 in varying themes such as LEGO Robotics, Back to Hogwarts and more!
Ages: 5 – 12
Starts: June 27, 2016
For more information and to register:
GreenApple Campus
What: GreenApple = STEM + Innovation + Entrepreneurship. STEM program categories in Robotics in Engineering & Invention, Digital Media & Technology, Coding, ThinkTinkering in the FabLab maker space, GirlsTech and Adventure with LEGO. Summer camps offered in Chicago, Naperville and Elmhurst.
Ages: Grades K to 8
Starts: June 13, 2016
For more information and to register:
iD Tech Summer Camps
Camps offered in Evanston, Chicago, Lisle and Lake Forest
What: iD Tech offers hands-on, high-energy summer computer programs for kids and teens. IL summer camps immerse students in a STEM learning experience unlike any other.
Ages: 6 – 17
Starts: June 2016
For more information and to register:
Mad Science
What: Mad Science is a leading science enrichment provider. Mad Science encourages scientific literacy in children in an age when science is as vital as reading, writing and arithmetic. Half day and full day camps available throughout the summer.
Ages: Grades Pre-K to 6
Starts: June 20, 2016
For more information and to register:
Kids Stem Studio
1319 S. State St.
Chicago, IL 60605
What: Kids STEM Studio offers integrated STEM camps during Spring Break, Winter Break, Summer Break and various days of non-attendance (Day-Off) throughout the school year, where the curriculum combines outdoor exploration at the local parks, lab work, computing, engineering and robotics around a variety of themes.
Ages: Grades K to 8
Starts: June 27, 2016
For more information and to register:
Adler Planetarium
What: Discover new worlds, engage in eye-opening experiments and play next to Lake Michigan this summer during an Adler Planetarium summer camp! Young space and technology enthusiasts alike will have the opportunity to spend part of their summer exploring space, using telescopes, building rockets, seeing immersive sky shows, programming robots, exploring exhibits, launching high altitude balloons, and much, much more. Half day and full day camps offered.
Ages: 3 – 16
Starts: June 20, 2016
For more information and to register:
Kids Science Labs
What: Kids Science Labs is offering children a summer filled with fun hands-on science camps. This exclusive summer camp enrichment program will offer engaging science curriculums and hands-on activities led by our team of dedicated science educators.
Ages: 4 - 14
Starts: June 6 to September 2, 2016
For more information and to register:
Power Up Tech Academy
2867 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60618
What: Power Up Tech Academy's instructors are passionate about bringing the thrill of coding to every child. The majority of the instructors are current or past programming professionals, and all of them participate in the ongoing development of their coding and teaching skills. Summer camps offered in computer programming.
Ages: Grades 1 - 8
Starts: June 2016
For more information and to register:
Robot City
Coming Soon
www.robotcityworkshop.com
SPORTS CAMPS
The Little Gym, Chicago
3216 N. Lincoln Ave.
Chicago, IL
What: Camp combines fun physical activity, games, and arts & crafts where your child will beat the summer heat by staying cool at The Little Gym.
Ages: 3 – 12
Starts: TBA
For more information and to register:
Health Kick Kung Fu
1329 N. Larrabee
Chicago, IL 60610
What: Half and Full day camps offered at Health Kick Kung Fu. Camp is held outdoors in Lincoln Park. During inclement weather, camp is moved indoors.
Ages: TBA
Starts: June 13, 2016
For more information and to register:
Super Soccer Stars
3435 N. Sheffield Ave.
Chicago, IL 60657
What: Super Soccer Stars camps are based on age-specific curricula created by a combination of early childhood, soccer, and behavioral specialists to guarantee that each child is learning and having a blast from the moment the whistle blows.
Ages: 2 1/2 to 12
Starts: TBA
For more information and to register:
Photo Credit: Kids Clay Room, Ballet Chicago, Raven Theatre