Our nation's capital is home to numerous world-class museums, diverse cultural resources and iconic outdoor spaces, and for families lucky enough to live nearby, there's a host of summer camps that take advantage of these attractions. Kids can spend their summer weeks immersing themselves in daily cultural activities, fine tuning their sports skills, learning more about the arts or even experiencing a nature-based camp in the nearby Shenandoah mountains.
No matter your child's interest, you can find the perfect camp for them in the Washington D.C. area.
Need more info before sending your kid off? Check out ourParent's Guide to Summer Camp.
Georgetown Hill Early School
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Age: Infant to pre-K; Transitional to Kindergarten
Length: Day camp
Cost: Varies by program
The Georgetown Hill Early School encourages children to live in a state of "joyful wonder." Camps are designed around the PLAN, focusing on Play, Learning, Arts and Nurture. The theme for this summer is STEAM Around the World, with camps focusing on a different country each week. Camp activities include games, music, sports, art and outdoor play, with weekly field trips and swimming for Pre-K and T-K campers. Infants and toddlers have in-house games and performances, like puppet shows and imagination games. There are six campuses, making this program especially convenient for your location.
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The Renaissance Child
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Age: 5 to 13 years old
Length: Day camp, with extended care available
Cost: Starting at $225
At the Renaissance Dreams Big Summer Camp, kids learn lifelong tech skills, enjoy the outdoors and gain the confidence to pursue their interests. The Renaissance Child was originally focused on technology and multimedia, and continues to offer a full line of coding, robotics, engineering, computer science, creative arts and chess camps. This summer they are adding sports, games, drama and leadership sessions to their camp roster. They also offer fully unplugged camps, which keep kids outdoors and engaged with their peers without the help of screens.
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Adventure Links (Northern Virginia)
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Age: 7 to 17 years old
Length: Day camp; Overnight camp; Traveling teen expeditions
Cost: Starting at $455
Adventure Links camps combine outdoor adventure, team building and summer fun. Campers can expect days full of kayaking, games, outdoor skills, a challenge course and zip-lines. Day Camps, for 7 to 14-year-olds, is a nature-based camp, located on 425 acres in Hemlock Overlook Regional Park, with field trips to go caving and rock climbing. During Overnight Camps, 12 to 15-year-olds can focus on a favorite activity or try them all! Two-week camps include two overnight trips away from camp, including one to the Shenandoah National Park and one to Lake Moomaw. Traveling Teen Expeditions journey up and down the East Coast. The one and two week treks include activities like camping, surfing, tubing, SUP and service learning.
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Maryland Youth Ballet
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Age: 2 to 20 years old
Length: Individual classes; Day camp
Cost: Starting at $20/class
Maryland Youth Ballet's signature summer program, the Summer Festival, runs for five weeks and is open to 10 to 16-year-olds, by audition. The program encompasses intensive dance training, with daily technique and rehearsals, and concludes with end-of-summer performances at Wolf Trap's Theater in the Woods and MYB's Black Box Theater. Summer intensives offer similarly challenging training on a weekly basis, and Ballet Bridge programs continue dance training between classes and summer intensives. Classes are available for all ages and levels and introduce children to ballet and other dance types.
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The Little Theatre of Alexandria
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Age: 3rd to 8th grade; 9th to 12th grade (CIT program)
Length: Day camp
Cost: Starting at $235
Founded in 1934, The Little Theatre of Alexandria is the oldest award-winning theater in America, with its own building in Old Town and a seven-show season. Summer camp at the Little Theatre combines vocal instruction, improv and choreography, taught by professionals in their fields. Camps vary by age, with programs like Drama Tots available for especially young performers. LTA's camps have been included in Northern Virginia Magazine's Best Summer Camps of 2018 and the LTA is a WATCH award-winner for artistic and technical excellence.
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Coerver United — United Soccer Coaching
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Age: 4 to 16 years old
Length: Day camp
Cost: Starting at $190
Coerver United camps are based on a global football coaching program started in 1984, with a focus on individual skills, decision-making on the field and small group play. Camps foster an encouraging and competitive learning environment, one that values winning, but not more than character and performance. Camps are built on the Adidas 5-3-1 series of competitions, with scores tallied throughout the day. Camps are appropriate for beginners, for players with select or competitive experience, and for goalkeepers.
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The Heights School
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Age: 3rd to 12th grade boys
Length: Day camp
Cost: Starting at $292
Faculty at the Heights School aim to help male students develop good humor, a spirit of adventure, an optimistic attitude and respect for all people. The school offers 32 camps over the summer, with a variety of topics available. Camps can suit almost any interest, with a mix of sports, outdoor adventure, science, academics and study skills. The Heights School is located in Potomac, Maryland.
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Tiny Chefs Inc.
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Age: 4 to 14 years old
Length: Half-day; Full-day
Cost: Varies by program
At Tiny Chefs, kids learn cooking skills in a fun environment. Each recipe has a "kick it up" or "take it down" option, making the camps appropriate for chefs of varying skill. Each camp has a culinary theme, from Dips and Donuts to American Diner to Cupcake Wars. Beyond making tasty creations, kids learn about healthy eating and working together in the kitchen. For competitive cooks, Tiny Chefs offers Chopped camps. They will also run a gluten-free cooking camp this summer.
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GP Sports Camp
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Age: 8 to 15 years old
Length: Day camp, with extended care available
Cost: Starting at $325
Voted Best Sports Camp in 2017 by Bethesda Magazine, GP Sports Camp combines individual attention, skills development, excellent coaching and premier training facilities. Georgetown Prep runs comprehensive camps for a variety of sports, including (but not limited to) football, baseball, lacrosse, soccer, basketball, field hockey and golf. Camp training facilities include a 9-hole golf course, an 11-lane pool, four practice fields, a wresting room, a gym, a film room and outdoor turf, grass and baseball fields.
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Kids and Culture Camp
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Age: 3 to 12 years old
Length: Day camp, with extended care available
Cost: Starting at $260
Kids and Culture Camp offers four weeks of high-quality summer programming that focus on educational and cultural enrichment. Campers study the music, history, language, science, art and literature of one culture each week. This year, cultures include St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Mongolia, Senegal and Morocco. In addition to cooking, music appreciation, story times and games, camps also feature Water Wednesdays, Festival Fridays, field trips and special guests. KCC is run by a co-operative of parents.
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