The multitude of day, instructional-based, sleep over, single-focus and
specialty camps for K-12 schoolchildren in the DMV are varied and unique.
According to online camp resource guides, Maryland and Virginia each offer,
on average, 600 summer camps per year. That’s about 1,800 possible camps to
choose from in this area!
Here are some one-of-a-kind local summer camps.
Single-Focus Camps
Most traditional summer camps offer boys and girls a wide range of
activities within a single program. County recreational facilities pack a
wallop of fun, including arts and crafts, sports, aquatics and nature in a
single camp week. Some schools and private organizations focus on a single
camp offering and specialize in that one topic, giving campers ample
opportunities to learn and become proficient in specific areas.
Examples of Single-Focus Camps
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Basketball: for boys and girls (ages 6 – 14) by the Washington Wizards and
Washington Mystics. nba.com/wizards/jr-wizards-camps-clinics -
Cheerleading: for boys and girls (ages 5 – 14) by All Star Legacy.
allstarlegacy.com/summer-camps-clinics -
Cooking: for boys and girls (ages 3 – 8) by Cooking Thyme.
cookingthyme.com/summer-camp.html -
Fencing: for boys and girls (starting at age 8) by Fairfax Fencers.
fairfaxfencers.com/camps -
Flag Football: for boys (ages 7 – 14) by Quince Orchard High School.
qofootball.com/cougar-camp -
Foreign language immersion: for boys and girls (ages 2.5 – 8) by
Communikids. communikids.com/class-type/summercamp -
Horseback Riding: for boys and girls (ages 5 – 12) by Twin Oaks Riding
Academy. twinoaksriding.com/camp.php -
Math: for boys and girls (ages 5 – 15) by MathTree.
mathtree.com/summer-camps -
Modeling: for girls (ages 11 – 17) by The Model Source, Inc.
modelingcamp.com/washington-dc-modeling-camp.html -
Musical Instruments: for boys and girls (all ages) by Levine Music.
levinemusic.org/education/summer/camps-classes-and-workshops -
Sewing: for girls by Cupcakes and Lace, LLC.
cupcakesandlace.com/workshops/va-workshops-camps -
Soccer: for boys and girls (ages 5 – 16) by D.C. United.
dcunited.com/camps/summer -
STEM: for boys and girls (ages 8 – 15) by the Woods Academy.
roboticsengineeringandgameplay.com -
Visual Arts: for boys and girls (ages 6 – 12) by Artworks Fine Arts
Studio. artworksclasses.com/camps -
Yoga: for boys and girls (ages 4 – 12) by Circle Yoga Cooperative.
circleyoga.com/kids_family/summer-camp
Specialty Camps
Specialty camps are single-focus camps, but stand apart because of their
location, topic of concentration or unique approach to camping.
Examples of Specialty Camps
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The International Spy Museum delights its campers through top secret
missions in which children are strongly advised to wear disguises while
learning codes and thrilling escapes. Summer camps are for boys and girls
ages 10 – 13. spymuseum.org/education-programs/kids-families/spy-camp -
Bach to Rock focuses on music while getting students excited about
performing. They offer a camp for kids who want to play instruments and
join a rock band, a glee club for those who want to sing and opportunities
to record a studio demo, learn how to be a DJ and use professional sound
tools to record original music. b2rmusic.com/camps -
Club Scientific Chesapeake provides enrichment that combines science and
technology, encouraging campers to gain a life-long passion for “inquiry
and discovery.” Its founders, Bob and Sue Hagan, approach their business
with down-to-earth information to support their mission of providing the
most comprehensive science curriculum that gives children opportunities to
experience science as it occurs in the real world.
clubscikidzmd.com/programs/camp-locations -
NOVA DC Academy offers an English-language immersion camp experience for
international students by pairing them with native speakers. This
intriguing camp gives students ample opportunities to socialize and learn
about other cultures in a sensitive, educational, fun setting.
novadcacademy.com -
The Virginia Space Flight Academy offers six coed overnight camps for boys
and girls ages 11 – 16. The academy’s offerings are dedicated to the
pursuit of rocketry science, offering beginner (junior) and advanced
opportunities to build and launch rockets using sophisticated programs.
vaspaceflightacademy.org -
Flute teachers Carrie Rose and Melissa Lindon offer summer camps for young
flutists who are in fourth through ninth grades. Campers practice playing
in ensembles, learn about music history and even do yoga to encourage
proper breathing for better flute playing. rosearts.org/flute-a-rama -
The National Inventors Hall of Fame in Alexandria provides a unique
approach to summer camps, encouraging campers to use creative brainstorming
and hands-on problem-solving to invent things. Their invention camps are
designed for boys and girls in kindergarten through sixth grade. As an
added bonus, their camps offer seventh, eighth and ninth graders the
opportunity to assist younger campers through counselors-in-training
sessions. campinvention.org -
The National Maritime Heritage Foundation offers beginning and intermediate
camps in sailing, ensuring that even the least experienced children know
how to maneuver small boats. dcsail.org/youth-kss
Conglomerate Powerhouse Camps!
The DMV area offers several conglomerate summer camps that may be
considered powerhouses due to their extensive range and quantity of smaller
offerings under one roof.
Examples of Single-Focus Camps
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The Smithsonian Associates offers a staggering 102 camps to boys and girls.
Perhaps the most unique aspect of the Smithsonian Associates is its rich
backdrop of museums, which provides enough visual materials to easily live
up to its slogan with camp offerings that are “entertaining, informative,
eclectic and insightful.” -
Children from kindergarten through ninth grade will be intrigued learning
about the civil rights movement, Egyptian history, 2D and 3D paper
projects, the solar system and the engineering process behind things that
spin. They will also have loads of fun discovering how mammals communicate,
why there are disgusting things in nature and how to dig fossils.
smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/camp -
The YMCA of Metropolitan Washington provides services to children in 17
branches throughout the DMV. The YMCA offers 12 different categories of
camps, with scores of offerings within each group. Of noteworthy interest
are the leadership and teen camps which take camps to the next level by
offering opportunities for boys and girls to lead the next generation of
campers. ymcadc.org/summer-day-camps -
St. Stephens and St. Agnes School in Alexandria includes 48 unique camps
among their three campuses. The selection they provide to boys and girls
spans the gamut, from apiary and beekeeping to automotive repair to fossils
to family archives. They even offer a summer camp for diehard fans of Harry
Potter! summertimes.org/Page/Our-Programs/Specialty-Camps -
Hopefully these summer camps inspire you to book your children on a
one-of-a-kind summer camp adventure in the DMV area.
