Educational Day Camps
Blast Camp (YMCA of Boulder Valley)
Boulder and Longmont
303-664-5455
www.ymcabv.org
3… 2… 1… Blast off! Come join the adventure that awaits you at Blast Camp. Campers will explore, create and engage in fun-filled activities, including arts and crafts, STEM, gaga ball, sports and games, swimming, archery, ice skating, 50 feet slip and slide, foam machine and much more. You do not want to miss this excitement! Day camps are divided by sessions throughout the summer.
Boulder Country Day School Summer Camp
Boulder
303-527-4931
www.bouldercountryday.org
Camps for ages 3-10 and specialty classes for ages 3-16. At Boulder Country Day School, campers learn in the classroom and outdoors through arts, crafts, music, science, cooking, drama, nature walks, fitness and games. Classes include sports, engineering, chess, art, cooking and more.
Butterfly Pavilion
Westminster
720-974-1877
www.butterflies.org
Butterfly Pavilion camps are designed to provide kids with memorable experiences that connect them to nature and encourage an appreciation for science. Led by a dynamic education team, our camps incorporate exploration, inquiry, art and play into programs that appeal to a variety of interests and abilities. Camps are offered during the summer from June to August, as well as on Out of School Days during the school year for youth ages 5-10. We also offer mini-camps for youth ages 4-6. Space is limited and preregistration is required. For questions email [email protected].
Camp Inc. Business Academy
Boulder
303-998-1900
www.campinc.com
A Jewish day summer camp where fourth-12th graders develop confidence and leadership through hands-on experience in entrepreneurship and business.
Camp Invention
Longmont, various locations
800-968-4332
www.campinvention.org
Led by local educators, the weeklong Camp Invention program immerses elementary school children in hands-on learning disguised as fun summer activities. Children spend their time designing inventions and exploring connections between science, technology, engineering and innovation. Discounts are available — register today!
Camp Oonie Koonie Cha
Boulder
303-880-9494
www.campooniekooniecha.com
Safari means long journey in Swahili. Join us for a safari! Rumble in the jungle. Search for wild animals. Act out great jungle stories with drum accompaniments and make a beautiful monkey drum. Engage in scintillating science sessions. Campers make their own instruments, learn great songs and stories, and receive a T-shirt and CD of our camp songs. Camp Oonie Koonie Cha is an action-packed summer music camp for children ages 4-8 that blends science, an Orff xylophone orchestra, drama, storytelling, instrument construction and a final performance into one amazing week. Weeks fill quickly. Register online at www.campokc.com. June 5-9, June 12-16, June 19-23, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Cost: $260.
Chess Camp
Boulder
866-949-4386
www.chesswizards.com
Ages kindergarten through eighth grade. Get out of the house this summer with Chess Wizards; play games, make new friends and have fun. An array of games and activities throughout the camp will be led by the most energetic members of the Wizards’ staff. Activities include chess games, lessons, puzzles, wizard games, charades, outside activities and more!
Colorado Center for the Blind Summer Youth Programs
Littleton
303-778-1130, ext. 222
www.cocenter.org
We have programs that teach the skills of blindness and offer exciting recreational activities for students in elementary school, middle school, high school and college prep.
CU Science Discovery
Boulder
303-492-7188
sciencediscovery.colorado.edu
We offer more than 250 engaging summer camps covering a wide range of STEAM disciplines (science, technology, engineering, art and math). Designed for ages 5-18, our camps and high school classes provide an eclectic mix of engaging, experiential learning activities that will inspire your child to return summer after summer! Full- and half-day, weeklong camps provide an immersive and fun experience all summer long. Instructors include CU faculty and under/graduate scientists that are enthusiastic and knowledgeable. From Cardboard Carnival and Art-Bots to Digital Animation, Forest Ecology and Pharmacy School Experience, we have something for everyone!
Dawson Summer Camps
Lafayette
303-381-0445
www.dawsonschool.org/summercamps
Check out Dawson Summer Camps for kids ages 5-18 starting June 5! We have seven fun-filled weeks full of arts, music, drama, sports, science, technology, cooking and more!
Denver Chess Camp
Englewood
1-888-65-CHESS
www.chesscamp.com
Campers experience chess lessons and play in a fun-filled environment. Lessons are designed to improve campers’ skills, whether children are interested in casual or competitive chess. Instructors use a range of teaching tools including demo boards, worksheets, stories, computers and historic games to keep class time exciting. Each half-day consists of two-hour lessons tailored to the ability of the children and one hour of practice to play against other students and instructors.
Denver Museum of Nature & Science Summer Camp
Denver
303-370-6000
www.dmns.org/learn/children/summer-day-camps-2017
Each week, campers will take amazing journeys throughout the museum and outside into City Park as they experiment, create, build, ask questions and learn — but most of all have fun!
Chess Academy of Denver
Englewood
303-770-6696
www.coloradomasterchess.com
This year the Chess Academy of Denver offers the 23rd Annual Denver Rocky Mountain Chess Camps, held on June 12-16 and July 10-12. Full and half-day options, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. Eight to one staff to student ratio. Participants will be taught score-keeping, etiquette, tournament preparation, logical thinking and strategic planning for all phases of the game. Also available throughout summer are two-day workshops, tournaments and follow-up classes. Founded in 1993, the Denver Chess Academy is the oldest and one of the largest chess camps in the country. Thousands of students, including state and national scholastic champions, have attended the camp from around the country for decades. Learn from National Chess Master and international best-selling author Todd Bardwick.
Denver Zoo Summer Safari: Zooper Heroes
Denver
729-337-1400
www.DenverZoo.org
When school is out, Safari Camp is in! This summer, campers will puzzle out some of our planet’s most exciting challenges! How can we ensure each animal gets what it needs? How do you even begin tracking the nearly invisible? What role will you play once you’ve uncovered the secret connections that hold our world together? Campers connect with animals through zoo exploration, up-close animal experiences, engineering challenges, nature play and special camp-only zoo opportunities. Camps are for ages pre-K through eighth grade and run weekly. Registration is online only, under “Classes & Camps.”
Feet on the Earth Programs: Nature Camps
Boulder
303-642-0562
www.FeetOnTheEarth.org
Every day is a new adventure in nature! Children discover their strengths and build confidence while learning ancient skills for living close to the Earth. Each weeklong camp takes place in lower Lefthand Canyon (1.5 miles west of U.S. 36) and emphasizes building relationship with nature and creating healthy community. Curriculum includes wild edible and medicinal plants, animal tracking, natural shelters, making (and shooting) primitive bows and arrows, team building challenges, nature crafts, silly songs, storytelling, fun games and more! Co-ed and all girls camps available. For children 7-11.
Feet on the Earth Programs: Sneaking Around & Throwing Things Camp
Boulder
303-642-0562
www.FeetOnTheEarth.org
Sneaking, hiding, tracking and accurate throwing are essential skills hunter-gather people use to secure food and keep their community safe. We’ll spend the week making and throwing primitive hunting weapons, playing games that help us practice sneaking and being invisible, and training our awareness to see and decipher the tracks and sign of the animals that live around us. Throughout the week we’ll learn what being a “scout’’ entails, the ethics of the sacred hunt, how to work as a team, and how to use projectiles safely and respectfully. We’ll also tell stories, sing songs, play in the creek and of course practice our aim. Everyone will get the chance to make and take home a few projectile crafts and will surely walk away a little sneakier than when they arrived. For children 10-14 years old.
Feet on the Earth Programs: Wild Arts & Herbs Camp
Boulder
303-642-0562
www.FeetOnTheEarth.org
Let nature be your muse and spend a week feasting on wild edibles, making medicine, creating art out of natural resources, weaving baskets and leaving the land a little more beautiful then we found it. Throughout our time together we will meet new and different plant allies, have plenty of time to learn fun, new crafts, plus play awesome games, sing songs, tell stories and splash in the creek. By the end of the week you’ll surely have some new plant friends, and some earth-based handcrafts to take home. Campers will get to express themselves through art projects and learn how to work with plants and each other safely and respectfully while experiencing the magic and beauty of this wild and diverse valley along Lefthand Creek! For children 10-14 years old.
Friends’ School Summer Programs
Boulder
303-499-1999, ext. 223
www.FriendsSchoolBoulder.org
For preschool, elementary, middle school, ages 3-14, weeklong morning and afternoon sessions. June 5-July 27. Programs include preschool backyard camp, explorer’s camps, circus classes, cooking, art, 3-D printing, photography, computer programming, architecture, pre-engineering and more. Licensed and accredited. Discounts available.
Goats and Gardens — With Boulder Parks & Recreation Boulder
Boulder
303-413-7270
www.BPRcamps.org
Ages 6-11. Spend an active week exploring the Children’s Peace Garden, Mountain Flower Goat Dairy and swimming at the Rec Center! In the Children’s Peace Garden we’ll investigate the secret world of insects, creating art from nature and exploring wondrous plants while making new friends. We’ll grow and taste from the salsa garden and cook pizza using the power of the sun. At Mountain Flower Goat Dairy we’ll spend time with the goats, learn how to walk goats on leashes and feed goats, make cheeses and lotions with goat milk, bottle-feed goat babies and explore livestock management and nutrient cycling. Each afternoon we’ll wrap up the day with a cooling dip in the swimming pool.
iD Tech Camps
University of Denver, Colorado State University
888-709-8324
www.internalDrive.com
Gain a competitive edge! Create iPhone apps, video games, movies and more at weeklong, day and overnight programs held at the University of Denver, University of Colorado State Fort Collins, Stanford, Princeton and other universities. Small classes for ages 7-17 in a fun and challenging setting. Also two-week, teen-only programs held at the University of Denver, Stanford, Yale, Harvard and others: iD Gaming Academy, iD Programming Academy and iD Visual Arts Academy (filmmaking and photography).
Keystone Science
School Summer Camp
Keystone
970-455-4228
www.KeystoneScienceSchool.org
Be amazed this summer at Keystone Science School as we celebrate 40 years of extraordinary experiences, best friends and new insight into the awe-inspiring world of science, adventure and fun! Since 1976, Keystone Science School Summer Camp has taught kids social skills, independence and friendship with the added elements of outdoor education and high-altitude adventure. The cost of day camp ranges from $65-$430. Our day camp, for kids grades K-6, features a new theme each week and incorporates creative activities, teambuilding and investigative learning into each day. Find a full summer calendar and program options at KeystoneScienceSchool.org or call 970-455-4228.
Kodu Video Game Creation Camp
Englewood
1-888-65-CHESS
www.activelearningcamps.com
Children will have the option of learning how to program a game for their Windows 7 or higher PC or using a Microsoft Xbox controller! Students learn game design as they create their own cool custom world and navigate through it. Within this world they will create tasks that need to be completed in order to progress to the next level. Tasks include a first person maze game format where the students create a maze and the character must escape the maze, a survival mode, and tasks such as outwitting rivals, creating decoys and collecting bonus items all while having fun! This is a half-day camp; students can add an additional program to make it a full-day camp.
Longmont Humane Society Kids & Critters Camp
Longmont
303-772-1232
www.longmonthumane.org
WANTED: Children ages 7-12 years old who love animals! Longmont Humane Society is holding four mini-camps this summer. Four half-day sessions to choose from: June 5-7, 12-14, 19-21 or 26-28. Enjoy a PAWS-itive summer break while learning about proper dog walking, animal body language and cat handling, participating in interactive animal-themed games and activities, and meeting special guest visitors. $160/session.
Marine Science and Mini Swim Camp —with Ocean First Divers
Boulder
303-444-7234
www.oceanfirst.blue/swim/youth-swim-programs/marine-science-and-swim-camp
How do sharks find their food? Is coral alive? Why are plastic bags dangerous for turtles? In our exciting marine science and swim minicamp, your child will explore these questions and learn about our amazing ocean and its inhabitants through hands-on activities, storytelling and games. Each day focuses on a different marine topic with an emphasis on how we can help protect the ocean. After our engaging time in the classroom, we’ll move the fun to the pool where our highly qualified swim instructors will work with the children on swimming techniques and building confidence in and around the water. Runs Monday through Friday from 1-3 p.m. June through August.
Play-Well TEKnologies
Boulder
720-515-7309
www.Play-well.org
Play-Well TEKnologies provides project-based programs designed to teach principles and methods of engineering to kindergarten through eighth graders utilizing LEGO products. Utilizing more than 100,000 pieces of LEGO for each camp, we strive to build students’ problem-solving skills, foster a greater appreciation of how things work and encourage the qualities of inquisitiveness, self-reliance and self-confidence in children. Play-Well Camps in the Boulder area take place at Boulder Parks & Rec, Boulder JCC, Friends School, Boulder Country Day, Dawson School, The Bixby School, The Arts HUB, Bob Burger Rec Center, and St. Vrain Memorial Building.
Quest & Quill with Renaissance Adventures
Boulder
303-786-9216
www.RenaissanceAdventures.com
Adventure Quest + Creative Writing! Questers write about the stories unfolding in their quests, their heroic character or any topic that inspires them. In the tradition of the Norse Skalds, we focus on the enjoyment of writing, self-expression and the oratory arts of reading aloud and hearing others. We do not focus on grammar, spelling or writing style. By participating in daily “Guild Challenges,” every Quester’s writing earns character powers and treasures in the Adventure Quest program that is a part of Quest & Quill. Quest & Quill Summer Quests give the opportunity to write and develop short stories with the potential to craft a tale to include in the Adventure Quest: Stories publication (released in book stores and Amazon). See website for dates. Ages 9+.
Stir It Up Cooking School
Boulder
303-494-2665
www.stiritupcooking.com
Ages 5-16. Weekly cooking camps. Cooking, baking, and fun in the kitchen. Menus include American, Asian, Caribbean, European, Mexican or Mediterranean. We pick fresh herbs fruit and vegetables from our backyard garden. We eat what we make, so bring your appetite! June-August: Half-day and full-day camps available.
Storycraft
Boulder
www.storycraftboulder.com
Storycraft Boulder offers a radically new kind of writing studio. Meet at the Boulder Public Library and then from there move to Pearl Street, the Trident or Red Rocks Trail.Elementary Dates: Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-3 p.m. June 19-August 11. Middle School Dates: Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. June 19-June 23.
Storycamp
Niwot
603-770-3358
www.campstorycamp.com
Children bring stories to life through visual art, stop-motion animation, physical theater and interactive sculpture. We connect with nature, learn to walk on stilts, develop circus skills, repurpose materials and build art installations. Storycamp seeks to embolden children, to encourage curiosity and build fresh relationships with a rapidly evolving world. Activities are designed to facilitate embodiment, imagination and the ability to respond creatively and empathetically while collaborating. Our instructors are professional artists and experienced educators who have worked with children throughout the world. For ages 7-12 years. June through August. Monday-Friday, 8:30 am-3:30 p.m. Aftercare until 5 p.m. Eight complementary sessions, can attend in sequence. $350/ week.
Summer Fantasy Writing and Gaming Camp
Boulder
720-300-2216
www.creative-writing-solutions.com
Druidawn, Inc. specializes in helping reluctant writers to overcome writing resistance using fantasy role-play gaming as a powerful motivator. This summer camp delves deeply into the world of imagination and creativity, giving students the unique opportunity to add their own ideas to the exciting World of Druidawn! Also offered are advanced writing techniques and publishing opportunities, help with overcoming writer’s block, lessons on how to create original characters and plots, sword making and action-packed adventures outdoors, fantasy art techniques and more. Camp runs June 19-June 23, June 26-30, July 10-14 and July 17-21 at Horizons K-8 School. Camp is open to ages 7.5-14 years old.
YMCA & BVSD Lifelong Learning Summer Camps
Various schools around BVSD
303-664-5455
www.ymcabv.org
The YMCA of Boulder Valley and BVSD Lifelong Learning are collaborating again to offer a fun and educational camp opportunity for youth in the community. There are numerous themes to choose from at multiple BVSD schools. This year, options include LEGO Adventures and sports clinics. Day camps are divided by sessions throughout the summer.
Overnight Camps
Colorado Center for the Blind Summer Youth Programs
Littleton
303-778-1130 ext. 222
www.cocenter.org
We have programs that teach the skills of blindness and offer exciting recreational activities for students in elementary school, middle school, high school and college prep.
Cottonwood Gulch Foundation
Albuquerque, New Mexico
800-2-GO-TREK
www.cottonwoodgulch.org
The Cottonwood Gulch Foundation sponsors educational wilderness expeditions and outdoor programs in the American Southwest that promote personal growth, scientific, historic and cultural discovery as well as a knowledgeable environmental ethic among all those who participate.
Crow Canyon Archaeological Center — High School Archaeology Camp
Cortez
800-422-8975, ext. 455
www.crowcanyon.org
Brush away the dirt to uncover a piece of ancient pottery — and be the first person to touch that artifact in a thousand years! At Crow Canyon’s High School summer camp, you’ll join our research team to help discover the ancient history of southwest Colorado. You’ll learn excavation and lab techniques and work alongside our archaeologists at sites inhabited more than 1,000 years ago. Then you will help analyze ancient artifacts in the lab. It’s an authentic, hands-on introduction to archaeology at the pre-college level. You will learn about American Indian cultures and explore the cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde National Park. You’ll also try your hand at ancient technologies, like throwing wooden spears with an atlatl, and making fire with a bow drill. In 2015 USA Today named our archaeology summer camps one of the 10 best adventure camps for kids. July 16-22.
Crow Canyon Archaeological Center — High School Field School
Cortez
800-422-8975, ext. 455
www.crowcanyon.org
The intensive Crow Canyon High School Field School offers much more than the typical summer camp — here, you’ll become an important part of our research team. You’ll learn excavation and lab techniques, then work alongside our archaeologists at a site inhabited by ancestral Pueblo people more than 1,000 years ago. You’ll also help analyze artifacts in our research laboratory and enter data into our research database. The Field School also provides opportunities to learn about American Indian cultures past and present. You’ll explore the cliff dwellings of nearby Mesa Verde National Park and try ancient technologies like throwing spears with an atlatl, weaving and making pottery. And on weekends, you will take part in exciting adventures like hiking, camping and rafting trips. You can also earn high school or college credit and gain experience that will look great on a college application or a resume. June 25-July 15.
Crow Canyon Archaeological Center — Middle School Archaeology Camp
Cortez
800-422-8975, ext. 455
www.crowcanyon.org
Don’t just learn about archaeology — do it! Every summer at Crow Canyon, middle school students join our research team in helping to discover the history of ancestral Pueblo Indians in the Mesa Verde region. At Crow Canyon’s Middle School camp, students learn excavation and lab techniques, then work with our researchers at a real archaeological site where ancestral Pueblo people lived more than 1,000 years ago. You’ll learn about American Indian cultures, past and present and explore the cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde National Park. You’ll also throw a wooden spear with an atlatl, make fire with a bow drill, and have fun making new friends! In 2015 USA Today named our archaeology summer camps one of the 10 best adventure camps for kids. June 18–24.
Feet on the Earth Programs
Boulder
303-642-0562
www.FeetOnTheEarth.org
Survival Overnight Adventure Camp: A lot of people play survival games and watch survival shows, but not a lot of people can actually survive in the wild! Come learn how to be one who can not only survive, but thrive in nature. Develop the skills to be safe and confident in wild places while building friendships and having a total blast! For youth 11-14 years old.
Night Camp: Are you the kind of girl who likes to stay up late at night and sleep late in the morning? Do you like sneaking up on your friends and hanging out around the fire carving and making crafts? You will love this sleepover camp where an awesome group of girls gathers in the woods for fun week of nighttime and daytime adventures! For girls 14-18 years old.
Global Works Travel
Boulder-based with trips to 20 destinations
303-545-2202
www.globalworkstravel.com
For 27 years, Global Works has been providing exceptional Community Service, Summer Enrichment, Adventure Travel and Language Immersion programs for students and groups. Much more than a vacation, Global Works international trips are the bridge for meaningful cultural exchange with people around the world. In all of our locations, we partner with communities and organizations to select and implement grassroots service projects that make an impact. Our philosophy is to work WITH a community, not for a community. All Global Works programs feature community service projects and adventure activities. Global Works offers summer service adventures for high school students and custom group travel for schools and organizations. If you are looking for fun and adventure, and want to be a spark for social change in the world, let Global Works be your guide!
iD Tech Camps
DU, Colorado State University
888-709-TECH
www.internalDrive.com
Small classes for ages 7-17 in a fun and challenging setting. Also two-week, teen-only programs held at the University of Denver, Stanford, Yale, Harvard and others: iD Gaming Academy, iD Programming Academy, and iD Visual Arts Academy (filmmaking and photography).
Keystone Science School Summer Camp
Keystone
970-468-2098
www.KeystoneScienceSchool.org
Be amazed this summer at Keystone Science School as we celebrate 40 years of extraordinary experiences, best friends and new insight into the awe-inspiring world of science, adventure and fun! Since 1976, Keystone Science School Summer Camp has taught kids social skills, independence and friendship with the added elements of outdoor education and high-altitude adventure. The cost of our overnight programs range from $680 for three-day programs and up to $2,125 for a 13 day backcountry adventure.
Sanborn Western Camps
Florissant
719-748-3341
www.sanbornwesterncamps.com
Since 1948, Sanborn Western Camps have been creating outdoor experiences of exceptional quality and depth. Sanborn’s fun, relaxed atmosphere and caring staff provide a supportive environment for individual growth in self-confidence, independence and awareness of others. Big Spring Ranch for Boys and High Trails Ranch for Girls lie at an elevation of 8,700 feet in the center of Colorado, 35 miles west of Colorado Springs.
Summer Study Programs
University of Colorado
800-666-2556
www.summerdiscovery.com/cu-boulder
Summer Study Programs offers high school students a unique two-, three- or four-week summer opportunity: providing the “total pre-collegiate experience” on the iconic University of Colorado campus. Amidst the majestic Rocky Mountains, students enrolled in our CU pre-college program can expect an exciting and educationally rewarding summer filled with dynamic enrichment.
