Day Camps
Boulder Country Day School
Boulder
303-527-4931
www.bouldercountryday.org
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. Ages 3-16.
Butterfly Pavilion
Westminster
720-974-1861
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, June-August. New this year, campers will be grouped by age, ages 5-6 in one room and ages 7-12 in another, for certain activities. This will allow us to better cater our curriculum to specific grade levels, enhancing the learning experience! However, all campers will be together for games, lunches and exhibit exploration.
Camp Inc Business Academy
Boulder
303-998-1900
www.campinc.cpm
A Jewish day summer camp where fourth through 12th graders develop confidence and leadership through hands-on experience in entrepreneurship and business.
Camp Invention
Arvada, Denver, Erie, Golden, Louisville, Longmont, Thornton
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!
Chess Camp
Boulder and Denver
866-949-4386
www.chesswizards.com
Join us this summer for tons of challenging chess lessons, exciting games and cool prizes. You’ll improve your chess skills, meet new friends and work out your most powerful muscle — your brain! Our camps include fun team chess games (like bughouse), recess time (of course), snacks, tournaments and puzzles. Each camper receives a T-shirt, trophy and puzzle folder. Unleash your brain power and spend part of your vacation with Chess Wizards!
CU Science Discovery
Boulder
303-492-7188
sciencediscovery.colorado.edu
We offer more than 230 summer camps and high school programs for ages 5-18. Our half- and full-day programs offer unique summer experiences that cover a wide range of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) disciplines. For families taking advantage of our full-day options, we provide free lunch supervision — you provide lunch and we provide outdoor activities that foster lively summertime entertainment. Our programs provide an eclectic mix of engaging, experiential learning activities designed to inspire exploration, collaboration and fun! Instructors include CU faculty and under/graduate scientists that are enthusiastic and knowledgeable. A few new programs for 2018 include Coding with Apple Swift; Microbes: Pathogens and Protectors; Designing with Empathy; Get Moving at the CU Boulder Rec Center; Castle Ballistics; Paper Engineering; Remote Sensing; Vet Med; Science of Toxicology and Pharmacology; Meteorology, Specdrums: Turning Color Into Sound and We Share Solar. We have a little something for everyone! Register online.
USA Chess Camp
Boulder
888-652-4377
www.usachess.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.
Dawson Summer Camps
Lafayette
303-381-0445
www.dawsonschool.org/summer
Come join us this summer for eight weeks of Dawson’s 70+ exciting camps and programs for ages 5-15. Camp hours are 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Friday. Between June 4 and Aug. 3, we will offer various weeklong day camps in arts, tech, sports and more. Full hot/cold lunch in our dining hall. Take a break and cool off in the pool daily. There is an experienced adult director for every camp and a 5-to-1 camper/staff ratio. Cost range: $300- $450 per week. For a full listing of our summer camp information visit us online or e-mail [email protected] for questions.
Denver Museum of Nature & Science Summer Camp
Denver
303-370-6000
www.dmns.org
Each week, campers will take amazing journeys throughout the museum as they experiment, create, build, ask questions and learn — but most of all have fun!
Denver Rocky Mountain
Chess Camps
Denver
303-770-6696
www.coloradomasterchess.com
The 24th-annual Denver Rocky Mountain Chess Camps will be held June 4-8 and July 9-11. Participants will be taught scorekeeping, 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 Rocky Mountain Chess camp is the oldest and one of the largest chess camps in the country. Thousands of students from around the country, including state and national scholastic champions, have attended the camp for decades. Learn from National Chess Master and international best-selling author Todd Bardwick. Full and half-day options, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Eight-to-1 staff to student ratio. Call or visit our website for details.
Denver Zoo Summer Safari
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 and even unheard from? 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
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 relationships 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. For children in preschool, elementary or middle school, there are weeklong morning and afternoon sessions that run from June 4 to July 20. Programs include Preschool Backyard Camp, Explorer’s Camps, Circus Classes, Cooking, Art, 3D Printing, Photography, Computer Programming, Architecture, Pre-Engineering and more. Licensed and accredited. Discounts available. Details and registration online.
‘Friends’ School Summer Programs
Boulder
303-499-1999, ext. 223
www.FriendsSchoolBoulder.org
For preschool, elementary, middle school, ages 3-14, week long morning and afternoon sessions. June 4-July 20. Programs include Preschool Backyard Camp, Explorer’s Camps, Circus Classes, Cooking, Art, 3D Printing, Photography, Computer Programming, Architecture, Pre-Engineering and more. Licensed & accredited. Discounts available.
Goats and Gardens — With Boulder Parks & Recreation
Boulder
303-413-7441
www.BPRcamps.org
Explore the wonders of Growing Gardens Children’s Peace Garden, get to know the goats at Mountain Flower Goat Dairy and finish off the day by swimming at the North Boulder Recreation Center. We will investigate the secret world of insects, create art from nature and explore the wondrous plants while making new friends. We’ll grow and taste from the famous salsa garden and cook pizza using the power of the sun. We will spend time getting to know the goats and guardian llama, learn to walk the goats on leashes, feed the babies, make cheese, milk a goat and explore small-scale farming practices, all the while learning livestock management and the nutrient cycle. Ages 6-11.
ID Tech Camps
University of Denver, Colorado State University, University of Colorado Boulder, Mile High Academy
888-709-8324
www.Idtech.com
Gain a competitive edge! Create iPhone apps, video games, movies and more at our weeklong, day and overnight programs held at the University of Denver, CSU-Fort Collins, Stanford, Princeton and other universities. We offer small classes for ages 7-17 in a fun and challenging setting. Also two-week, teen-only programs are held at the University of Denver, Stanford, Yale, Harvard and others: iD Gaming Academy, iD Programming Academy and iD Visual Arts Academy (filmmaking & photography). Overnight camps are also available.
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. Our day camp, for kids in kindergarten through sixth grade, features a new theme each week and incorporates creative activities, team building and investigative learning into each day. Find a full summer calendar and program options online. Overnight camps are also available.
Longmont Humane Society Kids & Critters Camp
Longmont
303-772-1232, ext. 289
www.longmonthumane.org
Wanted: Children ages 7-12 who love animals! Longmont Humane Society is holding animal care mini-camps this summer, with four half-day sessions of three days each to choose from: Monday-Wednesday, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., June 4-6, 11-13, 18-20 or 25-27. Enjoy a PAWS-itive summer break while learning about proper dog walking, animal body language and cat handling. Participate in interactive animal-themed games and activities and meet special guest visitors. $160/session.
Ocean First marine science and swim mini camp
Boulder
303-444-7234
www.oceanfirst.blue/swim
How do sharks find their food? Is coral alive? Why are plastic bags dangerous for turtles? In our exciting Marine Science and Swim mini-camp, 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 to practice swimming techniques and water safety skills.
Out of the classroom and into the world — Costa Rica
Costa Rica
303-710-5048
www.ociworld.net
It’s time to get out and use your Spanish – whatever level you may be! Join us in Costa Rica for daily language instruction with a qualified teacher; service projects at local schools and/or organic farms; participation in conservation efforts being made to protect animals of the area; guided boat tour that brings you up close and personal with the unique flora and fauna of one of the most bio-diverse places on Earth. Plus: take a surf lesson, swim and boogie board, fly over the canopy on a zipline, horseback ride on the beach, hike to gorgeous waterfalls, relax by the water and listen to the waves.
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 students in kindergarten through eighth grade, utilizing Lego products. Using over 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 and 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 Schools
Boulder
303-494-2665
www.stiritupcooking.com
Weekly camps include 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! Camps run in June and July, with half-day and full-day camps available. Ages 6-15.
H Storycraft
Boulder
720-323-6282
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.
Storycamp
Niwot and Boulder
603-770-3358
www.campstorycamp.com
Children bring stories to life through visual art, stop motion animation, physical theater and interactive sculpture. We learn to walk on stilts, develop circus skills, use tools and re-purpose materials to build public art installations. This is collaborative fun that brings awesome to the community. We adventure out on many field trips. Our instructors are professional artists and experienced educators who have worked with children throughout the world. Ages 7-12. June -August. Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Aftercare is available until 5 p.m. For more information call or visit our website.
YMCA and BVSD lifelong learning summer camps
Various schools around BVSD
303-443-4474
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’s options include Lego classes, STEM adventures, sports clinics, music, cooking, science and more.
OVERNIGHT
Camps
Crow Canyon Archaeological Center — High School and Middle School Archaeology Camps
Cortez
800-422-8975
www.crowcanyon.org
At Crow Canyon’s High School and Middle School Archeology camps, brush away the dirt to uncover a piece of ancient pottery — and be the first person to touch that artifact in a thousand years! 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. Camps run June 17-23 and July 15-21.
Crow Canyon Archaeological Center — Field School
Cortez
800-422-8975
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. 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. 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. Camp runs June 24-July 14, 2018.
Global Works Travel
Boulder-based with trips to multiple destinations
303-545-2202
www.globalworkstravel.com
For 28 years, Global Works has been providing exceptional community service, summer enrichment and adventure travel programs for students and groups. Choose from programs that focus on community development, language immersion, ecology and wildlife, and public health/medicine. 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. 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 positive change in the world, let Global Works be your guide!
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.
High School Summer Study Programs
University of Colorado Boulder
303-492-5148
www.colorado.edu/summer
Summer Study Programs offer high school students a unique 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.
