Chicago is opening, and so are kids’ summer camps! If you’ve been waiting to see what your kid may or may not be able to do, it’s not too late to get them busy and active this summer. Here are some great SAFE last-minute summer camp ideas for kids of all ages and interests.
Camp Galileo – 8 locations in the Chicagoland area
If your kid is into innovation, new ideas, and collaboration, this is the camp for them!
Camp Galileo camps are designed to develop the creative confidence of campers and give them a complete toolkit for collaborating with others to innovate and go from vision to reality.
Galileo offers weeklong themes tailored by age group that are designed to engage and inspire campers, offering engaging hands-on projects, outdoor games, and an immersive environment crafted to capture the imagination.
This year’s themes: Toy Makers, National Parks, and Olympics.
Camp Galileo offers lots of laughter, play, and screen-free time with friends – 75% of the time will be spent outside. For safety, campers will stick with their camper cohort of 10-14 campers, campers and staff will participate in daily screening, and there will be masking by campers and staff.
Sign-ups are by the week, and discounts are given for multiple weeks of enrollment.
Twelve Tone Music School – Glenview
If your kiddo is a music whiz, or simply intrigued by an instrument/melodies, this is a last-minute summer camp for them.
Kids can choose from a variety of specialized music lesson options in keys, guitar, or intro to music for those just starting out. They also offer a Jam Camp for kids who want to practice what it’s like being in a band! They have flexible week-to-week options, making it easy for families who like to travel or mix in other camps.
Pedalheads – 8 locations in the Chicagoland area
Is your child super nervous about learning to ride a bike? Maybe they just need a little more confidence? Either way, Pedalheads is best known for helping even the most tentative of kids get off of training wheels and riding on their own. They taught BOTH of my children to ride a bike. My daughter was absolutely terrified of riding a bike, and she ended up ditching the training wheels with a smile by the end of camp. Pedalheads has been around for 25 years, and most kids learn to ride their bike without training wheels in 1 week.
They offer learn-to-ride week-long bike camps for kids 3 and up with weekly half-day, all-day, and 1.5hr Tots options
Important fact: Pedalheads ran camps in 2020 to over 40K kids with zero covid-19 transmission at camps.
Kids’ Work- Roscoe Village
Kids’ Work Chicago is Chicago’s premier child care and early education center offering a safe and homelike space for young children to explore, interact and express themselves during the most crucial years of their development. Their mission is to provide positivity, support, and balance to young children and their families.
Kids’ Work Chicago is offering full-day Summer Camp for 4-8 year-olds at their brand new location at Riverview on Roscoe.
Camp highlights include weekly music with Ms. Elisa of Wee Groove, Yoga sessions with Ms. Cassi, and dance classes with All About Dance! Campers can express themselves creatively through open-ended art and music activities. Campers will also enjoy fun outdoor activities including walking trips, water play, sports, and free play on the playground!
I recently answered some questions on Fox 32 Chicago about last-minute summer camp ideas, here they are:
Businesses and programming are opening up in Chicagoland! What does that mean for folks looking to put their kids in camp versus last summer? As restrictions relax and are removed, camps can add more kids to their rosters and add programs that might not have been possible just weeks ago. Also, many camps are focused on getting kids outside as much as possible!
Are there viable options for parents who haven’t booked camp yet? New opportunities are opening up as the next phase comes, which means it isn’t too late to book your kid into camp! Many camps are being more flexible with registration, offering the opportunity to sign up last minute and following more relaxed cancellation policies.
What kind of commitment should parents expect when looking to enroll? Instead of a month-long sleepaway camp, you can look into a week-by-week local option to make sure you and your family are comfortable with the changing climate. Kids can remain with their friends whom they have had close contact with all year, so find a buddy and sign up!
Cheers to creating a safe, social atmosphere for your kids this summer with last-minute summer camp ideas! (Not to mention some free time for yourself 😉
