There are still spots open at select camps. Have a child or two or an entire squad? Time to start planning for the summer break. For a lot of Denver/Boulder area families that means summer camps, and there are so many to choose from. Some are all about getting outside and exploring, while other focus on different art aspects and some get your kid moving.
Keep in mind registration started around the beginning of February for many spots, often letting members or city residents have first dibs a couple days earlier than open registration.
We know that many camps are pricey. So, look for scholarship offers and discounts as well. And, while this list isn’t absolute, it covers quite a few of the popular summer camps in and around Denver.
The church camps are usually the least expensive. Although we’re not including information on the many, many church camps — there are soooo many — they are a great choice for the budget-conscious parent.
If you know of any low-cost camps, please drop us a note at news@milehighonthecheap.com.
The Arts Camps
Book an art-filled summer camp at the Denver Art Museum. Photo by Linnea Covington
Denver Art Museum
The camps at the Denver Art Museum get broken into three age groups: 5 to 6, 7 to 8, and 9 to 11. Overall the themes remain the same, there are camps about art in nature, how to draw, learning about color and sculpture.
Each camp runs from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and include plenty of time in the museum to garner inspiration.
Cost: $350 for members, $380 for non-members
Registration Opens: Now open
Location: 100 W. 14th Ave., Pkwy., Denver.
Notable Kids Art Center
Get your kid out and acting during these one-week camps for ages 5 to 15. Choose from musical theater or regular theater, focusing on tales from Harry Potter, The Princess Bride, Encanto and more. The event space also hosts visual art classes, and kids can take a half day, full day, or a combo day of art and acting. Bonus, at the end of the week the kids in the acting classes will have a performance showcasing what they learned.
Cost: $405 for full day, $205 for half day, siblings get $10 off registration
Registration Opens: Now open
Location: 5101 S. Dayton St., Greenwood Village.
Arvada Center
If your kid is 3 to 18 and loves a bit of drama and/or art, the Arvada Center has a slew of full- and half-day camps available. The best and most economic way to sign up for camp is to do it in three or four week blocks, and the venue offers combinations of visual art, musical theater, drama and music.
Cost: Tuition starts at $100, but depending on the class and length of time, it can go up to $1,200.
Registration Opens: February 16 at 11 a.m.
Location: 6901 Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada.
Mile High Youth Theatre
Mix and match morning and afternoon Mile High Youth Theatre performing arts camp sessions with the option to bring a lunch and stay in between. Offers camps and programs for youth ages 4 to 18 (split into multiple age groups). Full summer productions available in addition to week-long camps. Drop-in options available for the week of July 4th.
Cost: $200 for a.m. or p.m. session per week – Scholarships available!
Registration Opens: Now open
Location: 940 Fillmore St., Denver.
Craftsman & Apprentice
Craftsman & Apprentice hosts artsy summer camps. Photo by Jessica Dory
Ages 5 to 11 can spend the summer creating worlds out of cardboard, paint, hot glue, ribbons, corks, buttons and more at this Denver kids’ crafting studio. Themes include toys, crafty critters, fiber arts and more. Each camp runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cost: $550 per week, with 10% off multiple camps
Registration Opens: Now open
Location: 1335 E 22nd Ave., Denver.
Colorado Dancesport
Hosts a kids ballroom dance camp July 9 to 11 and 16 to 18. Program includes partner dancing, ballroom dancing, Latin dancing, swing dancing, solo choreography and fun games.
Ages 5 to 8 attend from 9 a.m. to noon. Ages 9 to 13 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Cost: $135 per child. Sibling discounts available.
Registration Opens: Now open. To register call 720-283-2623.
Location: 5120 S. Lowell, Littleton.
Wizardry Summer Day Camp
This summer, 3rd graders to 8th graders can exploring the concept of the book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling. Sessions are Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Activities include: being sorted into houses, shopping for their wizarding supplies (and the other fun shops), creating logos for player jerseys, learning spells and dueling practices, potions, care of magical creatures, divination, defense against the dark arts, non-magic studies, wand-care, book-related challenges, team building, card trading, writing articles for the wizarding newspaper, trivia, and of course…. playing magical sports!
The camp believes in nurturing not only academic growth through reading, writing, science, art, physical activities and a bit of math but also social-emotional development, recognizing the importance of peer interaction and the creation of a safe, supportive community where neuro-divergent individuals are celebrated, and all identities are respected.
Cost: $430 per child + $70 materials fee
Registration Opens: Now Open.
Location: 690 N. Colorado Blvd., Denver.
Science Camps
Rosie the tarantula loves to be held. Photo: Butterfly Pavilion
Butterfly Pavilion
Starting June 3 and through August 9, the Butterfly Pavilion hosts all the creepy crawlies and your children at camp, as long as they are between the ages of 5 and 12.
There are five themes, which repeat once and include spider week, junior zookeeper and survival stories, where kids can learn about how insects adapt to survive.
Cost: Full day rate runs $305, and members save $30
Registration Opens: Now open
Location: 6252 W. 104th Ave., Westminster.
Space Voyage Summer Camp
For a camp that’s out of this world, let your kids ages 9 to 15 (or entering grades 4 through 8), embark on an educational adventure. During the three day sessions (June 18-20 and July 1-3) kids will explore Apollo 11 and build Saturn V Rocket Models using bricolage techniques. Sessions run from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Cost: $269
Registration Opens: Now open
Location: Space Voyage Summer Camp Pavilion located at Coronado Elementary School, 7125 S. Carr St., Littleton.
Lavner Camps
Join the tech revolution by having your child spend their summer learning about robots, coding, game design and more. The camps here cater to kids ages 6 to 16, and hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cost: Around $799 per week.
Registration Opens: Now open
Location: Auraria Higher Education Center in Denver, 1201 5th St., Denver
Air & Space Camp
Ready for an aerospace adventure? At Wings Over the Rockies that’s exactly what kids ages 8 to 14 can expect in these week-long camps. The fun starts May 28 and goes until August 9, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
Cost: $439 per week, though members, returning campers and siblings get 10% off.
Registration Opens: Now open
Location: Wings Over the Rockies at 7711 E. Academy Blvd., Denver.
Denver Museum of Nature and Science
Take a summer camp the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Photo by Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Explore the natural world all summer with these full-day camps. The museum caters to grades Kindergarten to 6th, featuring camps all about astronauts, animals, fossils and more.
Cost: $305 per week for members/$335 non members
Registration Opens: Currently SOLD OUT for the 2024 season
Location: 2001 Colorado Blvd., Denver.
Mad Science
These camps are designed for ages kindergarten to 6th grade and get hosted at locations all around the city. The instructors are mostly college students pursuing degrees in education or science and teachers off for the summer.
Themes include chemistry, space science, forensics, engineering and more. Each camp is a week long, though times can vary.
Cost: $199 to $345 per week, depending on location and theme.
Registration Opens: Now open
Location: Multiple locations inside local venues and schools in Broomfield, Denver and Littleton.
Kookalooz Space Playground
Science-based hands-on activity program for kids ages 5 to 10. Held at indoor children’s playground with STEM learning. Camp session themes include chemistry, physics, engineering, space voyage and more.
Kookalooz provides one snack, juice and water. Kids must bring their own lunches and any additional snacks.
Cost: $300 to $375 per week, depending on theme.
Registration Opens: Now Open
Location: 6805 W.88th Ave., Broomfield
Sports Camps
Learn to golf this summer!
Skyhawks Sport Camp
This company features many camps for ages 5 to 14, including pickleball, tennis and soccer. It’s best to check the online registration to see which week-long course works best for your family. Keep in mind most are only three hours in the morning.
Cost: $152 to $190, also look for some of their FREE camps, available on the list HERE
Registration Opens: Now open
Location: Various locations based on which camp.
RMF Soccer Camp
From June 24 to June 28, this pro-run soccer camp will come to Colorado. It’s run by experienced Spanish UEFA coaches, and goes from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. Kids from 6 to 16 can sign up.
Cost: $549, and includes uniform
Registration Opens: Now open
Location: Aurora Sports Park at 19300 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora.
Aerial Cirque Over Denver
If your child is thinking of joining the circus, or just wants to bend, twist and soar through the air, this is the camp for them. Dates run from May 27 through August 16, and include morning and afternoon camps (9:30 a.m. to noon and 12:30 to 3 p.m.) for ages 6 to 16.
Cost: $300 for five-day, 2.5-hour classes
Registration Opens: Now open
Location: 4605 Quebec St., Denver.
Apex Denver Parkour Camps
Gain some mad skills this summer with a parkour camp for ages 6 to 11, or for teens.
Cost: $350 per week, 9 a.m. to noon (ages 6-11), or 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. (ages 12-plus)
Registration Opens: Now open
Location: 700 W. Mississippi Ave., Denver.
TaDa Gymnastics
Flip, twirl, pretend to be a ninja, learn cheer and have a blast at this small gymnasium in Highland and Englewood. These weekly camps are for ages 5 to 12, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Cost: $425 to $475 for the week
Registration Opens: Now open
Location: Two locations, 2950 S. Broadway Unit C, Englewood; 4433 W. 29th Ave, Ste. 103,
Denver.
A Little Bit of Everything Camps
Discovery Link Summer Camps
Discovery Link, a program through Denver Public Schools, offers summer camps for students aged 5 to 12 at various locations throughout Denver. Select locations also offer ECE summer camps for students aged 3 to 4 years old.
Summer camps will include outdoor programming and engaging activities in the visual and performing arts, sports, science and cultural exploration. All programming will incorporate Social Emotional Academic Learning and student relationship building.
Cost: Grant-funded camps are FREE to students who attend or live within the school’s boundary. Fee-based camps are $55 per day. Go here to find a list of school locations and see which are grant-funded vs. fee-based.
Registration Opens: Now open
Locations: 14 DPS Schools. See website for locations.
Champ Camp Great Outdoors
Get outside and busy with a summer full of full-day, week-long camps in Golden. Camps run from June 3 to August 2, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with complimentary before and after care.
Cost: $400 per camper, discount for siblings and if you enroll by March 29, use the code EARLYBIRD for a $25 discount.
Registration Opens: Now open
Location: Colorado School of Mines, 1500 Illinois St., Golden
YMCA
Adventure, sports, art, dance, cooking and even more camps are hosted by the YMCA at various locations throughout the city. Most of the specialty camps are for ages 7 to 14, but there’s also a day camp available for ages 5 to 12. Best part, it’s one of the longer camps, going from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with the option to add on extended hours.
Cost: Between $280 and $500 per week; members save
Registration Opens: Now open
Location: Various locations, check the YMCA website for details.
History Colorado Center
This summer, the History Colorado Center offers eight weeks of summer camp for kids ages 6 to 12. They learn and create together through hands-on activities that bring history to life and connect to our larger world. Weekly themes range from history mysteries, to storytelling, to mad science, and more.
Cost: $300 per week with automatic tuition assistance. That means if any of the following applies to you, assistance will be automatically subtracted from your tuition!
Those on Free/Reduced lunch save 40%. Enrolling multiple children saves you 10%. History Colorado Members, including History Buff Fourth Grade Members save 10%. And if you register before May 12 you save 10%.
Registration Opens: TBD, check HERE
Location: 1200 N. Broadway, Denver.
Book a summer camp on a farm. Photo by Linnea Covington
Colorado Academy Summer Programs
Choose from a range of camps hosted by professionals, from sports to arts to academic. Each course is broken into morning or afternoon, and by the week.
For full care there are day-long camps, or chose both a morning and afternoon camp, which could include swimming, cooking, martial arts, LEGO building, horseback riding, golf, watercolor and more.
Camps start June 3 and go until July 26, catering to kids entering PreK up to 12th grade.
Cost: Prices fluctuate a lot depending on what activities your kid wants to do. In general, each half-day, weekly course runs $290, up to most expensive at $1,250 for the learning to rock climb with Colorado Mountain School. Find the complete list HERE.
Registration Opens: Now open
Location: 3800 S. Pierce St., Denver.
Boulder Parks & Recreation
So much fun can be had this summer, from farm adventures to swim camp to gymnastics. The camps are for ages 4 to 17, and start the week of May 29 and end August 18. Most of the camps are five days long, so fill up your schedule with a variety of activities.
Cost: Residents of Boulder can save quiet a bit of money on these camps, which range from $360 up to $504.
Registration Opens: Now open, though limited space
Location: Various locations in Boulder.
Commerce City Parks & Recreation
Youth Camp Venture is a traditional camp for children ages 6 to 15 and offers arts and crafts, STEM, active play, swimming and field trips. Camp takes place primarily outside at Eagle Pointe Rec Center.
Adventure Trek is an outdoor adventure program that provides a new experience every day. Those ages 11 to 15 travel offsite for hiking, survival skills training, water activities and nature-based programming.
Cost: $145 per week for residents, $170/week for non-residents. You can download registration forms in English or Spanish in advance here or pick up at Eagle Pointe or Bison Ridge Rec Centers. Then drop of the application in person or send via email.
Registration Opens: February 14 for everyone
Location: Eagle Pointe Recreation Center, 6060 E. Parkway Dr., Commerce City.
Parker Fieldhouse
Ages 5 to 13 can join this camp for themed games, activities, crafts and a ton of fun at the Parker Fieldhouse. Campers will be separated into age groups 5 to 6 years, 7 to 9 years, and 10 to 13 years. Expect swimming days and field trips too.
Cost: $52 per day for residents, $57 per day for the rest, plus $10 extra for swimming and field trip days
Registration Opens: February 15, 10 a.m.
Location: 18700 Plaza Dr., Parker.
South Suburban Parks and Recreation
There are dozens of full-day camps to choose from crafts to swimming to sports. It’s a great way to explore what your kid likes, while giving them a chance for a great summer. Also check out the FREE Skyhawk sports camp on the list of available camps.
Cost: Ranges from FREE to $250, depending on camp and how many days it runs; rates also change based on residency
Registration Opens: Now open
Location: Various facilities found here.
Westminster Parks & Recreation
Sports, aqua activities and plenty of good old fashioned fun make up the summer camps with the Westminster Parks & Recreation centers. The camps run June 3 through August 8 from 6:45 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Cost: Between $39 and $61 depending on time you register, field trip days and resident status.
Registration Opens: Now open
Location: At either City Park Recreation Center, 10455 Sheridan Blvd.; or Countryside Recreation Center, 10470 Oak St.
Foothills Parks & Recreation District
Stay tuned for all the fun camps being offered by this Parks & Rec organization. It’s for ages 5 up to entering the 9th grade. Find out more details HERE.
Cost: About $50 per child per day, with discounts for additional kids.
Registration Opens: Tier 1 opens April 8; tier 2 opens April 15; and tier 3 opens April 18
Location: 6612 S. Ward St., Littleton.
Kent Denver School
Children ages 4 to 18 have the opportunity to fill their summer with innovative, creative and hands-on learning in the arts, athletics, on the farm and through technology. The camp runs June 3 to July 26, times vary.
There are so many different week-long camp options, and kids are sure to get excited to join the NASA engineering camp, hang out with Minecraft fans, play basketball and more.
Cost: With over 100 options, the cost varies greatly, which you can see HERE
Registration Opens: Now open
Location: 4000 E. Quincy Ave., Englewood.
L’École de Denver
Discover or practice French at L’École de Denver Summer Camps. Experienced French-speaking counselors will keep campers happy and learning all summer long. No prior French experience is required for participation in these French language camps.
Each week is built around a different theme such as dinosaurs, scientists, cuisine or pirates.
Cost: $450/week
Registration Opens: Now open
Location: 2280 E. 16th Ave., Denver.
Avid 4 Adventure
Starting in pre-K and up to 7th grade, kids can take this full- or half-day camp where they spend the time outside. There are many camps to choose from, such as paddle boarding, mountain biking, survival skills and more.
Cost: Prices range from $699 to $1,449, depending if you want one or two weeks and what activities are chosen
Registration Opens: Now open
Location: Various spots
Dream Big Day Camp
There’s a program for everyone here, and all ages too starting at PreK and going up to 11th grade. Have your kids learn to cook, do yoga, rock climb, practice archery and so much more.
Pick from the three sessions divided up between June 3 to August 2.
Cost: Starting at $552 for one week, but you get a discount for multiple weeks
Registration Opens: Now open
Location: Denver Jewish Day School at 2450 S. Wabash St., Denver.
Overnight Camps
Canoeing is one activity kids may do at an overnight camp. Photo by Depositphotos
Avid 4 Adventure
For two weeks kids get to bask in nature, away from their parent, at either Camp Windy Peak near Bailey, or Camp Blue Sky near Evergreen. The kids sleep in cabins and build their skill sets in nature and with outdoor sport activities.
Cost: Starting at $1,599 per week, depending on the style of camping and age group
Registration Opens: Now open
Location: Various spots
Camp Granite Lake
Located in the mountains about an hour from Denver, the camp covers 135 acres including a private lake. It’s a co-ed camp for grades 2nd to 9th. Dates start on June 17 and go to August 10, with sessions and mini camps (for new campers) breaking up the time.
Cost: $1,475 for a five-day mini camp, or $1,275 for the one week camps
Registration Opens: Now open
Location: 11902 Camp Eden Rd., Golden.