Summer camp makes me think of campfires, ghost stories and hiking. Places in and around Indy that do offer those classic experiences, but there’s much more, too. There’s a camp for girls who want to be rockstars; a camp that teaches and pays to take care of plants; and a camp where kids travel on IndyGo buses to see nature spots around the city.
These camps are at all price levels – from free to $55 a week, on up to more expensive camps that offer tuition assistance and payment plans. Best part: They all still have openings.
If you want to explore more options, a summer camp fair on Saturday, Feb. 22, can introduce you and your kids to more than 30 camps. Indy’s Child magazine will host the event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Indy Art Center, 820 E 67th St.
Use these buttons to jump down the list to camps in a specific price range.
Price range: Free to $100 🔝
Learn about a free music camp, plus camps for kids who love riding bikes or dancing.
Mother Loves Garden Inc.
For: Kids with green thumbs, ages 9-12.
🗓️ 7 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday, June 2 to July 3 and July 7 to Aug. 1
📍 1114 W 33rd St., Indianapolis; or 950 E. Washington, Lebanon, Ind.
🎟️ Your kids get paid to go to this camp! Each future farmer receives a $50 stipend.
Kids get paid to get dirty and learn how to grow plants. There are limited spots available – about 22 for the camp’s Indianapolis location – and applications open in April. The camp provides breakfast and lunch, so your kids just need to come in casual outdoor clothes. The produce they grow will go to a farmstand and to people who buy shares of the harvest through a community-supported agriculture program.
Global Explorers Program
For: Kids 7-12 who want to learn about cultures across the world.
🗓️ 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 2-13 for ages 7-9 and July 7-18 for ages 10-12
📍 Indy’s Global Village, 4233 Lafayette Road
🎟️ Free
Kids spend a week learning about the food, music, art and language of Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and Oceania. The camp at Indy’s Global village is free and lunch is provided. Email Lindsey DeLorey at ldelorey@imcoalition.org with any questions.
Indy Summer Learning Labs
For: Students who will be in first through ninth grade following summer break.
🗓️ Full-day programs for five weeks, June 16 – July 18. Hours vary by site.
📍 About 50 locations across Marion County
🎟️ Most sites are free, some charge a minimal fee to cover extra activities.
At Indy Summer Learning Labs, kids get daily math and reading instruction from licensed teachers and do fun activities, like field trips, sports, arts and more. Breakfast and lunch is served each day. Registration opens in late March.
Joyful Noise Camp
For: Third through eighth graders who love music.
🗓️ 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, July 15-19
📍 Christ Church Cathedral, 125 Monument Circle
🎟️ Free, but there’s a $50 registration deposit that will be refunded after the camp.
Students can make art and learn about music. There are daily field trips, and breakfast, lunch and snacks are provided. Note: If the $50 is a barrier to joining, email Melissa Chavez at melissac@cccindy.org.
Freewheelin’ Community Bikes
For: Kids ages 8-18 who love bikes.
🗓️ 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday, June-July
📍 3355 N. Central Ave.
🎟️ $55/week
Freewheelin’ camps are great for kids who want to have fun outdoors, ride their bikes with friends and go on field trips. Campers should know how to ride a bike before coming to the camp. Lunch is provided.
Freetown Village Summer Camp
For: Children in kindergarten through eighth grade.
🗓️ 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday June 2-July 18 (excluding June 19 and July 4).
📍 IPS School 51, 3426 Roosevelt Ave.
🎟️ $75/week
Freetown Village calls itself a “living history museum without walls.” Kids can learn about African American history and culture, storytelling, culinary arts, manners and crafts.
Kids Dance Outreach
For: Kids ages 8-11 who like music and moving.
🗓️ 9 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Monday-Friday, June 3-14
📍 Athenaeum, 401 E. Michigan St.
🎟️ $25 one-time registration fee
Kids Dance Outreach camps always feature live music while instructors teach kids how to dance. Registration ends in May. There’s also a camp for dancers with disabilities.
Indy Parks
For: Kids ages 4-17 who love exploring parks.
🗓️ Week-long day camps from the end of May through July
📍 Parks across the city
🎟️ $50-$210 for day camps, with a $15 deposit required
Find a camp near you or explore different neighborhoods across the city. Kids can learn mural painting at Garfield Park, go bird-watching at Eagle Creek Park or enjoy a different theme every week at Brookside Park and Frederick Douglass Park. There are also theater camps, a tree hugger camp, a Down ‘n’ Dirty Camp and Little Duckling Camps.
Some camps have filled up, but there are still plenty of fun camps open for registration.
Happy Hollow Children’s Camp
For: Kids ages 7-14 who are up for an overnight adventure.
🗓️ Weeklong sessions from June 15-July 18
📍 3049 Happy Hollow Road, Nashville, Ind.
🎟️ Camper fees depend on household income, and can range from $750/week to $80/week.
Happy Hollow Children’s Camp has been around since 1951, and it sticks to classic summer camp activities: hiking, campfires, archery, zip-lining, kayaking and horseback riding. It’s a weeklong overnight camp in Nashville, Ind. There’s also a counselor-in-training program for 15-17 year olds.
If you need help with registration, you can get help in-person from 5-7 p.m. Feb. 27 and April 1 in the basement of the English Foundation Building, at 615 Alabama St. in Indy.
Price range: $150-$250 🔝
Want to learn Arabic? There’s a free camp for that. Plus: An improv comedy camp, a West African dance camp and an art and nature camp for children with disabilities.
Camp GATHER, GATHER on the Move
For: Children and teens who have intellectual, emotional and physical disabilities and who love nature, sports and art. Age groups are 6-13 and 14-18.
🗓️ 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, June 9-July 25
📍 Rhodius Park, 1720 W Wilkins St.
🎟️ $120/week, but it’s $97 for the Juneteenth and July 4 holiday weeks. You can also apply for financial assistance.
There’s a 3-to-1 ratio of staff to campers at this westside park, and staff will lead activities like nature walks, tennis, pottery, group music and more.
Camp GATHER is for ages 6-13 and GATHER on the Move is for teenagers 14-18.
Earth Charter Indiana’s Climate Camps
For: Ages 6-10, 7-13, 10-14 and 14-18.
🗓️ 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for week-long sessions in June and July
📍 Beginners camp is in the Eagle Creek area, Bus campers are dropped off at the Julia M. Carson Transit Center and Climate Resilience Camp is in Southeast Indy.
🎟️ $175/week
Earth Charter Indiana’s camps do teach kids about climate change, but they make it fun. Kids get to go on adventures outside, like rafting on the White River. They pick up litter, learn to identify plants and visit farms. There are four camps: Beginner Climate Camp, Bus Camp, Climate Resilience Camp and Food Equity Camp.
ComedySportz Improv Camps
For: Fourth graders through high school students who like to make people laugh.
🗓️ 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Dates are June 16-20 for fourth and fifth graders; June 23-27 for middle schoolers and July 14-18 for high schoolers.
📍 The Wit Theater, 3808 Shelby St.
🎟️ $225/week
Kids can learn confidence, teamwork and listening skills through improv games. Campers get a free T-shirt and will wrap up the week with a performance for friends and family.
Iibada Dance Company
For: Kids ages 5-12 interested in dancing and making crafts.
🗓️ 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 9-13
📍 609 E. 29th St.
🎟️ $250/week
Instructors at this Black-owned and -operated dance company teach students about West African culture through crafts and dance. Campers will play games, perform and learn about ballet and modern dance. Note: After-care is available from 3 to 5 p.m. for $25/day.
Indianapolis Children’s Choir Camp
For: Children entering grades 1-8 in the fall.
🗓️ 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 2-5 or July 21-24
📍 ICC Performing Arts Center, 9111 Allisonville Road
🎟️ $185 early bird pricing before April 15, and $195 after that. Tuition includes a $25 non-refundable registration fee. Email Paul Schafer at pschafer@icchoir.org to ask about financial assistance and include your kids’ names and ages, along with a brief description of your request.
This choir camp teaches kids how to sing parts, plus a bit of music theory. The week is full of music, games and crafts. No previous experience is needed. The camps include daily snacks and an ICC T-shirt. On June 5 and July 24 — the last day of each session — the campers will perform a concert in Carmel at Cornerstone Lutheran Church Carmel, 4850 E Main St.
Kamp Kaleidoscope
For: First through fourth graders who like variety
🗓️ 8 a.m. to 3 p.m June 3-August 1. Free extended care 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
📍 9709 Allisonville Road, Fishers
🎟️ $150/two days a week; $195/three days a week; and $230/full-time. Apply for financial aid.
Kids can have a different experience each week at Kamp K, which is run by Trinity Church. Themes include sports, science and international cultures.
YMCA of Greater Indianapolis
For: Kids ages 5-15 years
🗓️ 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays from early June to Aug. 1. Check each location for specific dates.
📍 14 YMCA locations in and around Indy
🎟️ $200-250, but less for YMCA members. Financial assistance is available.
There’s a lot of options for the YMCA’s summer day camps. Kids can swim, go on outdoor adventures and do arts and crafts. Trained staff lead the campers and focus on teaching teamwork, confidence and leadership skills.
Price range: Over $250 🔝
These more expensive camps offer tuition assistance and/or payment plans.
Indy Art Center
For: Kid creators ages 4-18
🗓️ Morning, afternoon, day and week-long camps June-July
📍 Indy Art Center, 820 E 76th St.
🎟️ Ranges from $50 morning sessions to $384 for the most expensive week-long camps. Indy Art Center offers tuition assistance and payment plans.
Make art in every medium: ceramics, painting, glass, drawing and more. The website’s search tool lets you filter by age, teacher you prefer, length of the camp, availability and other options.
International School of Indiana Language & Enrichment Camps
For: Kindergartners through sixth graders who love languages.
🗓️ June 23-July 18 for language camps. June 16-July 25 for sports camps.
📍 4330 N. Michigan Road
🎟️ $284/week for language camps–except for Arabic camp, which is free. $155-$308/week for enrichment camps.
Language camps host teachers from IU’s Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, who teach French, Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic and Portuguese at beginner and intermediate levels. Enrichment camps include chess strategy, Minecraft adventures, coding, baking and more.
CampJCC Indy
For: Kindergartners through ninth graders. (Non-JCC members welcome.)
🗓️ 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday, June-July. Extended care available.
📍 JCC, 6701 Hoover Road
🎟️ Day camp: $360/week ($275 for JCC members); equestrian camp: $553/week ($453 for JCC members); tennis camp: $422/week ($339 for JCC members). Need-based scholarships are available by request.
Camps at the Jewish Community Center include swimming, sports, art and play. Day campers from kindergarten through third grade get swimming lessons twice a week. Kids in fourth grade and up also go on field trips.
Camp Invention
For: Kindergartners through sixth grade interested in STEM.
🗓️ 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday-Friday in June and early July
📍 St. Roch Catholic School, 3603 S Meridian St.; St. Thomas Aquinas School, 4600 N Illinois St.; Center for Inquiry School 70, 510 E 46th St.; Abraham Lincoln Elementary, 5241 Brehob Road
🎟️ $275-$280/week, with payment plan options
Kids get hands-on experience learning about science, technology, engineering and math. Campers will experience a prototyping studio, work with water challenges and play lots of games.
Club SciKidz
For: Children in pre-K through seventh grade.
🗓️ 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday in June and July
📍 Locations will be posted online.
🎟️ $375/week, and some have a $10 lab fee. Scholarships for free tuition are available.
Kids with lots of curiosity will learn how things work, what things are made of and how science is applied in the world around them. Kids will do experiments at camp and create projects to take home.
Girls Rock Indy
For: Girls, transgender or nonbinary kids ages 6 to 16 who want to be rockstars.
🗓️ July 7-11, July 14-18
📍 Herron School of Art on IUPUI Campus, 735 W. New York St.
🎟️ $400, but they offer tuition assistance to anyone who asks for it while applying. You can also use a payment plan.
Give your kid a taste of the rockstar life for a week at band camp or DJ camp. Kids in band camp pick an instrument and form five-piece bands for a week, and then rock out at a Saturday showcase for parents. The camp teaches them how to collaborate with others, write songs and play instruments.
Girls ages 9-16 can mix it up with DJ camp, too. The camp’s age groups stick with the music theme: 6-8 year olds are called Streamers, 9-12 year olds are MP3’s and 13-16 year olds are Vinyls.
Indy Chess Summer Camp
For: Kids entering 2nd through 8th grade with some chess experience.
🗓️ 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. June-August, with options for care starting at 8 a.m. and ending at 5 p.m.
📍 St. Thomas Aquinas School 4600 N. Illinois St., St. Monica School 6131 N. Michigan Road, and St. Barnabas School, 8300 Rahke Road
🎟️ $265 early bird pricing until March 31. There are coupon codes for siblings and free tuition for students who qualify for public assistance, like SNAP.
Chess camp isn’t all about chess, but that’s most of it. Each day, campers get three chess lessons. They learn how to play with chess clocks, hear from instructors who are some of the state’s best chess players and practice getting to checkmate. There’s outdoor recess, and kids should bring lunch. Snacks are provided. The last day of camp is an optional tournament.
Mirror Indy reporter Sophie Young covers services and resources. Contact her at sophie.young@mirrorindy.org.
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