The Ultimate Guide to Summer Camps 2022

Introduction

Let’s face it. Working parents regularly scramble to answer the age-old question, “What do I do with my kids when they’re not in school?!” It can be a frantic and overwhelming time when a kid’s daily schedule changes and parents are left to figure it out. Summer break, in the United States is approximately three and a half months, with students typically finishing the school year between late-May and late-June and starting the new year between early-August and early-September. Many parents turn to summer camps to keep kids entertained during the break.

We’re here to help with our overview of available camp types, camps for specific age groups, and where to find summer camps in 2022!

Kids at Summer Camp

Types of Summer Camps

Each child is unique with their own interests. And it’s a great idea to take these interests into mind when selecting a summer camp in 2022 as there are so many camp types available. Let’s take a look at some popular options.

1. STEM Summer Camps

STEM summer camps are great for kids who enjoy ‘tinkering,’ love technology, or just have curious minds. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Many of these STEM summer camps focus on a variety of topics including robotics, coding, programming, or even digital arts (often called STEAM Summer Camps adding an ‘A’ for Arts.). Summer STEM programs are also a great way to build interest in these subjects in a fun environment.

Group of girls with robots at a STEM summer camp at iCode

2. Sports Summer Camps

Many students who enjoy participating in sports during the school year would also likely enjoy joining a sports summer camp. You can find anything from volleyball to football to swimming camps. And there are just as many businesses that offer sports camps. However, these are also often offered at your local recreation center and may be at a lower cost.

3. Robotics Summer Camps

Robotics summer camps are great for those ‘tinkerers’ we mentioned earlier. Does your kid enjoy taking things apart and putting them back together? Do they like solving puzzles? If so, robotics summer camp may be a great fit for your child.

4. Art Summer Camps

Is your child the creative type? Let their imagination run wild with like-minded peers as they create masterpieces through a variety of mediums including painting, jewelry design, pottery, photography, or even digital arts.

5. Coding Summer Camps

Within the category of STEM summer camps, coding summer camps offer a unique opportunity for students who are into technology. Coding camps have options for each skill level and can teach your child the basics of coding, or if they’re more advanced, they could learn how to program a drone to a specific flight pattern using the Python programming language.

Kids Coding - a girl kid is practicing a coding in iCode school inside the classroom while other students are watching her computer

6. Dance Summer Camps

Let your child explore movement through dance! A camp can be a great way to get introduced to a variety of dance types in a short amount of time. Or for more advanced students who have been taking classes for a while, camps can allow them to try out a new style or home in on a specific skill.

7. Science Summer Camps

Science is a wide field of study covering many areas like chemistry, physics, biology, or even psychology. Engineering is another popular area of study and lends itself well to a science summer camp. Campers can explore engineering concepts and apply them to existing structures (like buildings, bridges, or monuments) as well as creating their own structures. An engineering or other science summer camp can help students improve their critical and logical thinking skills as well as developing problem-solving skills.

8. Sleepaway Summer Camps

The first sleepaway camp is an exciting time for a child! They may have stayed the night at a friend’s house previously, but an extended overnight camp is a big jump in building their independence and self-confidence. Overnight camps range in focus from a traditional camp, to sports or adventure camps, and many more. Once again, make sure and take a child’s interest into strong consideration before selecting an overnight camp, or you may just get a call in the middle of the night that they’re sick and want to come home.

Cabins at an overnight summer camp

Camps for Specific Age Groups

Being age-specific in your hunt for the right camp can be important in ensuring your selecting a summer camp that’s appropriate for your child’s skill level.

1. Summer Camps for 5-Year-Olds

This is the age when parents often decide to send their student off to a summer camp. There are a variety of options including half-day camps to dip their toes into the camp experience. Summer camps for 5-year-olds can be an exciting and fun time to interact with their peers, begin to learn soft skills, and make new friends.

2. Summer Camps for 12-Year-Olds

Ahh, the tween years. Not quite a child. Not yet a teen. Summer camps can be a great way to keep them busy (other than playing video games or watching YouTube). Talk to them to see which camp types might interest them. There are even camps available like a Roblox summer camp or Minecraft summer camp that could take an existing interest and teach them skills like how to code through making modifications to these games. Summer camps for 12-year-olds can be a great time to build up a friend base outside of their school as many students are transitioning to a new school and it will be harder to maintain many of the connections they had before.

Young boy having fun coding at iCode

3. Summer Camps for Teens

Buy this age, kids are very likely to have a strong interest in a particular area. For instance, your child may have taken an interest in creating videos for YouTube. A YouTube Production camp could teach them the basics of video and sound editing as well as online safety. Older teens may also be looking for a little more freedom and could take advantage of new camp options that become available at this age including travel camps, and study abroad camps. Summer camps for teens are an important way to branch out and make new friends, while giving parents the peace of mind knowing their teen is safe.

Creating the Best Camp Experience

Whether this is your first time searching for summer camps or you’re looking for what’s new this year, you probably know the important role camps can play in a child’s life. There are so many great benefits like building skills and making new friends. But selecting the right camp that’s appropriate for your child’s interest and age can ensure they have the best experience.

Summer Camps Near You

iCode School is a STEAM school for kids in grades K-8 offering fun summer camps in 2022. Camp topics range from Battle of the Bots, Roblox, Digital Arts, YouTube Production, Drone Navigation, VR, Minecraft Mods and MUCH more! Visit our site to find a location near you and check out the variety of summer camps!

Recommended Blogs
Coding (AKA computer programming) is wildly popular for kids today. Society relies on technology for virtually everything. Entire industries are falling away due to automation. But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s time to think about how to set your young child up for these new opportunities and success in the future by teaching kids coding and the basics of computer science.As technological advancements continue to evolve over the decades to come, coding will become a critical skill.Kids who learn basic coding skills today will have less to fear from artificial intelligence (AI) and automation because they will code the next AI programs instead of being replaced by them.But what exactly is coding and how can you teach it to your kids? That’s what we’ll cover in this article.  What is Coding for Kids? Coding refers to computer programming. Some people call this “writing code.”  Computer programs are created from many lines of text and numbers (code). When code is written in the proper order in the appropriate software program, the software can execute whatever command the code represents. For instance, in a software program that accepts HyperText Markup Language (HTML) writing <br> is like hitting the enter key when typing…
Coding presents many amazing opportunities for younger kids as they develop their understanding of computer science. Whether you’re looking for coding games for 10 year olds or early teens, there’s an activity for every age range and level of expertise. Today, we’ll share some coding activities and learning resources for kids based on their individual needs. These resources offer great instruction as kids start to enhance their coding language skills.  Types of Coding Activities for Kids So, what is coding for kids, and what are the best ways for them to learn? Let’s start by talking about some of the different types of coding activities for kids that you might run into. It always helps to know your options before making a decision.Generally speaking, kids’ coding games fall into three categories:IntroductoryIntermediateAdvancedIntroductory activities are for kids who are just starting out. They have little to no experience with coding, and they need to learn simple, fundamental coding concepts that they can build upon.Intermediate activities are for kids who have some experience and are ready to step up to the next level. These activities help expand and grow a child’s coding skills as they move toward becoming fluent in coding.Advanced activities are…
Black Friday is one of those isn’t a holiday but sorta is holidays that people in the U.S. just can’t get enough of. This year, we’ve come up with the best Black Friday STEM toy deals you can find online so you can avoid the chaos of in-store shopping! Our choices cover a variety of categories, so there’s something for everyone. We chose deals based on several factors including: The discount percentage Overall price Fun factor for kids Ability to spark STEM-relevant conversations/interest You’ve only got a few days to prepare so get these deals loaded and ready so you can take advantage of them before they’re gone! Best Black Friday STEM Toy Deal for Toddlers - Pixelated Animals It’s easy to buy toddlers gifts. Give them a stuffed animal and they’re happy. This year, you can make their gift more special by giving them a stuffed animal that’s relevant to their favorite (or soon-to-be favorite) STEM game. Minecraft is hugely popular with younger generations, and most kids are familiar with the pixelated style of the animals in the game. These pixelated animals are the perfect accent for a game most children know and love. The best part is the game is STEM-relevant. Engineering is…
graphic of a blue and yellow blob
graphic of a yellow blob