The 10 Best Day Camps In Boston

Booking summer camps for kids doesn’t have to mean sending them to some far-flung location.

Choose a facility in the Boston area, and you can pick between STEAM camps, day camps where kids can make decisions, or more unique specialties like a debate and gymnastic-focused option. 

As one of the largest and most populated cities in the United States, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a shortage of day summer camps in Boston.

These awesome camps we included below will provide your children with endless opportunities for adventure and learning. 

Summer Camp	Ages	Gender	Type
iCode School	5-17	Coed	Tech
Steve & Kate’s Camp	4-12	Coed	Traditional
Boston Leadership Institute	13-18	Coed	Educational
Debate Camp	10-16	Coed	Educational
Explore IT at Boston Children's Museum	4-8	Coed	Traditional
Mass Audubon	5-13	Coed	Traditional
Camp Kaleidoscope	4-17	Coed	Traditional
Gymnastic Academy of Boston	3-18	Coed	Sports
Boating in Boston	8-15	Coed	Traditional
Hill House	5-12	Coed	Traditional

iCode School Wellesley

iCode School offers educational day camps for children in the Wellesley area. Developing STEM and coding skills are at the heart of the curriculum, and the aim is to get kids fully engaged with these subjects. This day camp has won Family Favorite awards for the last four years from the BostonParents paper. 

As a huge bonus, iCode School offers free trial classes for local kids to try out. You can choose which learning style will suit your children best, whether that’s a self-paced program or instructor-led classes. These involve the hands-on application of theory and collaborating with their peers. 

Attending iCode School is a great way to give kids a headstart when it comes to the increasingly technological world we live in, especially in learning how to code. Information is delivered in an engaging way, so there’s plenty of fun to be had while they learn. 

Steve and Kate’s Camp

Steve and Kate’s Camp in the Fenway area is all about nurturing what the company calls “free-range campers”. Theirs is a highly successful model with operations across the US based on over 44 years of experience. 

The idea is that by letting kids take charge of their day camp experience, they learn through trial and error all about facing challenges, the importance of self-confidence, and applying sound judgment. Children get to choose their own activities like water games, sports, coding, robotics, and more throughout the day. This gives them the feeling that they’re in complete control. 

Sessions last from 8 am to 6 pm, and all activities, lunch, and snacks are covered. Flexible passes are also available, and these include refunds for any unused days.  

Boston Leadership Institute

Boston Leadership Institute offers educational summer camps for teenagers from around the country, especially in the Greater Boston area. Here they can undertake a range of award-winning programs focusing on topics like scientific research, business, engineering, and medicine. 

Day camps typically last for between one and three weeks. Children can take a deep dive into any STEM topic that interests them for a week or attend an EDGE camp to give them an advantage in math or science. 

For high school students, there are also three-week research camps that fully prepare them for the advanced academic style of learning that many college students experience. The impressive Boston Leadership Institute is located in Wellesley and is staffed by leading teachers and academics from the area. 

Debate Camp

Local debate camps in the Fenway and West Roxbury regions are offered by Debate Camp. These three and five-day programs are available throughout late June and July. Your children can hone their debate skills at any of their centers. 

The three daily debates focus on parliamentary, United Nations, and public speaking models. Day camps are offered to children ages 10 and 15, and sessions run between 8:30 am and 3:30 pm daily. All levels of ability are catered for, and there’s one instructor for every eight kids. 

It’s not all about debating, however, with plenty of scope for kids to let loose as well. Activities and games take place both indoors and out, breaking up the day. This keeps young minds fresh and ready for their next challenge. 

Kids just need to bring their own bagged lunch, and the debate topics are revealed on a daily basis at around 9:15 am. 

Explore IT at the Boston Children’s Museum

Explore IT is a summer day camp for kids with a different experience every week. STEAM skills are developed here via fun, hands-on projects. As the arts are also covered, there’s a focus on self-expression through various creative mediums. 

Explore IT day camps are held at the Boston Children’s Museum, and kids in grades K-2 get free time to discover all the venue has to offer as part of the deal. They’ll also get to play outdoors every day which gives them a great opportunity to forge lasting friendships. 

From construction projects to art topics and challenges requiring teamwork, the Explore IT camp at Boston Children’s Museum is one of the most varied day camps in Boston. As each week is different from the next, kids can attend all summer long while avoiding repetition. 

Mass Audubon

Mass Audubon offers day camps at two Massachusetts locations in West Roxbury and Mattapan. Set among almost 120 acres, Roxbury Latin School and the Boston Nature Center in Mattapan provide the same fantastic atmosphere.

The former has its own wetlands and forest in addition to superb indoor facilities, while the latter is a wildlife sanctuary with trails through the forest and meadows. Boston Nature Center even boasts a Butterfly Garden and a community garden, plus of course beautiful and practical indoor spaces. 

Summer camps are open to children ages 5 to 13, and each lasts for a fortnight. Mass Audubon also offers teen and more specialized programs at the Boston Nature Center. Whichever they attend, these camps are all about being at one with the natural environment despite being in the midst of a built-up urban area. 

Camp Kaleidoscope

Camp Kaleidoscope is run by the Jewish Community Center (JCC) in Greater Boston. The organization offers high-quality camps with both artistic and scientific content. These are open to students from kindergarten age up to 11th grade. 

At Camp Kaleidoscope, the day runs from 9 am to 4 pm, though earlier drop-offs and later pick-ups are available as needed. The JCC camps are open to those of any faith or background and offer plenty of opportunities for self-expression. 

The staff of this supportive environment is firmly focused on allowing children to let off steam while having lots of fun. Activities your children can get involved with include creative arts such as cooking, filmmaking, music, and theater, in addition to practical science and sports. 

There is a Counselors In Training program for older campers in 9th to 11th grade.  

Gymnastic Academy of Boston

Located in Acton, the Gymnastic Academy of Boston’s programs center on fitness. A variety of games, craft activities, and sports form part of the fun in addition to gymnastics. All-day attendees also get to enjoy a supervised half-hour swimming session. 

For preschool kids, half-day camps are the ideal way to introduce them to camp life. Programs are open to kids of any till late teens and are geared toward keeping them active all day long. 

At the Gymnastic Academy of Boston, you can expect caring instructors plus a clean and safe environment. It all adds up to young gymnasts having plenty of fun and tiring them out by the end of the day. 

Boating in Boston

Whether your child has already attended the usual sort of STEM or sports camps in the past or simply love the idea of learning to navigate over water, Boating in Boston offers something that stands out from the norm. 

It’s very much about enjoying being active and out there on the water. However due to the nature of the experience, boating safety is also a key component. By the time they’re done, campers should take away skills in paddle sports and sailing. They also learn how to handle their vessels well, both as part of a team and on an independent basis. 

The ratio of students to staff is 7 to 1, and campers are appropriately kitted out for each day. Assuming clement weather, around 90% of each day is spent boating, making sure each child gets the most out of this unique day camp. Older teens aged 13 to 15 can enroll in their own dedicated boating camps.

Hill House

If your kid is a Boston Red Sox fan, then book them into Hill House at least once during their childhood. Children 5-12 get the chance to play games with their peers on Teddy Ebersol’s Red Sox Fields in Lederman Park by the Charles River.

Standard sessions run between 9 am and 4 pm, though extended hours mean that an 8 am start or 5:30 pm finish is also available. Enrollment is on a weekly basis. During that time, children get to participate in all sorts of familiar and new activities.

Pastimes to expect range from sports, games, and field trips to creative arts and festivals. Making new friends is also be a major perk of coming here.