Welcome to our 2023 Guide to Summer Camps and Programs Guide! Each year, we round up some of the best summer camp and program offerings here in the West Hartford area as well as some camps within other areas of Hartford County and The Farmington Valley Area.
Be sure to check back often, as we will be adding camps to the Guide every week as we receive information.
Businesses and organizations, would you like to add your camp or summer program to our 2023 Guide to Summer Camps and Programs? Email me at mackidhartford@macaronikid.com
Parents, don't wait to book your spot - most camps and programs are already taking registrations and many will fill up before the school year's out. Remember to let them know that you heard about the program in Macaroni KID!
TIP: After the Spotlighted Camps, programs are alphabetized. Click on the PINK titles to navigate to the camp's full, detailed listing in our Business Directory. Click on REGISTER to go to the camp's web site.
😎 CAMP SPOTLIGHT: Walter Wick's Hidden Wonders Art Summer Camp
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Looking for a summer camp for your creative child? Sign them up for Hidden Wonders Summer Camp—a half-day art summer camp related to the upcoming special exhibition Walter Wick: Hidden Wonders! Each week, kids will explore Walter Wick: Hidden Wonders!, create their own art projects inspired by the works they see in the exhibition, and play games on the beautiful Museum grounds overlooking Walnut Hill Park. Recommended for ages 6-9.
WEEK 1 | Out of this World
July 11-13, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Create your own UFOs, rockets, and paper-mache planets, and discover connections between art and science.
WEEK 2 | Fairytale Fun
July 18-20, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Let your imagination run wild as you build robots, toy trains, and castles inspired by toy story narratives.
WEEK 3 | Puzzle Challenge
July 25-27, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Explore science, art, and technology by designing your own Rube Goldberg machine to complete a simple task in a complex way.
WEEK 4 | Found Objects
August 1-3, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Build an I Spy box, treehouses, and pirate ships—all from recycled and natural materials!
Members: $50/day or $135/week
Non-Members: $65/day or $180/week
Families can register for single days or for full weeks. Get $5 off per day when you register for a full-week package of summer camp classes.
Secure your space today! REGISTER
😎 CAMP SPOTLIGHT: HEADS UP HARTFORD
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Heads Up Hartford
Heads Up! Hartford is a week-long overnight youth leadership and community service summer camp located on the beautiful Ethel Walker boarding school campus in Simsbury, CT. We believe in promoting youth leadership, diversity, and service to others. We know that encouraging community service at a young age fosters ongoing community engagement as an adult and enables thriving communities. Our campers come together from across Connecticut each summer to give back to our greater Hartford community. Each day, campers travel to a different nonprofit in the Hartford area to do good for their community. In the evenings, they return to camp for guest speakers and activities. Campers are provided with a record of all community service hours for their school administrators.
- Dates: Sunday, June 18 - Saturday, June 24
- Location: Ethel Walker Boarding School Campus, 230 Bushy Hill Road, Simsbury, CT
- Campers must have completed 8th grade and can attend as campers up through the summer after their high school graduation.
- Camp scholarships are available
😎 CAMP SPOTLIGHT: NextGen SmartyPants
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NextGen SmartyPants, Canton, CT
NextGen SmartyPants' Summer Camp programs are open for registration! We have a full summer of super-awesome programs planned to help keep your child learning while having fun, all summer long!
Summer Camps are held everyday for a week. Registration is available for Full-day Camps and Half-day Camps. Full-day Camps run from 9AM-4PM each day, with Lunchtime from 12PM-1PM. Each Full-day Camp consists of (2) Half-day Camps - Morning Half-day Camps are held from 9AM-12PM and Afternoon Half-day Camps are held from 1PM-4PM. Below, please find the registrations links for all Full-day Camp Programs.
Half-day Summer Camps can also be enrolled individually. To switch to see the registration links for Half-day Camps, just click on the button that reads "Half-day Camps."
All pricing are staying the same as last year - all Full-day Camps are $499 for the week; all Half-day Camps are $299 for the week. Early-morning drop-off and Late-afternoon Pick-up are also available; just drop us a line and we will accommodate your request as best as possible.
😎 CAMP SPOTLIGHT: Summer Buddies & Saddle Buddies
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OUR BARN BUDDIES PROGRAMS ARE A VALLEY FAVORITE! Sign your children up today to be a part of the great experience known as Summer Barn Buddies. Offering lots of physical activity and fresh air while disconnecting from technology, this program provides a variety of activities. Your child will learn some basic horsemanship, such as safety around horses, haltering, leading, grooming, cleaning tack, applying tack, and barn, stall, paddock & arena maintenance for the safety and health of horses. All children get some saddle time however, these are not full lessons. Other fun recreational activities arts and crafts, playing lawn games, and taking hikes …all while making new friends. Participants should wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes or boots and should dress for the weather. Add-on option for lessons and more intense horsemanship available in the afternoon program when you sign up! Email us at ushorsewelfare@gmail.com for more information.
Sessions are 9:00am-12:00pm; drop off between 8:30-9:00am
Weekly, starting June 19 through the week of August 14
😎 CAMP SPOTLIGHT: Farmington Valley Best Kids
Farmington Valley Best Kids Summer Camp, Canton, CT
Farmington Valley Best Kids Summer Camp is the BEST camp in the Farmington Valley! Parents and kids LOVE this fun, safe and exciting summer camp! Your child will have a blast doing martial arts, dance, sports, education lessons, and much more!
At Farmington Valley Best Kids, we pride ourselves on providing a fun and enriching environment that allows children to reach their full potential. Our program is well rounded, with a jam packed schedule of activities with something for every interest.
Parents can rest assured knowing all of our coaches have been properly trained and are highly skilled. Our entire team has undergone a Level 2 background check, has completed a full course in CPR, first aid and emergency response, and is approved by the state of Connecticut to work with children! Our camp is proudly licensed through the Office of Early Childhood.
List your business here and reach thousands of local parents! Email mackidhartford@macaronikid.com for Camp Guide pricing information.
List your business here and reach thousands of local parents! Email mackidhartford@macaronikid.com for Camp Guide pricing information.
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Macaroni KID Hartford is a free weekly newsletter and website focused on fun family events and information in our local area specifically: Hartford, West Hartford, Avon, Canton, Collinsville, Simsbury, West Simsbury, Weatogue, CT. We gather together all kinds of local family events and activities each week, and add useful information about classes, family-focused businesses, event and product reviews, recipes, crafts, school and camp guides and more.
