Summer camp is a rite of passage. It's where memories are made and where kids find out who they are. All the better when you can send your young ones, knowing their summer is packed with safe, fun-filled experiences. Here are eight Atlanta area summer camps that offer programs for younger children (and most offer camps for older kids, too.)
Camp Kingfisher. Chattahoochee Nature Center's Camp Kingfisher offers a 4-year-old program called Owlets Camp. This half-day adventure focuses on supervised nature-play experiences, short hikes, story time, animal encounters and water fun in the pool. Kiddos take a snack and sunscreen break each morning, and enjoy a picnic lunch each afternoon.
Shakespeare Superheros. Shakespeare Tavern offers a "super" summer camp for kids 7-15 years old and has extended the fun to children 4-6 years old this year with their new Superheroes Junior Camp. Two weeks of fun in Decatur includes storytelling, improvisation, music and more based on characters from Shakespeare's plays. Campers will also create their own musical instruments, make a mask and design a crown.
Club Scientific. Nurture your child's love of science with one of six classes for 4 and 5 year olds. Young Scientists explore basic scientific ideas with hands-on experiments. Young Jurrasics learn about varieties of dinosaurs and study rocks, minerals and fossils. Other tracks include Claymation, chemistry, engineering and LEGO building. Locations vary around the city.
Summer Safari Day Camp. Zoo Atlanta provides half- and full-day camps for potty-trained 4 year olds. 11 unique weekly themes afford your little one new experiences throughout summer. Sessions include everything from amphibian and reptile fun in the zoo's newest exhibit to crazy science discoveries with flying machines and slime.
Creative Play Summer Camp. Alliance Theatre offers classes for kids up to 12th grade. Luckily, children as young as 3 years old can benefit from immersion with the theatre, also. Half-day camp works for children that are 3 years old, with a focus on ocean characters. Kids must be potty trained. 4-year-olds enjoy a full-day camp, which collaborates with High Museum of Art to explore Mo Willems books and characters.
Children's Museum of Atlanta. Children ages 4-9 years old celebrate summer with three sessions of summer camp, over two tracks. Adventure Camp is ideal for first time campers. Kids decorate t-shirts, create crafts, learn yoga and more. Discovery Science Camp allows children to get messy with numerous science experiments. All kids play on the museum floor and at the Centennial Olympic Park playground, and enjoy the park's water fountains on Fridays.
Summer Camp at GEHC. Children as young as 2 years old can enjoy summer camp at Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center. Little Saplings Camp, for 2 and 3 year olds, works with parents to open the world of nature to young children through crafts, a forest walk and a conservation theme. Three half-day camps for 4 year olds include creepy crawlers, water wonder and nature science themes. Additional options are available for kids up to 13 years old.
Summer Camp at YMCA of Metro Atlanta. Various YMCA locations around metro Atlanta offer summer camp programs for younger children. For example, Cherokee Y Camp offers Half Pint Camp for 4 and 5 year olds. This half-day experience includes playground time, wading in the pool and other destination visits. Select from 10 sessions for preschoolers at McCleskey Y in East Cobb, with programs for kids 3 – 5 years old. See the website for a list of all Y programs, including additional camps for younger kiddos.
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