Summer may seem like a long way off, but it will be upon us soon enough. To help you plan some fun, enriching experiences for your children, we’ve put together a list of summer camp options to consider, ranging from day camps that encourage them to move or explore their creativity to learning experiences that enrich their minds and lives.
Montessori of McLean
The Montessori School of McLean (MSM) offers summer camp for children aged 3 through 6th grade. You can register your child or children for one, all or a combination of weeks to fit your schedule. Camps for children aged 3 to 5 are for a half day from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., but, during some weeks, MSM offers extended stay until 3:30 p.m. Elementary school-aged camp starts at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 3:30 p.m.
Past camp themes have included science, dinosaurs, art, Spanish, and nature and the environment. Check the website for this summer’s themes.
Brooksfield School
Children aged 3 to 10 enjoy age-appropriate fun and educational activities at the day camps offered at the Brooksfield School in McLean. Camp activities may include arts and crafts, yoga, field games, gardening, cooking, and more.
The youngest campers—aged 3 to 5 years—build confidence, self-esteem, communication skills, and teamwork as they participate in Teddy Tennis and swimming lessons throughout the week. Older campers go on Adventure Field Trips courtesy of the Brooksfield bus. Some past adventures include farm visits, nature programs, canoeing, rope courses, and horseback riding.
Tuition is weekly, giving you the flexibility to register for one or several weeks. Registration opens in January.
Westminster School’s Camp Griffin
Let Camp Griffin at Westminster School fill your child’s summer break with fun and exploration! Camp is held on their beautiful 6-acre campus which includes a spacious gymnasium, theater, playground and field. Offering three different programs catered to campers, ages 3-14, Camp Griffin employs qualified and experienced staff who are ready to bring fun and personal growth to your child. The camp includes a variety of specialty options including cooking, water exploration, adventure, history, golf, French, art, swimming, field trips, and more! Camp Griffin provides flexible scheduling for campers by offering early and extended care. Open June 11–August 16, 2018.
Camp Griffin is located at 3819 Gallows Road, Annandale, VA 22003. Registration opens January 4, 2018. Any questions? Call 703.340.7268 or email campgriffin@westminsterschool.com.
Experience. Explore. Create.
Fusion Academy
Fusion Academy is a revolutionary private middle and high school where positive relationships unlock academic potential. They are a non-traditional community of learning with the smallest class size possible: one student and one teacher per classroom. This allows them to personalize curriculum for each student’s unique strengths, interests, and learning style. Fusion Academy is also able to customize scheduling; students may enroll at any time (even during the summer) and take classes at a time of day that works best for them.
Their supportive staff and campus environment provide a safe space for students to flourish emotionally, socially, and academically. It includes a state-of-the-art recording studio and a mixed-media art studio for students to express their creativity. Their Homework Café® is where students complete all their homework before they leave for the day with help and supervision from a teacher.
Classes are offered at three levels: essential, college prep, and honors. From algebra to yoga and everything in between, they have a wide variety of classes to choose from. Students can enroll full-time, take classes for credit, or utilize their tutoring services. Their customized scheduling creates a summer school that won’t take away summer fun. Whether you want to catch up, get ahead, or take a class for fun, Fusion Academy has got you covered. In addition to academics, they partner with outside therapeutic professionals to support students’ emotional health and help foster a balanced life.
While it’s impossible to put students into categories, they generally serve students with the following backgrounds: ADHD, accelerated/gifted learners, dyslexia, mild learning differences, social challenges, school anxiety, or students with challenging schedules. Students who attend Fusion have one thing in common: traditional school isn’t working.
Connect with a Director of Admissions at either Fusion Loudon or Fusion Tysons by visiting FusionSummerClass.com to learn more!
Culinaria Cooking School
Kids and teens who want to learn basic knife skills, food safety, and how to prepare delicious foods should check out the summer camp offerings at the Culinaria Cooking School in Vienna. Camps run weekly and are held in half-day sessions from either 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or 2-5 p.m. Each weekly session focuses on a theme, such as Italian food, baking, international foods, or foods of the Southwest.
Campers prepare and eat the meals they prepare each day. In addition, they receive a recipe packet, t-shirt and certificate of completion. Kid camps enroll children from 9-12 years old, and teen camps accept 13-17 year olds. Campers must be the minimum age for each group by the start of the session. Registration opens in mid-February.
Little Oaks Montessori
The Little Oaks Montessori school accepts children from as young as 8 months up to 6 years into its summer program. Children participate in age-appropriate activities involving play, arts and crafts, and enjoying the outdoors. Some past themes have centered around bug biology, the planets, and sea life.
Little Oaks offers seven weeks of camp, and you have the flexibility to choose how many weeks you enroll in and either half-day or full-day camp, whichever works best for you and your child. Registration opens in February.
Sweet Briar College
As kids get older, their camp options may seem limited or nonexistent, but great programs do exist. You just have to look for them in places you might not have thought of, like on college campuses. Sweet Briar College hosts all kinds of summer camps on its scenic 3,250-acre campus, and some will earn your child college credit.
High school students who are serious about their creative pursuits enjoy BLUR, the Blue Ridge Summer Institute for Young Artists. This three-week program for rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors interested in creative writing, visual arts or sound art encourages and inspires campers to explore their chosen medium.
If your daughter is passionate about STEM, then find out more about the one-week Explore Engineering Design Course for sophomore, junior and senior high school girls. From July 29 to August 3, 2018, campers will work on creative and fun design projects, taking them from brainstorming through completion.
Intermediate or advanced-level equestrians can take advantage of the Summer Collegiate Riding Clinics at Sweet Briar. Rising junior and senior high school students have a choice between two three-day sessions this summer, either June 8-10 or June 22-24, 2018.
YMCA
At the YMCA in Reston, your child can choose from more than 50 summer camps with a wide array of options. In traditional day camps, children make friends, sing, play, explore, and learn. Specialty camps include cooking, dance, sports, science and technology, rock climbing, art, and more. The YMCA even offers an overnight camp option called Camp Letts located on a peninsula off the Chesapeake Bay.
Campers range from age 6 through teenagers and extended care hours are available so your child has a continuum of care from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. if needed.
Reston Montessori
Toddlers to primary school-aged children can enrich their summer experience by attending camp at the Reston Montessori School. Children in camp engage in a wide variety of creative activities on a daily basis, and each week centers on a different theme such as oceans, space, farm animals, or dinosaurs.
Camps can be half or full day, and extended care is available to fit your schedule. Check the website for the summer’s planned themes, camp schedule, tuition rates, and more.
Mason Game & Technology Academy
The Mason Game & Technology Academy (MGTA) is the Community Outreach Youth Program for the University’s Virginia Serious Game Institute (VSGI) and the Mason Computer Game Design Program. George Mason faculty develop and teach the courses, assisted by university advanced Game Design and Computer Science students.
MGTA offers age appropriate courses for students aged 9 to 18. MGTA integrates all of the STEM core competencies in a challenging, fun and engaging way. The program combines both the sciences and the arts with creative, critical thinking, and problem solving skills. Students are encouraged to discover and explore their most innovative ideas and concepts.
Camps cover topics such as virtual reality game development, art and animation, 3D game design, story-based game design for girls, mobile app development, and more.
