We’ve rounded up some of the best summer day camp programs north of Boston, no matter your child’s needs or interests.
Spring is finally here and parents are beginning to think about Summer! More specifically, what is
available for their children in terms of camps and programming.
Check out our roundup of some of the best day camps on the North Shore to find out which camp is the best fit for your child(ren). From theatre to water sports to science, each camp has different specialties to fit your needs.
Looking for complimentary extended hours? An engineering focus? An all-girls program? Find what you’re looking for right here.
Coastal Discoveries
Aboard the forty-eight foot Erica Lee II, kids will have the opportunity to explore and engage with the local marine ecosystem in an educational environment. During the weeklong session, with days running from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., kids will spend their days on the water learning about fishing for local species like cod, flounder, and striped bass, and they might also participate in hikes, kayak adventures, swimming, exploring tidal flats, catching lobster, and more. Since activities change weekly with the seasonal changes of the ecosystem, kids who sign up for more than one week can expect new adventures every day. Make sure to pack lots of water and sunscreen!
54R Merrimac Street, Newburyport, 978-462-2017, coastaldiscoveries.com
Yellow Jackets Gymnastics
Owned and managed by Olympic Medalist and two-time Olympic Coach, Peter Kormann, Yellow Jackets Gymnastics has been recognized as a leader in youth sports programming throughout Boston’s North Shore for over thirty years. There are two North Shore locations in Danvers and Middleton. Programs include boys and girls gymnastics, preschool gymnastics, cheer tumble, in-house recreational team, USAG Boys & Girls Junior Olympic Teams, Xcel competitive teams, YJ Ninja Warrior, back handspring clinics, and summer camps.
Middleton & Danvers, 978-304-1762, yellowjacketsgym.com
Camp Evergreen
What started as a repurposed farm set deep in Andover’s Harold Parker State Forest has become a lasting North Shore summer camp, family-owned and -operated since 1964 when it was started by former Celtic champion Jim Loscutoff. The forest setting provides the perfect backdrop for kids to unplug, develop self-confidence and creativity, and learn new skills. Campers are grouped based on age and gender, and participate in assigned activities with their groups in the mornings, like swim lessons, and free choice activities in the afternoons, where they can choose things like drama, woodshop, canoeing, track and field, or horseback riding, to name just a few. Look out for special activities like field trips, fishing derbies, late nights, and crazy dress-up days, and simple summer pleasures, like popsicles every afternoon.
166 Jenkins Road, Andover, 978-475-2505, campevergreen.com
GSEMA Summer Camp
Your camper doesn’t have to be a Girl Scout to participate in the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts’ (GSEMA) summer camp, offering girls ages 5 through 15 a fun and supportive environment to spend their summer with new people and new activities. GSEMA has two North Shore locations: Camp Maude Eaton in Andover and Camp Rice Moody in Reading. Maude Eaton has bus transportation, while Rice Moody offers free extended day hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Each week and age group has a different theme: Pixie Dust, Brownie STEAM-a-palooza, Wonka Vision, Trail Trekkers, and Where the Wild Things Are to name just a few. Check out their brochure for a full roster of week themes to find the best match for your camper.
141 Abbot Street, Andover, 617-350-8335; 29 Rice Road, Reading, 617-350-8335; gsema.org/en/camp/our-camps
Spark Fitness and Tennis Club
Spark Fitness and Tennis Club offers a camp designed for children ages 4.5 to 9 years old, combining daily sports and fitness activities with hands-on STEM and enrichment experiences to keep kids active, engaged, and inspired. The offered activities include roblox creation, slime making, volcano explosions, fitness bingo, floor hockey, and tennis. Learn more at: sparkfitnessandtennis.com/spark-summer-camp
307 Lowell Street, Andover, MA 01810, 978-409-2228, sparkfitnessandtennis.com
Camp Leslie
Located on 14 acres bordering scenic Pentucket Pond in Georgetown, 4-H Camp Leslie has been a North Shore staple since 1939. Primarily an overnight camp, Camp Leslie offers day camp the week of June 30. Overnight camp runs July 6 through August 15. Campers, ages seven through fourteen, choose four activities a day from core area Waterfront, Creative Arts, and Challenge Activities (archery, nature studies, etc.). The weekly team competitions, dividing the camp into two teams, follow each weeks’ theme, and the days end with evening programs of skits and carnivals.
139 West Main Street, Georgetown, 978-352-8060, campleslie.org
Waldorf School at Moraine Farm Summer Camp
The Beverly school offers summer camp programs for ages 3 to 10. All campers start the day engaged in songs, chants, and storytelling within the fire circle. Then the Willows (ages 3-4) and Birches (ages 5-6), venture out on a hike through the expansive property. The Maples (ages 7-8) and Oaks (ages 9-10) explore throughout the beautiful Moraine Farm estate. These adventures are followed by programming in and around the campus and include woodworking, arts and crafts, gardening & water play, and forestry.
701 Cabot Street, Beverly, 978-927-8811, waldorfmoraine.org/summer-camp
St. John’s Prep
There’s something for every kid with Summer at St. John's. Their traditional day camp for children aged four to twelve runs almost all summer long and includes one- to eight-week options featuring swimming, sports, games, art, new friends, and more. Sports camps for kids aged six to eighteen allow students to fine-tune their skills in sports like basketball, soccer, or volleyball. Specialty camps cater to smaller groups of kids with specific interests, with sessions like 3D Architectural Design, Edible Art, Musical Theatre, Extreme Minecraft, and more. Older kids can also take an academic course in subjects like algebra, resume building, or college application essay writing. Find more details about Eagles/Edge’s many offers on their website.
72 Spring Street, Danvers, 978-774-1427, eaglesedgeprograms.org
Brooks School Day Camp
Kids aged three to seventeen can experience a traditional summer day camp at Brooks School this summer, complete with archery, boating, music, and much more. The camp runs in four two-week sessions, back-to-back from June 23 to August 15. A daily activities schedule is made up for all age groups, and includes activities like tennis, swim lessons, arts & crafts, sports, and group time. Transportation is provided by school buses with routes in Andover, North Andover, Lawrence, Lynnfield, Methuen, Reading, Newburyport, Tewksbury, and Wakefield.
1160 Great Pond Road, North Andover, 978-725-6253, summer.brooksschool.org
Ipswich River Nature Day Camp
Mass Audubon presents a nature-focused day camp in Topsfield. The 2,200-acre Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary Camp in Topsfield runs full-day, week-long sessions all summer. These sessions have weekly themes, like super scientists, canoe adventures, wildlife detectives, and animal art. Find more info about prices, dates, and other details in Mass Audubon’s summer camp website.
87 Perkins Row, Topsfield, 978-887-9264, massaudubon.org/ipswichrivercamp
Summer Shore Day Camp
With both full- and half-day options, the Shore School’s summer program encourages exploration and curiosity through a variety of traditional and not-so-traditional camp activities. Campers explore STEM activities, arts and crafts, rock climbing, theater, sports/outdoor games, water activities, music, Spanish, writing, reading, and more! Special guest experts and Shore faculty members participate in the campers' experiences. Summer Shore also offers specialty sports camps for soccer, basketball, field hockey, and lacrosse, and an ISTEAM Robotics camp.
545 Cabot Street, Beverly, 978-927-1700, shoreschool.org/summer-shore
Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm
Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm, run by Historic New England, runs three one-week sessions of Little Farmers for children ages 5-8 in July. The program runs Monday – Friday, from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. They also offer a one week of Farm Adventures for children ages 8-11 in the first week of August, Monday-Friday, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm. Activities included on the 230-acre farm include animal yoga, plein air painting, daily crafts, nature walks, and musical wagon rides.
5 Little’s Ln, Newbury, 978-462-2634, historicnewengland.org/school-youth/summer-camps
The Trustees
The Trustees offer two summer camp options in Ipswich. Appleton Farms runs a program for ages 4–14 that is inspired by the property and builds on The Trustees’ expertise in nature conservation historic landscapes, regenerative agriculture, and culinary exploration. Crane Estate runs a SummerQuest program for ages 5–14 is inspired by the property and builds on The Trustees’ expertise in land conservation, historic landscape and cultural resource preservation, coastal ecology, and restoration.
Ipswich, 617-542-7696, thetrustees.org/program/massachusetts-summer-camps