SUMMER CAMPS IN
EVANSTON, IL

The go-to full-day camp for working parents with younger kids. Runs in two 4-week sessions at Robert Crown Community Center. Kids rotate through sports, games, arts and crafts, ice skating, theme days, and field trips. The 8am-6pm option is a lifesaver for full-time workers — one of the few city camps with truly work-friendly hours built in. Popular and fills quickly at registration.

The elementary-age counterpart to Fun Factory at Robert Crown. Same great 8am-6pm option for working parents. Kids do organized sports, games, arts and crafts, with children's choice theme days and field trips. Two 4-week sessions cover most of the summer. Ice skating at the rink is a highlight kids love.

The tween-specific camp at Robert Crown for kids who've aged out of Kid City. Same work-friendly 8am-6pm option. Focus on trying new things, team-building, field trips, and beach days. Important for parents of older kids who need full-day coverage — tween camps are harder to find.

A single-week camp in early August that bridges the gap between the main camp sessions and school starting. Same Robert Crown location and 8am-6pm option. Great for filling that last week when other camps have ended.

The Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center's flagship summer camp. Runs 9am-5pm — longer hours than most city camps. Four themed 2-week sessions: Sports Mania, Creative Arts, Summer Adventure, and Water Wonders. Buy all 4 sessions for a discount or pick individual 2-week blocks. A strong community-centered camp on Evanston's west side.

A single-week sampler camp in early August for families who want to try the Fleetwood-Jourdain experience or need one more week of coverage. Arts, sports, and water activities. Very affordable.

A solid full-day sports camp at the Chandler-Newberger Community Center on Evanston's west side. Kids learn sports fundamentals with real field action, plus beach days, fishing, and canoeing. Post-camp care available until 6pm at Lincolnwood Elementary (bussed from camp). One of the more affordable full-day options in the city.

The premier arts camp in Evanston. Four weeks of hands-on discovery with weekly themes explored through visual arts, music, drama, storytelling, movement, and dance. Held at a District 65 school (TBD). Before/after care will be available (details in March). A favorite of arts-oriented families — fills quickly.

A flexible single-week alternative to the 4-week Arts Immersion. Same themes and quality, but you can pick individual weeks. Great for mixing and matching with other camps throughout the summer. Visual art, drama, media, and movement each week.

One of the most beloved camps in Evanston. Each 2-week session explores a different habitat — prairies, deserts, forests, oceans. Small groups, tons of outdoor time, hands-on science. Located at Lincolnwood Elementary with before-care (7:30am) and after-care (until 6pm) options available. Half-day (9am-noon) option also available for younger campers. Fills almost immediately at registration — set an alarm.

The next step up from EcoQuest for older kids. Four 2-week sessions travel through Illinois natural history — from dinosaurs to glaciers to prairies to modern rivers. Each session includes beach days, field trips, canoe trips, fishing, and a one-night campout. Based at Lovelace Park. Before-care available from 7:30am; post-care at a shared location.

The most advanced ecology camp, based out of the Lighthouse Beach Fog Houses right on Lake Michigan. Four 2-week sessions focus on ecosystem services, biomimicry, and environmental stewardship. Includes beach activities, field trips, and outdoor skills. Before-care from 7:30am; post-care at shared location.

A one-week nature camp in early August to fill the gap after the main ecology sessions end. Nature exploration with tie-dye, games, crafts, and a bonfire. Available for two age groups: K-2 and 3-6. Located at the Ecology Center or Lighthouse Beach Fog Houses.

The YMCA's flagship summer camp runs the full 10-week season — the longest continuous camp in Evanston. 8am-5:30pm hours are genuinely work-friendly. Kids choose from enrichment activities like archery, fishing, arts and crafts, sports, group games, team building, and STEM. Sign up for 1 week or all 10. Financial assistance available through Y programs. A reliable, well-run option.

JCC Chicago's popular day camp program at the Evanston location. Full camp experience with sports, art, swimming, science, and theater. Runs 7 weeks (shorter than most full-summer options). Before care from 7:30am and after care until 5:30pm available. Strong community feel. Includes specialty camp tracks for sports and performing arts. Sibling discounts available ($250 off for full summer).

A premium camp where kids design their own day — choosing from coding, stop-motion animation, sewing, robotics, baking, sports, and more. No set schedule means kids follow their interests. 8am-6pm hours are perfect for working parents. Lunch AND snacks included (rare!). Flexible enrollment — buy day passes or a summer pass. Unused days refunded automatically. The most flexible camp option in Evanston, but also the most expensive.

A well-known national camp brand with an Evanston location at Pope John XXIII School. Curriculum designed by educators combining Innovator's Studio (STEAM projects), Idea Lab (collaborative challenges), and Outdoor Adventure. Four age groups from K through 8th. Before care from 8am and after care until 6pm available. Early bird pricing through February saves $50/week.

A unique full-day camp that combines morning lakefront activities (sailing, kayaking, paddleboarding, tubing) at Dempster Street Beach with afternoon team games, crafts, and classic camp fun at Mason Park. Sold in 1-week or 2-week blocks. A great option for water-loving kids who want variety beyond just aquatics.

A serious 4-week theater camp at Noyes Cultural Arts Center. Kids rehearse and perform a full production. Includes live theater viewing, professional meetings, and culminates in a final performance. Full day 9am-5pm. For theater-obsessed kids, this is the gold standard in Evanston. Expensive but it's a month-long intensive.

Premium tech camps held at Northwestern University with 20+ course options including robotics, coding, Minecraft, Roblox, game design, AI, 3D printing, YouTube production, and filmmaking. Small groups (1:4 to 1:8 ratio). Before care from 8am and after care until 5:45pm available at additional cost. University-catered lunch required ($68.50/week). Only runs 2 weeks — limited availability.

Another national STEM camp brand hosted at Northwestern. Courses in coding, game development, robotics, AI, and 3D design. Small group instruction. Runs longer than Lavner (multiple weeks June-July). More expensive but includes longer hours (8:30am-5pm). Good for teens — serves up to age 17.

Evanston's legendary theater school (alumni include John Cusack and Jeremy Piven) runs summer camps for kids. Ensemble exercises, story theatre exploration, theatre games, improvisation, and scene work. Choose a 4-week intensive ($1,025) or 1-week sampler ($395). Morning and afternoon session options. A serious theater camp with world-class instruction.

Full-day sports camp combining professional instruction in golf (at Canal Shores) and tennis (at Leahy Park). Includes STEM curriculum and life skills components. Sold in 2-week blocks. A premium sports camp but with genuinely full-day hours (9am-4pm).

Half-day tennis camp at Lovelace Park (mornings) or Leahy Park (afternoons). Personalized instruction grouped by age and ability level with focus on stroke development and strategy. Morning and afternoon sessions let you combine with another half-day camp. Available most weeks across the summer.

Full-day multi-sport camp at Lovelace Park combining morning tennis instruction with afternoon soccer play. Grouped by ability level. Sold in 2-week sessions. A great way to get full-day sports coverage in a single camp.

Half-day camps at Robert Crown's ice rink. Morning sessions teach skating fundamentals; afternoon sessions teach hockey basics. Ice sessions combined with outdoor activities and conditioning. Available most weeks June through August. Great to pair with another half-day camp.

Full-day figure skating camp at Robert Crown (8:30am-4pm). Introduction to figure skating with on-ice instruction and off-ice activities. Available most weeks. Good full-day option for skating-interested kids.

Half-day water sports camp at Dempster Street Beach. Kids rotate through sailing, kayaking, paddleboarding, tubing, and sand games. Must pass a 50-yard swim test. Morning or afternoon sessions available. Combine with another half-day camp for full coverage.

Full-day STEAM camp at Chandler-Newberger blending science, technology, engineering, art, and math. A good end-of-summer option in the week after most other city camps end.

Half-day Spanish immersion camp using Total Physical Response method. Kids learn Spanish through games, music, stories, and dance — no textbooks. Available in 2-week sessions across the summer. A great way to pair language learning with another half-day camp.

A rotating menu of themed single-week arts camps at the beautiful Noyes Cultural Arts Center. Each week has a different theme: Dinosaur Camp, Puppet Camp, Architecture, Secret Agent, Comics & Cartoons, Wizards, Crafters, Mythical Creatures, Pirates, Magical Worlds, Space Arts, What's My Story (writing/drama), and Renaissance. Hours are 9am-3:30pm. Post-care available for some weeks (details in March). Great for mixing and matching with other camps.

Half-day LEGO engineering camps with various themed tracks: Dino Design, Jurassic Engineering, Minecraft, Sports Lab, Radical Rides, BrickCraft Tabletop Games. Morning (9am-noon) or afternoon (1-4pm) sessions. Great for LEGO-obsessed kids. Different themes each week so you can do multiple weeks without repeating. Lunch supervision available between sessions ($61-76/week) if you want to do both AM and PM.

Half-day LEGO-based STEM camps with wildly popular themes: Jedi Masters, Superheroes, Pokemon, Harry Potter, Minecraft, Ninjas, Video Game Favorites, Castles & Kingdoms, and more. Morning or afternoon sessions. Lunch supervision available between sessions ($61-76/week). Runs almost every week of summer — one of the most consistent week-to-week options.

Half-day robotics and coding camps where kids build and program robots. Themed tracks include Battle Robots, Engineer Race Cars, Battle Tanks, Amusement Park Tycoon, and Expedition Mars. Morning or afternoon sessions. Lunch supervision available. Very popular with the STEM crowd.

Half-day cooking camps at Chandler-Newberger. Three themed options: Global Taste Buds (world cuisine tour), Kids Cooking Showdown (cooking competition challenges with mystery ingredients), and Farm to Table (seed-to-harvest recipes). Morning sessions only. Fun and educational — kids come home excited about cooking.

Half-day beach volleyball camp right on Clark Street Beach. Learn rules, setting, passing, spiking, and overhand serving. Morning or afternoon sessions. Beautiful lakefront setting. One of the more affordable camp options in Evanston.

Half-day Ultimate Frisbee camp taught by players from the Chicago Union (professional ultimate team). Kids learn core rules, throwing, catching, and teamwork. Includes game tickets to Chicago Union matches. A unique sport camp — not something you'll find in most suburbs.

Half-day gymnastics camp at Chandler-Newberger for beginners. Introduction to basic skills on bars, beam, floor, and vault. Afternoon sessions (1-4pm). Split by age groups (5-7 and 8-11). Available most weeks June through August.

Full-day or half-day chess camp at Chandler-Newberger. Interactive teaching, practice games, and a non-elimination tournament. For beginners and experienced players. Full day (9am-4pm) or half day (9am-noon or 1-4pm) options.

90+ different art camp sessions across the summer at One River's Evanston studio on Davis Street. 2.5-hour sessions in studio art, digital design, street art, cartooning, and more for all skill levels. Morning, afternoon, or late afternoon slots. These are SHORT sessions — not a full-day solution on their own, but great to combine with other camps or for kids who want focused art time.

Full-day (9am-4pm) themed enrichment camps at Chandler-Newberger. Multiple tracks including Magic, Drawing, Game Strategy, Detective Mystery, Entrepreneurship, Board Game Design, Comic Strip, and Spy Intelligence. Each week offers a different theme. Good variety for kids who like thinking and creating over sports.

Full-day filmmaking camps at Chandler-Newberger (9am-4pm). Morning live-action filmmaking with green screens; afternoon stop-motion animation with LEGO. Different themes each session: Star Wars, Pokemon, Action Movies, etc. Great for creative, screen-oriented kids who want to make rather than consume.

The Ecology Center's preschool offering. Four 2-week sessions with themes: Wonders of Water, Sow Many Seeds, I-Spy Nature, and Find & Feel Nature Textures. Must be toilet trained. Half-day program. Very popular for the 3-4 year old crowd — one of few nature camps for this age.

Weekly themed preschool camps at Chandler-Newberger. A different theme every week: Things that Go, Bugs & Butterflies, Space Adventure, Life on the Farm, Sports & Movement, Dino Discovery, Weather Wonders, Little Scientists, Camping & Nature, Community Helpers, Summer Olympics. Morning sessions (9am-noon). Very affordable and a great first camp experience.

Half-day arts program at Noyes Cultural Arts Center for preschoolers. Morning session (9am-noon) with stories, art, water play, crafts, and maker space. Optional Lunch Bunch (noon-2pm) and After Camp Enrichment (2-3:30pm) extend the day. Multi-week sessions. A quality arts-focused alternative to Camp Kaleidoscope.

Evanston's premier inclusive camp with thoughtful adaptations for children of all abilities. Daily swimming, creating, playing, and field trips at Park School. Three age groups (3-7, 8-12, 13-22). Optional transportation for residents ($315). If your child needs accommodations, this camp is specifically designed for inclusion.