Chicago summer camps.

133+ camps in Chicago, with a typical week running $450. Here's what things cost, which weeks fill first, and how to put a summer together without losing a Saturday to spreadsheets.

133 active camps. A typical week runs $450. Browse the directory →

Prices by camp type

A week of camp in Chicago can swing wildly depending on what kind. Here's the shape of it — the cheap end, the middle, and the high end, across the camps that publish their prices.

Tap any camp type to see Chicago camps in that category.

Ten reads for Chicago parents

The planning writing we keep going back to — what camps cost, what questions actually matter, how to pick one that fits your kid. Written for families anywhere, with Chicago numbers where the numbers matter.

1. How to choose a summer camp — The nine questions that tell you whether a camp is actually good.
2. Safety + ACA accreditation — The ten safety questions every parent should ask before sending a check.
3. 2026 pricing report — What a week actually costs, broken out by city and camp type.
4. Day camp vs overnight — Is your kid ready? A simple read, plus a three-year glide path.
5. STEM camps guide — What a good STEM week looks like at ages 5, 9, and 13 — and how to tell real programs from expensive day-care.
6. Sports camps guide — Multi-sport weeks vs single-sport intensives, and how to tell rec camps from the serious stuff.
7. Arts + performing-arts — Visual art vs performing, and what to expect from audition-based programs.
8. Neurodiversity-friendly camps — Mainstream camps that do inclusion well, and when a specialty program is the better call.
9. Financial aid + scholarships — Where the money actually is, plus the deadlines that trip families up.
10. Packing list + prep checklist — Day camp and overnight lists, what NOT to bring, and the pre-camp talk.