It may be cold and sometimes snowy out, but now is the time of year to begin signing your children up for summer camps in Southern Maine. When our daughters were younger, this timing always snuck up on us. Just as we were recovering from the holidays, we had to start thinking about summer plans for them.
Summer Camps in Southern Maine
We know that Maine is a popular place for summer-long sleepaway camps. However, this article is about day camps for young children, tweens and teens.
We’ve highlighted camps we thought our readers would want to know about. However, if you don’t see something that works for you, we recommend checking with local museums, your town’s parks and recreation department or a nearby non-profit organization. All are likely to offer summer camps for children. For example, the Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine has summer theater camps.
Or, you can see if Michaels’s Crafts has summer camp craft classes for kids.
Day camp programs
Here is an alphabetical listing of the summer day camps we’ve found throughout Southern Maine. Surely, as the winter progresses, more will come online.
For example, many organizations still have information up on their websites about last summer’s camp programs. We know from our research that some don’t release summer camp information until February rolls around while others have registration deadlines in February.
So, we’ve done the best we can to provide you with up-to-date information. That way you know what your options are for sending your children to a day camp somewhere in Southern Maine this summer.
Finally, if you know of a summer day camp in Southern Maine that we haven’t included but think we should, please post a comment to let us know.
Avid4Adventure, Falmouth
These Avid4Adventure day camps focus on outdoor sporting skills, including rock climbing, mountain biking and kayaking. Programs are for kindergarten age right through high school. Camp lasts for one week. More information on the Avid4Adventure website.
Camp Laughing Loon, East Waterboro
Camp Laughing Loon is a classic summer day camp that has offered a quintessential camp experience on the shores of Little Ossipee Lake. It serves campers ages six through 12. The 2024 camp season runs from June 24, 2024 through August 16, 2024.
The camp has been around since 1917. Not that my mother is that old but she attended Camp Laughing Loon as a child. Registration is open now for Camp Laughing Loon.
Debate Camp, Bowdoin College, Brunswick
Debate Camp focuses on public speaking, debate and Model UN. It is designed for students ages 10 to 15 or going into grades 5th through 10th.
There is a one-week day camp Debate Camp at Bowdoin this summer. It runs July 22-26, 2024, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Campers must bring a bagged lunch. Also, parents, there is bus transportation to and from Portland daily. That is an add on. Registration is now open at the Debate Camp website.
Friends School of Portland
Registration opens February 1 for the annual summer camp program at the Friends School of Portland. They offer camps for three age groups, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- Chickadee Camp (ages 4-5)
- Fox Camp (ages 6-8)
- Crow Camp (ages 9-11)
Here are the tentative camp days for Summer 2024:
- June 17 – June 24 *No Camp Wed., June 19
- June 24 -June 28
- July 1 -3 *Mon.-Wed. Camp Week
- July 8 – 12
- July 15 – 19
- July 22 – 26
You can get more information on the Friends School of Portland website.
L.L. Bean Outdoor Camps, Freeport
L.L. Bean provides many different benefits for the greater Freeport community, such as Summer in the Park, with outdoor family movie night, trivia contests, concerts and more. They also have day camps for children ages seven to 12. This includes during the summer but also on school holidays. Get all the details of the L.L. Bean outdoor camps here.
Maine Audubon Society, Gilsland Farm Audubon Center, Falmouth
The Maine Audubon Society offers two summer day camps for children. However, only the camp at Gilsland Farm Audubon Center, Falmouth, falls into our category of day camps in Southern Maine.
Mark your calendar for the first week of March. That’s when the Gilsland Farm Audubon Center typically opens registration for children’s summer camp programs.
In the past, they’ve offered day camps for younger children only — those in preschool and lower elementary school grades. Here’s how they divide them:
- Sprouts (Ages 3-5)
- Saplings (Ages 4-5)
- Discovery Kids (K-3)
If you need to keep your children occupied during school year breaks, they also offer vacation day camps in February and April. You can get more information about all of the camp options through the Maine Audubon Society by visiting the organization’s day camp page.
North Yarmouth Academy Summer Programs, Yarmouth
You can find something for most children, ages two to 16, at the North Yarmouth Academy Summer Programs. Registration begins February 5, 2024 at 9 a.m.
Here are the 2024 day camp offerings:
- Panther Cub Tots & Panther Cub Camps (Ages 2-5)
- Super Summer Day Camp (Ages 5-10)
- Arts & Specialty Camps (Ages 3-14)
- Sports Camps (Ages 2-16)
- Leadership & Life Skills Camps (Ages 11-15)
- Ice Hockey Camps (Ages 8-16)
Portland Yacht Club Junior Sailing Club, Falmouth
Registration for the 2024 PYC Junior Sailing Club summer program opens for yacht club members in January and non-members February 1, 2024. There are four two-week sessions and one one-week session. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. You’ll find more details on dates, times and prices on the PYC website.
Thornton Academy, Saco
Registration for summer camp at Thornton Academy starts each year at the end of January. This summer camp is more academic than arts and crafts, per se, but that doesn’t mean that children, ages 12 to 17, won’t have fun. There are classes in creative writing, STEM, acting, yoga, ecology and more.
Here are the Summer 2024 camp dates:
- 4-Week Program: July 27-August 24
- 2-Week Program Session 1: July 27-August 10
- 2-Week Program Session 2: August 11-24
University of Southern Maine Robotics Camp, Gorham and Portland
Each year, USM offers STEM and robotics camps for children ages nine to 17, on both the Gorham and Portland campuses of the university. Offerings range from 3D printing to Minecraft.
Camp sessions run for one week and start on June 24. The last camp session begins July 22. The camp day is from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm.
Registration is open now here.
Wells Reserve at Laudholm, Wells
Last year, the summer camp at Wells Reserve at Laudholm broke out into three categories:
- Week-long day camp for ages 12 to 14
- Week-long day camp for ages 9 to 12
- Single-day camps for ages 6 to 9
Themes included aquatic adventures and critters.
All day camps start at 9 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. Members of the Reserve get a small discount on camp prices. Based on the Reserve’s Facebook page, registration typically starts the first week of February.
YMCA of Southern Maine, Freeport and Standish
The YMCA of Southern Maine runs two summer day camps for children. They are:
- Casco Bay Branch in Freeport
- Otter Pond in Standish
The camps run from mid-June until mid-August, 9:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Also, there are extended care hours:
- 7:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
- 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Get more information about both day camps at the YMCA of Southern Maine website.