Des Moines Mom is excited to present our 2021 ultimate guide to Des Moines summer camps – along with various summer programs and activities for kids!
Whatever ages, budgets, and interests represent your family best, Des Moines has something for you this summer! Our goal is to help you plan a fun and stress-free summer for the kids. We even created a FREE summer planner for you to download.
The 2021 Summer Camp Guide is sponsored by our featured programs, but it is a comprehensive guide to all summer camps in Des Moines. Please continue to check resources frequently as COVID-19 has affected some Summer Camp schedules. We so appreciate the support of the community and the opportunity to present our readers with valuable resources.
Code Ninjas
Code Ninjas camps offer an immersive environment for kids to explore and develop new skills, gain confidence, and have fun with friends. From coding and game building, to stop motion video, and robotics – it’s an unforgettable experience! Transform your child’s love for technology into an exciting learning adventure.
The fun camps that Code Senseis will be guiding ninjas through this summer include: Minecraft Create, Code your Own Arcade, Stop Motion Animation, Adventures in 3d Printing, and many more. New this year are JR camps for 5-8 year-olds.
Climb Iowa
Climb Iowa is Iowa’s largest climbing and training center. With two locations in the Des Moines metro, everyone can find the right fit for them. Send your kids on a climbing adventure. Climb Iowa Grimes camps introduce young adventurers to climbing, but they won’t stop there. Children will learn about trust, teamwork, and problem solving while developing their rock-climbing skills through our interactive activities. Climb Iowa offers kids and families the opportunity to explore new horizons, find an engaging form of fitness, and discover an engaged and close-knit community.
Premiere Dance Project
Premiere’s themed summer dance camps and classes will provide your child with a creative outlet and build confidence. Children are able to learn, grow, and develop through Premiere’s exciting and nurturing atmosphere. Summer camps and classes are available for all ages and include themes such as princesses, movies, and popstars. Join them in the dance studio this summer! To learn more: https://www.
Heartland Youth Choir
Learn new music, make new friends, and have loads of fun doing both at Heartland Youth Choir’s weeklong choir camps for students entering K-8. In addition to improving their singing abilities, participants learn folk dance and musical theater skills and enjoy afternoon field trips throughout the week. Singers in both camps come together for a concert and musical at the end of the week for family and friends. Join us the week of July 12!
Living History Farms
Located on 500 acres of rolling prairie filled with bubbling streams and nature paths begging to be explored, Living History Farms’ outdoor day camp setting provides a fun and unique way for children entering kindergarten through 8th grade to experience day-to-day farm and town life as it was in the past.
The Science Center of Iowa
From chemistry to rocketry and from invention to dissection – there’s always more to explore with SCI Summer Camps! Using project-based curriculum on a variety of subjects, SCI Summer Camps will spark your camper’s interest in science and provide hands-on experiences using all the resources SCI has to offer. Week-long camps for students in grades Pre-K through 8th grade are taught by educators or future educators with experience in science, education and other related fields.
Polk County Conservation
Polk County Conservation offers several summer day camps for different age levels that encourage hands-on learning through outdoor explorations. Enjoy nature camps themed around mammals, water, astronomy, geology, fishing, paddling, and other outdoor topics. Or, become or cowboy or a cowgirl for a week at a Jester Park Equestrian Center summer camp. For more information: https://bit.ly/38BlVrD
Virtual Tech Camps from iD Tech
Virtual Tech Camps are the perfect way for kids and teens to sharpen STEM skills and bond with new friends, all from the comfort of home. With the highest quality remote instruction on the planet, your child can unlock tech brilliance and create an exciting project.
Structured, weeklong sessions available now in multiple time zones (5 consecutive days, Monday-Friday) with the hottest curriculum in Python, Java, Minecraft, Roblox, Unity, Adobe, 3D modeling, and more.
Average of 5 students per instructor, blending personalized learning and time to socialize with new friends, with all of the magic of camp including games, challenges, and legendary iD traditions you can’t find anywhere else.
