

Des Moines Mom is excited to present our 2022 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 2022 Summer Camp Guide is sponsored by our featured programs, but it is a comprehensive guide to all summer camps in Des Moines. We so appreciate the support of the community and the opportunity to present our readers with valuable resources.
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.


Devine Dancers


Devine Dancers offers classes for all ages and ability levels. This summer they are offering the following classes and camps: Fairytale Ball, Encanto Enchantment, Storybook Camp, Iowa State Fair Camp, Tumbling, Classical Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Hip-Hop, Strength and Stretch, and Baton. Devine Dancers is located on Ingersoll Ave in Des Moines, IA off the 31st exit. They are recognized as one of the most elite dance schools in Iowa. Register and become an angel today!


Summer camps are led by International Chess Master Dejan Maksimovic! Open to players ages 6-14 and of all skill levels, participants with no previous chess knowledge are welcome. Players will be divided into groups by skill level. Chess is a game where problem-solving through creative solutions is at the heart. We use mini-games, worksheets, and activities to teach fundamentals as well as allow students time to play full games. Groups of all skill levels will be taught with an emphasis on how to create a plan and make moves with a purpose.
Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden


Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden summer camps in Des Moines allow youth to explore the natural world through the lens of their favorite activities. Using the gardens as unique classrooms, their summer day camps inspire youth to create and explore with hands-on experiments, plantings, games, and crafts. All camps run 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and are designed for first through fifth graders unless otherwise noted.
Premiere Dance Project


Premiere Dance offers a variety of summer camps and classes to fit your child’s interests. Join them in the dance studio to develop your child’s self-confidence, social skills, and creativity this summer! They are passionate about dance education, instilling confidence, and empowering students to achieve their goals. The Premiere Family creates an environment where dancers can develop themselves individually, physically, and artistically. They can’t wait to dance with you!
AR Workshop Ankeny


Calling all parents! AR Workshop Ankeny has the perfect summer boredom buster. Register your child for hands-on crafting experience. Camps are designed for girls and boys, ages 7-14 and run in the mornings from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
Heartland Youth Choir


Learn new music, make new friends, and have loads of fun doing both at Heartland Youth Choir’s week-long summer choir camps, July 11 – 15, 2022. SummerTunes (mornings only) is for singers in grades K – 3; SummerSongs (grades 4 – 8) includes afternoon field trips. Come sing with us!
Des Moines Menace


Boys and girls, ages 3-14, are invited to join the Des Moines Menace this spring and summer to develop and grow their soccer skills. Options range from a 7-week spring program to 1-week camps coached by future professional Menace soccer players throughout the summer. Each registration includes a t-shirt and a ticket to a Des Moines Menace home game.
New Horizon Academy


A world of discovery awaits school-age children enrolled in New Horizon Academy’s Camp Discovery program. With exciting activities like creating your own spinning tops, scavenger hunts, water day adventures, and participating in engineering challenges, your child will be immersed in action-packed learning and fun all summer long.
Additional summer camps in Des Moines
ANKENY ART CENTER
AR WORKSHOP – ANKENY
CAMP BRAINIAC
DES MOINES ART CENTER
GREATER DES MOINES BOTANICAL GARDEN
DES MOINES PERFORMING ARTS
DES MOINES PLAYHOUSE
ENGMAN CAMP SHALOM
ENTREPRENEUR CAMP
ENRICHMENT THERAPY AND LEARNING CENTER
GAN SHALOM CAMP
GODDARD SCHOOL
HEARTLAND YOUTH CHOIR
ID TECH CAMP
KIDS CREATE
NEW HORIZON ACADEMY
PIED PIPER STUDIOS
SCIENCE CENTER OF IOWA
SYLVAN LEARNING CENTER OF JOHNSTON
TALLGRASS THEATER COMPANY
TRUE POTENTIAL EDUCATION
WAGNER SUMMER THEATER
CLIMB IOWA
COURAGE LEAGUE SPORTS
DM YMCA
GENESIS HEALTH CLUB
GOLDFISH SWIM SCHOOL URBANDALE
FOSS SWIM SCHOOL ANKENY
LIFETIME FITNESS
MENACE SOCCER CAMP
MID-IOWA GYMNASTICS
POLE POSITION RACEWAY
SAFESPLASH SWIM SCHOOL
TRIAD GYMNASTICS
DEVINE DANCERS
GRACE BALLET & ACROBATICS STUDIO
PREMIERE DANCE PROJECT
BLANK PARK ZOO SAFARI CAMP
CAMP FIRE HEART OF IOWA
EASTER SEALS IOWA
JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF CENTRAL IOWA
LIVING HISTORY FARMS
MUDDY BOOTS FOREST CAMP
POLK COUNTY CONSERVATION
YMCA CAMP
ANKENY PARKS & REC
CLIVE PARKS & REC
DES MOINES PARKS & REC
GRIMES PARKS & REC
INDIANOLA PARKS & REC
JOHNSTON PARKS & REC
URBANDALE PARKS & REC
WAUKEE PARKS & REC
WEST DES MOINES COMMUNITY SUMMER OF LEARNING