Arts & Entertainment Community Education
Two In Tow & On The Go | Summer Camp Guide
Photo and graphic by Tonya Strickland
Here’s a roundup of local kid camps for summer fun in 2024. Know about one that isn’t on our list? Email information to [email protected]:
AR Workshop Gig Harbor: Youth Art Camps
Registration now open | Book online
Clara at a AR Workshop Gig Harbor event in 2023
AR Workshop Gig Harbor is a DIY crafting/painting/woodworking studio franchise offering classes for creating custom pieces and home decor from raw materials. The space has a workshop and retail store.
The studio’s summer camps run June and July on half-day schedules, in either the mornings or afternoons. There are options for four- or five-day camps. Campers are encouraged to bring snacks and a drink. Detailed camp descriptions, dates and times are linked above.
Youth Art Camps: Hands-on crafting and art camps for youth ages 7-14 in a fun and social environment. Kids will make projects in one of five themed series that run four or five days. Choose between: Sports, Studio Arts, Holi-DIY, Glam and Favorites.
Teen Art Camp: Hands-on crafting and art camps for teens ages *12+ to make things like a tassel tote, watercolor and line art, frame, signs and an optional candle pouring class. There appears to be one “Teen Series” camp planned in August, detailed here. *the AR camp page lists both age 12+ and 13+ as the minimum for teens on different places on the website so check with the business for details.
Costs: Youth Camps: $235 for four days or $275 for five days; Teen Camps: $275 for four days or $305 for five days;
Location: 3208 Tarabochia St., Gig Harbor
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Lee’s SUP Summer Adventure Camps
Registration now open | Book online | 253-858-7341 | [email protected]
Lee’s SUP & Kayak Rental is a seasonal business offering water rentals and summer camps in Gig Harbor’s downtown waterfront district. SUP means stand-up paddleboarding.
Clara at Lee’s SUP Paddleboard Camp in 2023.
Three types of Summer Adventure Camps featuring educational and water-based activities are offered for kids ages 8-14. The camps are four days each, running from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Thursday.
Choose between Kayak Camp, Paddleboard Camp or both with Hybrid Camp! Instructors teach proper techniques, balance, and safety skills in and out of the water. Each camp also includes lessons in marine life and environmental conservation.
A new camp begins each week from June 24 to Aug. 29. Detailed camp descriptions, dates and times are linked above. One kayak-only camp is offered this year from June 24 to 27.
Costs: $420 for four days of camp; or $375 for three days of camp on July 1, 2, 3 only.
Location: Starts at 8829 N. Harborview Drive, Gig Harbor.
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Gig Harbor Canoe and Kayak Racing Team Summer Camp
Summer Camp Registration opens April 1 | More info | [email protected]
The Gig Harbor Canoe and Kayak Racing group is a ten-time national championship team with opportunities for local youth and adults to compete regionally and nationally.
Summer Camps: The racing team’s summer camp provides opportunities for kids to explore canoe and kayak paddling with personal instruction. Summer camps are split into two groups: camps for kids 8 and 9 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in August; and camps for kids ages 10-13 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in June, July or August. Detailed camp descriptions, dates and times are linked above. Boats and paddles will be provided but campers must bring their own life jacket. Previous experience* isn’t required. Camp participants must live in the South Kitsap, Peninsula, Tacoma, or University Place school districts.
Cost: $175 – $325 depending on the camper’s age and duration of the camp.
Location: Starting at Skansie Brothers Park, 3211 Harborview Drive, Gig Harbor
Registration now open for Spring Break Camp: Gig Harbor Canoe & Kayak Racing Team is also hosting a Spring Break Camp for kids ages 8 to 11. That camp runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on April 15 to 19. Registration is available online and costs $325. It includes entry into the team’s race on Saturday, April 20 at a Paddlers Cup event.
*NOTES:
Registrations close one week before the start of each camp.
Campers bring a water bottle, large snack or lunch, sunscreen, towel, water shoes that strap to their feet and can get wet and muddy, tennis shoes for land warm-ups, and a change of clothes (plus their life jacket).
Some camp paddlers may be invited to continue paddling with the group’s development team in the summer and fall. Coaches will look for paddlers who display a passion for the sport and exemplify a strong teamwork ethic.
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PenMet Parks Summer Camps
Summer Camp Registration opens April 3 and April 10* | 253-858-3400 | [email protected].
PenMet Parks is a local recreation district offering classes, sports and camps.
PenMet’s Summer Camps & Events Guide
When: June, July and August
Location & Prices: Various, see PenMet’s catalog for details. Financial assistance applications are available here.
About: Browse the new PenMet Summer Camps & Events Guide online to read up on this summer’s many activity camps planned for little kids, big kids and pre-teens/teens. Registration opens in April.
*In-District and Out-of-District Registration Info: PenMet released a new registration policy this year. For in-district residents, summer camp registration opens April 3; and for out-of-district residents, registration opens April 10. Register online, over the phone (number noted above), or in person at the its new administration office, 2416 14th Ave NW in Gig Harbor.
The 2024 PenMet Summer Camps include –
- Pre-K Camps for littles – Adventures in crafts, games and nature are just some of the options
- Specialty Camps for big kids – Get ready to join the fun with everything from catching Pokémon to mermaid tea parties. The popular Harry Potter camp is also returning. Other camps send kids to Ocean5 to bowl and play laser tag; out onto the trails for wilderness survival training and along the shorelines for scientist camp with Gig Harbor’s nonprofit Harbor Wildwatch group.
- Teen Camps for preteens and teens have art, theater, leadership as just some of their options, and there’s even a kickball tournament on the books for grades 6 to 12.
- Sports Camps for most age groups are back in tennis, gymnastics, flag football, golf, soccer, pickleball, combination sports and more. See the guide for age specifics.
New Extended Care Option – Some PenMet camps are offering a new extended care option, allowing drop-offs from 7:30 a.m. to late pickups at 5:30 p.m. The add-on is available for an extra fee on select full-day camps marked on pages seven and eight in the Summer Camps & Events Guide.
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Gig Harbor BoatShop Maritime Summer Camps
Registration now open | book online | [email protected] | 253-857-9344
The Gig Harbor BoatShop is a nonprofit group in downtown Gig Harbor with community programs designed to teach folks about the city’s historic working waterfront and the craft of wooden boat-building.
Cost: $425
Location: 3805 Harborview Drive on the Gig Harbor waterfront.
Little Skippers, Little Shipwrights Camp:
Ages 4-7
Junior Skippers, Junior Shipwrights Camp:
Ages 8-10
Maritime Skills for Teens Camp:
Ages 14-18
Maritime Adventures Camp:
Ages 11-14
Maritime Adventures for Girls Camp:
Ages 11-14
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French Toast Theatre Summer Camps
Registration is now open | book online | [email protected]
French Toast Theatre is a local youth theater program offering classes, plays, musicals and more for kids.
About: Summer camps are available for kids ages 3-14 featuring fun themes and activities in dance, musical theater, fairies, dinos or magic. Each camp promotes laughter, learning and endless adventures. Read the descriptions for each themed camp for the below titles.
Price: See below.
Location: Nichols Community Center, 690 9th Ave., Fox Island
Here’s a closer look at the types of camps offered, and their pricing:
A Year With Frog and Toad Kids: Friendship endures throughout the seasons. Ages 7-9. Starts Jun 24
$399
Fairy Hollow Camp: Where Dreams Take Flight. Starts July 8
$249
High School Musical JR. Theater camp. Ages 9-14. Starts July 8
$589
Bluey Camp: A week of play, laughter, and adventure inspired by everyone’s favorite show. Starts July 15
$249
Singing in the Rain JR. Theater camp. Ages 9-14. Starts Jul 22
$589
Zoo Explorers Camp: Where Curiosity Meets the Wild. Starts Jul 22
$249
A Very Potter Camp: Join in The Magic. Starts Aug 5
$289
Legally Blonde JR. Theater camp: “Believing In Yourself NEVER Goes Out Of Style!” Ages 9-14. Starts Aug 12
$589
Nursery Rhyme Ballet: “Adventure awaits!” Starts Aug 12
$149
Mermaid Ballet: “Adventure awaits!” Starts Aug 19
$249
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2024 Camp Invention: Illuminate at Purdy Elementary
Registration is now open | book online | [email protected] | 1-800-968-4332
Camp Invention is a national summer program led by the nonprofit National Inventors Hall of Fame. The event is hosted annually by more than 3,000 schools and districts nationwide.
About: For children entering kindergarten to 6th grade; while leader-in-training spots for grades 7 to 9 may be available. Held one week only from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. July 15 to July 19. This national summer program is led by the nonprofit National Inventors Hall of Fame and is designed to give campers confidence, persistence and creative problem-solving skills through fun, hands-on STEM projects featuring opportunities to imagine, experiment and create. The sessions are led by qualified educators.
Price: $275
Location: Purdy Elementary school, 13815 62nd Ave. NW, Gig Harbor.
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Gig Harbor Junior Sailing Summer Camps
Registration is now open | book online | [email protected] | 253-214-6131
Gig Harbor Junior Sailing is a nonprofit group based in Gig Harbor. The organization works to provide a safe, fun and educational environment for youth with classes, camps and opportunites to sail with the Narrows Race Team in boating competitions.
About: The group offers several five-day, Monday to Friday summer camps open to all kids ages 6 to 18. The program features half-day camps for its youngest participants and full-day camps for older kids and teens. Junior Sailing Camps, detailed on this video, are divvied up by the age and experience, as listed below, and take place on boats. For those unsure of where to place a sailor, contact the group at the above information.
Price: See below
Location: Camps start at either the West Shore Marina, 3815 Harborview Drive; or Wollochet Bay, 3418 White Cloud Ave. NW
More details:
- Full-day camp goes from 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.; and half-day camp is 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. or 1 to 4 p.m.
- Summer Camp spots are offered June 24 – Aug. 30
- Camp scholarships and payment plans are available
- The date choices and locations for each camp type are linked below.
- Summer Camps are categorized by age (see below), with listings on Active.com
Age 6-8 | Jellyfish
$295, half-day
Our Jellyfish program offers a great space to build comfort in sailboats. Sailors will learn basic boating concepts and go sailing each day with a staff member. This program is a great fit for younger sailors and sailors who want to gain confidence and comfort before sailing on their own.
Ages 8-12 | Youth
$525, full-day
Specially designed for youth ages 8-12. We focus on having fun, learning and developing great friendships. Camp is for those with basic to no boating or sailing experience. The goal is to help campers become competent with sailing skills.
Ages 8 -12 | Youth, Opti Intermediate
$525, full-day
“Opti,” short for “Optimist,” is a type of small boat named in the 1940s once considered the soapbox derby version of small racing boats. This intermediate camp is for sailors who successfully completed the previous youth camp level and whose instructors recommended they advance. Campers do a week of building skills to prepare for competition with the local Opti Race Team while building advanced sailing skills.
Ages 12-18 | Teen
$525, full-day
Teens focus on having fun, learning and developing great friendships. Camp is for those with basic to no boating or sailing experience. The goal is to help campers become competent with sailing skills.
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YMCA Summer Camps
|| YMCA SUMMER DAY CAMP || YMCA DAY CAMP AT LAKE HELENA ||
|| YMCA CAMP SEYMOUR: OVERNIGHT CAMP ||
Registration is now open for YMCA’s three major summer camps listed above| book online | YMCA Pierce & Kitsap Counties | locations vary
The nonprofit YMCA of Pierce & Kitsap Counties‘ Gig Harbor location at the Tom Taylor Family YMCA offers group exercise programs and classes, child-watch services, youth programming, summer camps, swim lessons, and more – all on a paid membership model.
All YMCA Summer Camps are open to both YMCA members and non-members. There are three types of camp, each with their own options. Here’s a closer look at the three:
About: YMCA Summer Day Camps are designed to inspire kids to learn and play together in field games, swimming, songs, crafts and group games – all in fun weekly themes. The Tom Taylor Family camps are grouped into various sessions offered seperately from June 24 to Aug. 30. There’s no camp July 4.
Location: Tom Taylor Family YMCA, 10550 Harbor Hill Drive, Gig Harbor
Prices: See below; the YMCA financial assistance info is also linked here.
Full-Day Camp for ages 5-12
Members: $225 | Non-Members: $325
Day Camp | 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Extended Program (with an extra fee) | 7–8:30 a.m. and 4:30–6 p.m.
Half-Day Camp for ages 3-4
Members: $140 | Non-Members: $215
Check-in from 8:30–9 a.m.; camp activities from 9 a.m. – noon; checkout from noon–12:30 p.m.
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Kids experience camp activities at Lake Helena. Activities vary day-to-day and can include things like archery, soccer, theater class, swimming, boating, fishing and tie-dye art. Campers eat a lunch and snacks. Transportation via school bus is available from Tacoma and Gig Harbor for $79 per week. Gig Harbor’s pickup and drop-off locations are at Artondale Elementary School just outside of Gig Harbor to the southwest and the Tom Taylor Family YMCA on the city’s north end.
Hours: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. in five-day sessions, Monday to Friday, in June, July and August.
Location: YMCA Camp Lake Helena, 11606 Ranch Drive SW, Port Orchard. Optional transportation info. above.
Price per five-day session: $289 for YMCA Members | $339 for Non YMCA Members (See the YMCA financial assistance info linked here.)
Placement is based on the grade your camper is entering in 2024-25 school year:
Discoverers | Entering grade 1
Pathfinders | Entering grades 2-3
Adventurers | Entering grades 4-6
Rangers | Entering grades 7-8
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YMCA CAMP SEYMOUR: OVERNIGHT CAMP
Many of the same types of things that day camp offers, plus sleeping overnight at camp from Sunday through Friday. Overnight Camp sessions are offered in late June, July or August. Specifics for the overnight camp dates and costs depend on your what grade your camper is entering in the fall. Visit the program page for details.
Location: 9725 Cramer Road KPN, Gig Harbor, WA 98329
Price: Depends on the campers’ age, grade and other factors/options listed here (just tap or click on the plus signs for the drop-down info to appear).
More Info: Check out the YMCA’s Overnight Camp FAQ page.
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Peacock Paisley Summer Art Camps
Registration open | book now | [email protected]
Gig Harbor small business, Peacock Paisley Art Studio, offers space and instructon for various types of community art classes, monthly art boxes at home, crochet lessons, art birthday parties, and craft nights. It also offers a homeschool art program.
Location: 5209 Point Fosdick Drive, Suite #103.
Price: $175 per camp
Art Camps/about: All of the camps run from 10 a.m. to noon for 5-8 yr olds and from 1-3 p.m. for 9-18 year olds. Except for the “Good Vibes” camp, which is for ages 9-18 only. Visit the studio’s website for more information or browse the titles linked below for photos about the types of art projects are themed with each camp.
Sasquatch & Friends Summer Art Camp
July 8 -11
Groovy Times! Summer Art Camp
July 15-18
Sharks and Sea Life! Summer Art Camp
July 22-25
Good Vibes! Summer Art Camp
10 a.m. to noon; Ages 9-18 only
Sweets and Treats! Summer Art Camp
Aug 12-15
All Country! Summer Art Camp
Aug 19-22
Tonya Strickland is a Gig Harbor mom-of-two and longtime journalist. Now in the travel and family niche, her blog, Two in Tow & On the Go, was recently named among the 10 Seattle-Area Instagram Accounts to Follow by ParentMap magazine. Tonya and her husband Bowen moved to Gig Harbor from California with their two kids, Clara (9) and Wyatt (7) in 2021. Find them on Facebook for all the kid-friendly places in and around town.