Chicago's affordable afterschool programs are located around the city. ​Photo courtesy of the Chicago Park District
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Paradise Bay Water Park will cool you down all day. Photo courtesy of the Lombard Park District
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Chicago has so many things to do with little kids. Photo courtesy of Aster Hall, Chicago
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The entering class of Hogwarts.
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Chicago has many great swim schools in the area. Photo courtesy of Lakeside Swim School
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The Skydeck at Willis Tower has spectacular views spanning four states.
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The Thompson Strawberry Farm in Bristol, Wisconsin. Photo by the author
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State parks near Chicago offer more than just hiking. Photo courtesy of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources
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St. Louis has tons of kid-friendly things to do. Photo courtesy of the City Museum in St. Louis
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Tinkering Camp in Chicago. Photo courtesy of the Dupage Children's Museum
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Stay cool with an outdoor water park near Chicago.
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​Chicago History Museum located in Old Town. Photo by Maureen Wilkey
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Popular Preschool Summer Camps Near Chicago for Your First Time Camper

Pedalheads uses summer camp to teach preschoolers how to ride a bike. Photo courtesy of Pedalheads Bike Camps
Pedalheads uses summer camp to teach preschoolers how to ride a bike. Photo courtesy of Pedalheads Bike Camps
2/25/22 - By Maureen Wilkey

Most preschoolers have had limited opportunities to be away from parents or caretakers for the last 2 years—which, for some, is most of their lives. As Chicago tots get ready to take on preschool for the first time, they may benefit from a few weeks getting acclimated to a world with peers, grown-ups that aren't related to them, and potties outside of their own house. Now is a great time to start looking for summer camps for preschoolers near Chicago.

Summer camps for preschoolers near Chicago can be the perfect way to transition to school in the fall. We've rounded up several popular options throughout the city and suburbs that offer both academic enrichment and physical activities to build endurance and encourage active play. And best of all, they buy mom and dad a few child-free hours to work, run errands, or accomplish all the other deferred maintenance of adulthood.

Summer camps for all ages are filling up quickly this year, so be sure to sign up as soon as you're ready. Some camps are also offering virtual options for families that aren't ready to get back out there yet.

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Bubbles Academy is an art-focused summer camp for preschoolers. Photo by Elise Asher
Bubbles Academy is an art-focused summer camp for preschoolers. Photo by Elise Asher

Preschool-Friendly Camps in Chicago

Lakefront Children's Academy Summer Camp

Downtown
Ages 2 and up
Kids can have fun while their parents work at this downtown preschool summer camp. Lakefront Academy campers will explore a different theme for each of nine weeks, including ocean life, outer space, and dinosaurs. Kids will also enjoy weekly field trips and excursions to Maggie Daley Park. READ MORE

Smart Love Summer Camp

Palmer Square
Ages 2-4
Kids ages 2 to 4 can enjoy half-day or full-day weeklong camps, each with a different theme ranging from Discovering Dinosaurs to Budding Architects to Marvelous Maestros at this Palmer Square preschool. Camps also include a seed-to-table gardening experience in the school's fenced yard, garden, and greenhouse. READ MORE

Bubbles Academy: Summer Semester

Lincoln Park
Ages 2-5
This North Side preschool offers an arts-focused summer camp for preschoolers with dance, music, theater, and visual arts combined with socioemotional skills. Parents can choose from two, three, or five-day a week programs that are developmentally appropriate for kids ages 2-5. READ MORE

eX S.T.R.E.A.M. Summer Adventure Camp

North Center
Ages 2-5
Using its CARES preschool curriculum, Children's Lighthouse North Center creates a summer Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics program for its youngest learners. Programs follow a weekly theme and kids are provided with organic meals and snacks throughout the day. Children's Lighthouse is near several Chicago parks and has a patio overlooking the North Branch of the Chicago River, giving kids lots of chances to enjoy the outdoors. READ MORE

Pedalheads Bike Camps - Chicago

Various locations throughout the North Side and Near North Suburbs
Ages 3 and up
Pedalheads is a learn-to-ride bike camp for kids 3 and up, known for helping kids get off of training wheels and riding on their own. The popular week-long day camp combines a fun group setting with specialized equipment, tailored lessons, and incredible instructors to build confidence and get some of the most tentative kids biking on their own. READ MORE

The Little Gym of Chicago's A Perfect Start

West Lakeview
Ages 3 and up
Parent-child classes at the Little Gym incorporate movement, music, and social skills, while teaching numbers, colors, and letters in a friendly, action-oriented format, where kids get to tumble, climb, and explore on mats and play structures. Kids ages 4 months to 3 years can participate with a grown-up. READ MORE

Galileo Summer Camp - Chicagoland

Wicker Park, Lincoln Park, and Suburban Locations
Ages 3 and up
Camp Galileo combines traditional summer camp excitement with lasting, innovation-igniting learning for kids in grades K-10. With locations in the city, North Shore, Northwest Suburbs, and Western Suburbs, the camp has themes that include Traveling Circus, Dinosaur Disguises, Stained Glass Paintings, and Remote Control Bots. READ MORE

Morgan Park Academy Summer Camps

Morgan Park
Ages 3 and up
Kids ages 3-14 can find their niche with these interest-based summer camps at Morgan Park Academy. Preschoolers can enroll in half or full-day programs, while elementary and middle school kids can pick different topics from Minecraft to cooking to nature for each of four periods throughout the day. READ MORE

Catherine Cook School Summer Camp

Old Town
Ages 3 and up
Preschoolers, kindergartners, and first graders can sign up for one or all three of the two-week summer sessions of summer day camp at Catherine Cook School. Each week has a different theme including Once Upon a Summer, Animal Adventures, and Around the World. READ MORE

Camp GEMS

Downtown
Ages 3 and up
CAMP INFORMATION NOT YET UPDATED FOR 2023 Using the International Baccalaureate (IB) framework already in place for the school, GEMS Academy offers a summer program for kids in preschool through fifth grade. In addition to challenging academic activities, kids will enjoy arts and crafts and outdoor time. Drop off and pick up will be staggered to allow for social distancing. READ MORE

Kids' Work Summer Camp

Roscoe Village Ages 3-8
Kids' Work focuses on individuality and creativity for kids in its Roscoe Village/North Center location. Yoga, dance, and music, along with fun arts and crafts, give preschoolers plenty to do between organic catered snacks and meals. READ MORE

All Aboard Learning Express Summer Camps

Sauganash Ages 2-5
Lots of fun and even some learning are on tap at All Aboard Learning Express Summer Camps in Sauganash. Parents can choose two, three, or five days per week, with a different theme each week.  READ MORE

Jewish Council for Youth Services Day Camp

Wicker Park Ages 0-4
JCYS Sunflower Day Camp has different themes for preschoolers every week and includes outdoor activities, crafts, and music. Kids will walk around the Wicker Park neighborhood, fingerpaint, explore different foods, and learn about the colors of the rainbow. Parents can choose two, three, or five days a week.  READ MORE
Bright Horizons Early Education and Preschool offers summer camp. Photo courtesy of Bright Horizons
Bright Horizons Early Education and Preschool offers summer camp. Photo courtesy of Bright Horizons

Preschool-Friendly Camps in the Chicago Suburbs

Bright Horizons Early Education and Preschool - Chicago

Multiple locations throughout the city and suburbs
Ages 6 months and up
Bright Horizons has more than 1,000 child care centers in the United States, with many in the Chicago area offering summer programs for preschoolers. The centers' Summer Explorations program includes an action-packed day of age-appropriate science experiments, nature explorations, creative arts, and more for kids ages three to five. READ MORE

Impact Dance Studio Summer Camp

LaGrange and Countryside
Ages 2-7
Kids ages 2-7 can find a themed dance camp to match their interests at this west suburban dance studio with locations in LaGrange and Countryside. Preschoolers ages 2-4 might like the Frozen Tots, LOL Surprise, or Disney Princess themed weeks, while kids ages 3-5 can explore Trolls, My Little Pony, and Toy Story centered camps. READ MORE

Little Beans Cafe

Evanston
Ages 3 and up
Little Beans Cafe in Evanston offers flexible, affordable summer camp and school year classes for kids ages 15 months to 9 years. Choose gymnastics or art for little kids, or ninja classes, cooking, or dance for kids in the 3 and up range. New moms can also gather here for a weekly group meet up to make friends and chat. READ MORE

Morton Arboretum

Lisle
Ages 3.5 and up
Explore the grounds of this 1,700-acre living museum, home to more than 4,000 plant species. There are 16 miles of hiking trails to explore or nine miles of biking trails. With over 100 summer camps for kids 3.5 to 14, children learn to be conservation and environmental scientists, artists, and outdoor enthusiasts. READ MORE

Banner Day Camp: Banner Beginnings

Lake Forest
Ages 3 and up
Kids can get away from the city to far west suburban Lake Forest for days filled with sports, aquatics, imaginative play, and adventure at this four- or eight-week day camp for kids age 3 and up. Meals are included and the camp offers bus service from many areas of the city and northern suburbs. Sign up for three or five days a week of age-specific fun. READ MORE

Summer Adventures in Learning

Des Plaines
Ages 3-5
This academic camp for preschoolers and elementary schoolers in Des Plaines encourages academic, social, and physical development. The morning focuses on school readiness, and kids can eat lunch at camp before an afternoon of sports and aquatics-based activities. READ MORE

Grand Adventure Summer Camps

Western Springs and Burr Ridge Ages 3-5
The Western Spings and Burr Ridge Locations of Grand Avenue Preschool offer summer camp for 3-5 year olds. The two-week camps have lots of fun themes including Green Thumbs, Treasure Hunters, 3..2...1... Blast Off, and Wacky Water Play.  READ MORE

Hummingbird Summer Academy

Westmont Ages 2-7
This academic-focused preschool program teaches zoo phonics, Wilson Reading, sensory integration, handwriting without tears, and a social thinking curriculum. Led by therapists, Hummingbird's programs teach critical skills such as relationship building, perseverance and problem solving READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Children's Lighthouse North Center
The Little Gym of Chicago
Newberry Math & Science Academy
All Aboard Learning Express
Michael R. Lutz Family Center
Bright Horizons Early Education and Preschool
Impact Dance Studio LaGrange
Grand Avenue Preschool Western Springs