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Great Art Summer Camps Near Washington, DC for Creative Kids

Painting, drawing, and other types of 2D and 3D media are all part of the summer camps at Arlington Arts Center. Photo courtesy of the center
Painting, drawing, and other types of 2D and 3D media are all part of the summer camps at Arlington Arts Center. Photo courtesy of the center
3/6/22 - By Jennifer Marino Walters

With so many great art museums and galleries, there's no doubt that Washington, DC is a creative city. So it's no surprise that DC and its surrounding areas are bursting with great art summer camps for your future Picasso. These art summer camps near DC allow preschoolers, kids, and teens to explore their creative side through painting, drawing, sculpting, photography, and other types of art. And with art camps in Maryland and Northern Virginia in addition to the city itself, you're sure to find an art day camp near you.

For more summer camps near DC, including affordable summer camps that won't break the bank and great summer camps for preschoolers, check out our Washington, DC Summer Camp Guide. Find a full listing of local summer camps in our Camp Directory, where you can search for summer camps by type, age, and neighborhood.

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Campers create various clay pieces at District Clay Center. Photo courtesy of the center
Campers create various clay pieces at District Clay Center. Photo courtesy of the center

Art Summer Camps in Washington, DC

All Fired Up Summer Camp

Cleveland Park
Kids will create and paint several clay pieces, as well as paint canvases using acrylic, at this Cleveland Park pottery studio's weekly summer camp. Half-day camps are 10am-12pm, while full-day camps run from 10am-3pm. The weeks of July 5-8 and July 25-29 are full-day only for ages 12-16. All other weeks are for ages 6-12.  READ MORE

Capitol Hill Arts Workshop

Capitol Hill
CHAW offers classes in visual arts, dance, music, theater, ceramics, and photography for kids in grades K-12. Half-day and full-day art camps are also offered throughout the summer.  READ MORE

Anna Banana Arts and Crafts

Georgetown
Anna Banana offers art classes for kids ages 2-8, as well as three-hour summer art camps for ages 4-8. At both, kids learn about famous artists while creating art using pastels, watercolors, paints, and charcoal.  READ MORE

District Clay Center

Northeast
Kids ages 8 and up can take private or group pottery classes at District Clay Center. In the summer there is also CAMP CLAY, which runs from 9am-3pm and includes a daily short hike to to look at shapes in the natural environment.  READ MORE
Little artists can make mixed-media self portraits at Strathmore Summer Art Camp. Photo courtesy of the camp's Facebook page
Little artists can make mixed-media self portraits at Strathmore Summer Art Camp. Photo courtesy of the camp's Facebook page

Art Summer Camps in Maryland

Artworks

Bethesda and Potomac, MD
Artworks offers drawing and painting classes for kids and teens ages 6-12 and 13-18 at its two locations in Bethesda and Potomac. There are also full-day (9am-3pm) summer and school-break camps. All staff members are fully trained in childhood education and/or fine arts.  READ MORE

Creative Youth Summer Camp

Bethesda, MD
At Creative Youth Summer Camp, future fashion designers ages 7-13 will learn hands-on lessons about sewing, including how to use a sewing machine, fabric layout, pinning, cutting, and more. Each week campers can choose from over 30 projects depending on their skill level, such as tote bags, pillows, and even clothing. Camp runs from 9am-3pm.  READ MORE

Strathmore Summer Art Camp

North Bethesda, MD
Strathmore offers two summer art camps at The Music Center: Kids Art Camp for rising 1st- through 6th-graders (offered two weeks in August) and Teen Art Camp for rising 7th- through 10th-graders (offered one week in July). Campers will make collage dioramas, mixed-media self-portraits, and 3D wood sculptures. Families are invited to a student artwork showcase and reception on the last day of camp. Both camps run from 9am-3pm, with late pickup available.   READ MORE

Art Works Now Summer Camp

Hyattsville, MD
Art Works Now offers 10 weeks of full-day (9am-3pm) summer art camp for kids ages 5-12. Each week has a different theme and focuses on a different medium, such as painting, clay, animation, collages, and photography. The camp day also includes creative thinking games and outdoor play.  READ MORE
Harmonia's two-week summer camp ends with a musical theater show. Photo by Ron Staley, harmoniaschool.org
Harmonia's two-week summer camp ends with a musical theater show. Photo by Ron Staley, harmoniaschool.org

Art Summer Camps in Northern Virginia

Kidcreate Studio

Alexandria, VA
Kidcreate Studio offers art classes for kids ages 18 months to 12 at its three Northern Virginia locations, as well as summer and school-break art camps, crafty birthday parties, and special themed workshops. Students and campers work on a variety of projects including painting, drawing, clay, and more.  READ MORE

Harmonia Musical Theater & Creative Arts Camp

Vienna, VA
At this two-week camp, kids ages 5-14 try multiple musical instruments, create art projects, and perform in a musical theater show. There is a half-day option from 9am-12pm and a full-day option from 9am-3pm, with extended care available until 5:30.  READ MORE

AR Workshop Loudoun Summer Art Camp

Leesburg, VA
For parents looking to occupy their kids for just a couple of hours, AR Workshop Loudoun offers two-hour art camps that meet Tuesdays through Fridays. Kids ages 7-14 create four projects and a DIY camp shirt each week. Projects include wood signs and trays, canvas pillows and totes, photo frames, and more.  READ MORE

Clay Cafe Studios Claymagination Art Camp

Falls Church, VA
At Claymagination Art Camp, kids ages 6 and up participate in pottery painting, glass fusing, and other multimedia art projects. Camp runs from 11am-3pm, with projects changing weekly.  READ MORE

Art House 7

Arlington, VA
This art studio offers classes for preschoolers through high schoolers in a variety of mediums, including painting, sculpture, ceramics, sewing and more. Art House 7 also offers weekly themed summer camps for kids ages 5-11.  READ MORE

Tysons Art and Learning Center

Tysons, VA
Tysons Art and Learning offers fine-arts classes to kids ages 5 and up of all experience levels. Students learn to draw and paint using a variety of materials such as charcoal, watercolor, pencil, oil pastels, and paints. Kids ages 5-12 can also draw, paint, and craft at half-day or full-day summer camps. Birthday parties are available as well. READ MORE

Arlington Arts Center

Arlington, VA
Arlington Arts Center offers art classes for toddlers (with their caregivers) through teens. Toddlers and preschoolers can take general art classes, while school-age kids can take classes that in drawing, painting, clay modeling, collage, and more. Arlington Arts Center also offers half-day summer camps for kids and teens ages 5-18, in which campers explore the visual arts through projects in 2D and 3D media while learning about various techniques and contemporary artists.  READ MORE

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