Orlando, Florida, is a paradise for kids with places like Disney and Universal. However, there are other places in Central Florida that are just as fun. At summer camps, kids are free to explore the outdoors, learn new skills, and make lifelong friendships.
The opportunity to spend some time at summer camp can be an excellent way for them to try out to become more self-confident, find new hobbies, and learn about what they like. To help your child have a fun summer in Orlando, FL try one of these incredible summer camps in the city.
Top 5 Orlando Summer Camps
1. Wekiva Youth Camp
The Wekiva Youth Camp is an overnight residential camp program for students interested in learning about the environment and growing closer to nature.
Camp programs include nature walks, field sports, nature study, swimming, and crafts. Specialty camps are available in naturalism, tent camping, canoeing, and environmental education for older students.
The program seeks to teach children about the wonders of the environment and the beautiful landscapes of Central Florida. The mission is for children to grow up to have a lifelong positive relationship with the environment and one day serve as environmental leaders throughout their years.
Wekiva serves children starting in 1st and 2nd grade with their Critter Camp, a day camp for those too young for the residential program. The overnight camp is offered in week-long camp sessions throughout the summer for students in 3rd-6th grade, with specialty camps available for those in 7th and 8th grades.
2. Elite Animation Academy
The Elite Animation Academy was founded by Disney animators who sought to teach kids about the art and science of animation. Day camps are offered in a wide variety of animation-related fields, such as digital painting, Photoshop, anime, watercolors, storyboarding, and video editing. A rotating selection of camps is offered each week, so your child can choose one topic to focus on or return each week to dive deeply into a new subject.
Campers at the Elite Animation Academy work with experts in the field. Instructors include animators who have worked on major animated features as Mulan, Tarzan, and more. Other instructors include 3D game designers, storyboarders, and character designers who have worked in the filmmaking industry for years.
The animation camps are open to children ages 8 to 17. There are over ten individual weekly summer camps that start from the beginning of June through the end of August. Compared to other camps in Florida, there are many offering animation as a subject like this one.
3. Summer Drama Camp
Summer Drama Camp teaches children ages 7-17 a broad range of performing arts skills, including musical theater, film, acting, and production. Camps are offered in several different programs, allowing children to pick the skills that best suit their interests.
They can choose summer programs in writing, acting, and directing, which include workshops where kids get to make their own films. Students can also focus more on puppetry with the Pathfinder Acting & Puppeteering camp. At this performing arts camp, kids will get a chance to make puppets, learn to perform with them, and create a puppet show.
Camps are offered for children as young as six and as old as twelve, with locations around the greater Orlando area. Camps are offered June through July, so you don’t have to wait too long to put your little star on the stage.
4. Capoeira Summer of Fun Camp
Capoeira is an incredible combination of martial art, movement, and dance. It combines varying elements of fitness, music, self-defense, acrobatics, dance, and performance. As a martial art, capoeira seeks to build character and integrity, not just physical strength.
At the Capoeira Martial Arts Summer of Fun Camp, kids also participate in meditation and self-esteem-building activities in addition to participating in physical activities, like team sports, gardening, and yoga.
These life skills aren’t always taught in the traditional summer camp curriculum, making them an excellent choice for kids who struggle behaviorally, have a hard time sitting still, or have difficulty making new friends. However, it’s also just an absolute blast for any kids who have plenty of energy to spend time moving, running, and jumping all summer!
Full-day camps are offered throughout the summer from the end of June through the end of August. It’s certainly one of the more unique specialty camps in the Orlando area and all of Florida.
5. Orlando Shakes’ Summer Camps
For kids interested in getting on stage and performing, the Orlando Shakes Summer Camp is a fantastic fit! Kids as young as kindergarten can learn about not just Shakespeare but also a broad range of theatrical activities. Kids can learn about music, singing, auditions, and stage presence. Camps are separated by age group and welcome all skill levels, from kindergarten through senior year.
Campers who are more interested in a more intensive opportunity can participate in The Young Company program — an introduction to the world of professional theater for high school students. Students go through an audition process of readings. The four-week program ends with final performances at the Margeson Theater stage.
The Orlando Shakes from kindergarten through the senior year also has programs that make theater more accessible to those who have additional needs to be met during camp. The Shakespeare With Heart program is open to middle and high school students. Students of all abilities end up working together to participate in the production of a Shakespeare play over the course of an intensive two-week rehearsal period.
Jacksonville is another populated city in Florida, and just like Orlando, there are quite a few excellent camp programs in Jacksonville.