Spending the summer at a camp in Florida is an amazing experience for the thousands of kids that attend one each year.
Summer camp gives them an opportunity to enjoy all of the outdoor and wilderness adventures the sunny state of Florida has to offer, with an education they won’t get anywhere else.
Below we highlight just a handful of great Florida summer camps for children.
With so many amazing and gorgeous landscapes, kids can enjoy all kinds of water activities and learn new skills while making lifelong friendships.
Best Florida Summer Camps
1. Camp Kulaqua
Located in Northern Florida in High Springs, visitors can find a faith-based program designed to accommodate campers of almost all ages. At Camp Kulaqua, campers can soak in the summer sunshine of while learning outdoor skills, communication and collaboration, and strengthening their Christian faith all at the same time.
The camp offers horseback riding specialty camps and your traditional summer camps with fun activities like kayaking, rock climbing, swimming, gymnastics, guitar lessons for kids, ceramics and canoeing. There are sessions for varying ages from 7 to 17.
On-site natural springs, exotic animal zoo, waterpark, and horseback courses are available for the campers to enjoy.
Kids return year after year, with many of them becoming camp counselors later in life due to the memories and impact these Florida sleepaway camps had on them.
2. Camp Ithiel
Camp Ithiel is a Christian faith-based camp and retreat located near Orlando in Central Florida, with a variety of different camp programs available.
There are overnight camp programs available that last from a few weeks to the entire summer, with flexible schedules designed specifically to accommodate parents with busy schedules. Day camps and special programs throughout the summer are available, so inexperienced children can get a sense of what camp is like before committing to an overnight experience.
Combine all of that with a strong backbone of Christian faith running throughout all of the programs and events, making it no surprise that this is one of the most popular faith-based summer camps.
While Orlando has some great summer programs, there are plenty of summer camps in Jacksonville too.
3. Camp Idlewild
Camp Idlewild of Florida offers a supportive and encouraging environment for campers in Land O’ Lakes. They offer programs for kids of all different abilities and a program for older campers.
Children can enjoy all types of traditional camping activities like swimming, hiking, yoga, archery and much more. There are quite a few different summer programs including overnight residential camps and day camps that last the entire week.
Each week at camp offers a different theme, like olympics, tropical oasis, and mission impossible. Campers can expect a different set of fun missions and role playing opportunities each week. Kids stay in cozy cabins and can enjoy other camp facilities like sports fields, lake, activity rooms, and more.
4. Camp Live Oak Summer Camp
Camp Live Oak Summer Camp is the only ACA accredited camp facility in the entirety of Broward County, and it has great recognition thanks to the reputation it has built up over the years.
Voted as one of the top programs a handful of times already, its run by a non-profit organization built to ensure that every child that wishes to attend camp has an opportunity to do so regardless of cost.
Camper scholarships are available to those that might not have the financial means to attend camp, with a friendly and easy to navigate application process available. Each year, thousands of kids get to go camping because of these scholarships and have the opportunity to make lifelong memories and friendships.
5. Camp Frontier
Located on more than 12,000 acres of gorgeous land in Florida and just outside of Haines City, Camp Frontier has been providing children with amazing summer camp experiences for years.
It offers a unique blend of outdoor and indoor activities. Kids that visit each summer can make new friends from around the country while learning new skills and making lifelong memories. They have it all from ziplining facilities, musical theather, talent shows, sports fields for volleyball and soccer, to exciting activities like horseback riding, woodworking, paintball, and more.
The focal point of this camp is a 128-acre activity and lodging area, and campers can also explore the 3800-acre lake, Catfish Creek Preserve, and participate in numerous indoor activities located throughout the campgrounds.
6. Circle F Dude Ranch Summer Camp
Circle F Dude Ranch Summer Camp is a bit of a hybrid camp and gives your child an experience they won’t be able to find anywhere else in the state.
During the summer months in Lake Wales, campers between the ages of 6 and 16 are invited to this Florida sleepaway camp that gives children a real mix of outdoor skills and education in a way that other camps can’t.
It’s one of the largest camps in the region, with a 45-acres of a private lake that offers plenty of water sport activities like swimming, kayaking, sailing, and paddleboarding. Theres plenty of fun land activities like horseback riding, skating, paintball, wall climbing, volleyball and tennis.
On top of that, this ranch offers youth programs available all-year round and not just during the summertime.