Best Summer Camps For Animal Lovers
There are all types of summer camps, and these types of camps are great for children who love animals. With opportunities for interacting with large animals like horses to smaller ones like cats, dogs, & rabbits — these programs are perfect for young animal enthusiasts who might want a future career working with animals.
There are also virtual summer camps where campers can participate right from their home while still interacting with cute animals from their screen.
Humane Resource Alliance
Virtual
The Humane Resource Alliance offers several different virtual camps for campers.
Their Counting Cats option is specifically tailored for cat lovers for students in grades 3-7. Through a zoom session, they learn all about camps and get a chance to interact with many cute kittens virtually.
The other option is the Summer with HRA program for kids in grades 4 to 7. Each session includes 2 hours of animal meet and greets, animal-themed games, facts, and much more.
Their SPEAK series is an animal welfare series for middle and high school students, where they learn from the expert HRA staff. The workshops focus on learning about the animals HRA cares for and how students can...
Animal Friends Camps
Pittsburgh, PA
Animal Friends Camps offer the chance for kids to learn more about animals through games, projects, and interactions. They receive a hands-on education interacting with dogs, cats, and even rabbits. Campers receive an awesome camp t-shirt they wear each day and are also supplied with beverages and snacks.
They have small camp sessions, where only eight students are allowed. This provides them with specialized attention and care. Their camps include programs like their Critter Camp for kindergarten to 1st grade students. Their Pets Plus program is for grades 5th to 6th, and the Canine Good Manners Camp is for students ages 13 to 17.
SpcaLA's Friends for Life Camp
Long Beach, CA
SpcaLA's Friends for Life Camp is a program in Long Beach, California, where children between 9 and 14 work with shelter animals. Most of the activities involve campers spending time outdoors with the shelter animals and interacting with them.
For security purposes, all the animals they work with have passed a behavioral test to ensure your kids are safe and in good hands. Sessions run half day starting at 8:30 and ending at 12:30 from Monday through Friday.
Animal Humane Society
Minneapolis, MN
The Animal Humane Society offers this 5-day summer program for third to 8th graders. It happens every summer at three different shelter locations and runs Monday through Friday, starting at 9:00 am and ending at 4 pm. There are games, public speakers, animal interactions, educational activities, and much more.
The programs start in June and end in August, with the last sessions beginning in the middle of August. Each session lasts only a couple of days (3-4), and staff includes trained teachers and college students to ensure your child is in good hands.
Boiler Vet Camp By Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN
The Boiler Vet Camp is exclusively made for kids who love interacting with animals and are interested in a potential career as a veterinarian. Students participate in labs, presentations, and other teamwork-related activities.
If your child wants to experience what veterinary school or class is like, this is an excellent opportunity for them. The camp itself lasts an entire week (seven days) and requires a minimum age of 12 years old.
There are two types of programs, a Jr. camp for 8th graders and high school first-year students. The Sr. camp is for sophomores, juniors, and seniors.