Bay Weekly Camp Guide 2020
Anne Arundel County Public Library
Summer @ Your Library
Can you imagine your story? That’s the theme of this year’s summer reading program at all branches of the Anne Arundel County Public Library system. Like last year, kids of all ages are invited to take the reading challenge. Log each day you read, visit the library or complete other activities for a chance to win prizes. Everyone registered is entered in the drawing to win tickets to see the Orioles in action, visit Medieval Times or the Maryland Science Center.
Joe Romano returns for his 10th year entertaining young readers at special summer library programs; also returning is Latin Grammy-winning 123 Andres’ bilingual musical show.
New this year, ScienceTellers visits with their unique blend of storytelling and science. See Stevens Puppets tell the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears performed by handmade marionettes. Local singer-songwriter Doug Segree brings his new band Sqrrl! to the library stage. Kids can go on a scavenger hunt with augmented reality and visit various branches to collect brag tags at each one.
Parents will appreciate: All programs and events are free. Special sensory friendly and sensory-only shows will be available.
Anne Arundel County Public Library:
June 1-Aug. 31; find your local branch: aacpl.net
Annapolis Area Christian School Summer Programs
Mix and match for your summer
Campers of all families and faiths are welcome at this camp, which features full-day, half-day and evening programming.
AACS Summer Programs are innovative and provide children (ages 3-18) valuable growth opportunities in a fun and safe creative environment. Options include sports camps, creative arts camps, academic camps and Eagle Explorations, a well-rounded day program with swimming trips weekly.
Nine new camps join the lineup this year: Eagles Sports Camp; StemQuest: Fortnite Battle Squads; StemQuest: Star Wars: Empire vs Rebellion; Club SciKidz: Cosmos; Club SciKidz: Paleo; Little Scholars: Snack Tales; Little Scholars: Craft Masters; Little Scholars: Tastes Around the World; and Little Scholars: Art Safari.
Mix and match to create a complete, summer-long comprehensive experience tailored to your family’s needs.
Parents will appreciate: Full-day camps (starting June 15) offer lunch; available transportation; extended day before and after care options, and discounts for early registration, siblings and military families.
Annapolis Area Christian School
Summer Programs: June 8-July 31, early bird discount by March 31;
Summer Programs Office 410-519-5300 x3150, [email protected];
aacsonline.org/summerprograms.
Annapolis Recreation and Parks
The new Truxtun Pool is ready for campers
Annapolis Recreation and Parks’ camps were recently redesigned to refresh the traditional day camp experience and provide campers (ages 4-15) with innovative and unique opportunities to make new friends, learn while having fun and create lasting memories.
This year choose from Camp Annapolis, Community Enrichment Camps, Splash camps and Specialty camps at various locations around the city.
New this year: Baton Twirling Splash Camp (July 20-24) and all camps will be swimming at the brand new Truxtun Park Pool.
Find descriptions of all the camps at annapolis.gov/357/Camps-Offered and register early before they fill up. Forms must be turned in to the Pip Moyer Rec Center.
Parents will appreciate: Camp Annapolis and Community Enrichment camps include swim lessons and field trips and no extra fees for extended hours; multiple child discounts on all camps; some camps provide some meals.
Annapolis Recreation and Parks:
June 22-Sept. 4, 410-263-7958; annapolis.gov/recreationcampinformation
Annapolis Sailing School’s KidShip Camp
Kids earn their sea legs in sailing camp
With the lowest student-to-instructor ratio around, KidShip Sailing School provides a fun and non-competitive environment for kids to become sailors and have a summer they’ll never forget. Campers come away with sailing skills, confidence, and a smile.
This day camp allows campers (ages 5-15) to learn to master the knowledge and skills of boat parts, boat handling, sailing mechanics, rules of the road, boating safety and basic navigation. Each course is designed on a model of safe, fun learning using creative teaching techniques taught by carefully selected kid friendly sailing instructors.
Campers choose from all-day programs or the Lil’ Sailors Half-Day program. New boats have been added for this year’s Sailing Essentials class.
Parents Will Appreciate: Pizza lunch included on Wednesdays and ice cream on Fridays; after care available till 5pm; and lunch is available for purchase in the mornings. Life jackets are always worn on or around the water.
Annapolis Sailing School: June 15-Aug. 10, 410-267-7205; Annapolissailing.com/youth-sailing
Annapolis School of Seamanship
Junior Captains Course puts kids at the helm
Want your kids to be safe on the water this summer? Learning to boat safely is a lifelong skill they can start now.
Kids (ages 11-15) learn what it takes to operate a small single outboard powerboat in the Annapolis School of Seamanship’s Junior Captains Course this summer.
Campers will learn the basics of boating in five half-day sessions. Under the instruction of U.S. Coast Guard licensed captains (who all receive a full background check), kids learn hands-on skills including boat handling, safety, navigation, docking, fueling weather awareness. By the end of a successful week, they receive their Maryland Safe Boating certification.
The course includes classroom instruction with a new upgraded curriculum, plus on-the-water experience onboard a 16-foot Brig rigid inflatable.
Parents will appreciate: Campers wear PFDs during all instruction on or near the water. Morning or afternoon sessions available. RSVP early as space is limited.
Annapolis School of Seamanship: June 8-Aug. 28, 410-263-8848: AnnapolisSchoolofSeamanship.com.
Anne Arundel Recreation and Parks
Camp programs for of all ages
Anne Arundel County offers a variety of day camp opportunities including Summer Day Camps, Summer Fun Centers, Art Camps, Science and Engineering Camps, Theatre Performance and Dance Camps, Sports Camps, Summer Aquatics Camps, Nature Exploration Camps, Teens on the Go and Adaptive Camps for all abilities.
Campers (age 3-18) enjoy activities such as arts and crafts, nature, sports, music and drama, active games, field trips, special theme days and more.
This year, journey through world cultures and customs as the 2020 Summer Olympics inspires the camps.
Parents will appreciate: Before- and after-care available at many camp locations.
Anne Arundel Recreation and Parks: June 22-Aug. 21, Annapolis, 410-222-7313, aacounty.org/recparks
Annmarie Garden Summer Camps
Summer at Annmarie is active, fun and stimulating
Annmarie Garden in Solomons offers a creative and active summer camp experience for children (preschool-9th grade).
Campers unleash their imagination and energy in galleries and exhibits, classrooms, studios, woods, community garden and sculpture garden.
Kids learn from working artists and are encouraged to explore their creativity, discover the natural world, meet new friends and serve their community. Camps include special activities like sprinkler day, Fairy Grove Mining Co. Gem Sluice and visits to the garden.
Theme weeks include Clay Camps, Crazy for Color, Awesome Animals, Home Sweet Home, Movers & Shakers, Water Water Everywhere, Tween Sculpture, Enchanted Forests, Imagination Station, The Great Outdoors, and End of Summer Bash.
Parents will appreciate: Extended day program available.
Annmarie Garden Summer Camps: June 22-Aug. 21, 410-326-4640, annmariegarden.org
Calvert Marine Museum
Fun and educational camps for all ages
Become a pirate, hunt for fossils, sail on a skipjack or dig for dinosaurs at a Calvert Marine Museum summer camp this year. Camps are a fun and engaging way to introduce our region’s pre-history, natural history and maritime heritage to young learners.
Weekly themed full-day camps are offered for kids (1st-8th grade).
At Pirates & Scallywags, campers learn all about pirates and sea chanteys. At Scales, Tails & Sails, they explore the inner workings of the museum, from fossils and fish to otters and salt marshes.
For older campers, Sailing Into Science lets them explore STEM topics from navigation to natural resources. Tweens get a camp, too – Jr. Paleontologists get to hunt local beaches for sharks teeth and whale bones.
Most camps include a ride on the Wm. B. Tennison or the Dee of St. Mary’s.
Parents will appreciate: Discounts for museum members; added camps for grades 1 & 2.
Calvert Marine Museum: June 22-July 24; Solomons; 410-326-2042; calvertmarinemuseum.com/camp.
East Coast Martial Arts
Karate & Warrior Sport Camps
East Coast Martial Arts’ summer camps offer a combination of martial arts instruction, life skills, self-defense skills, teamwork, fitness, and lots of fun. Campers (ages 5-13) learn exciting drills and games that help them learn teamwork, strategy and good sportsmanship. The instructional staff is committed to making sure each child has a fun and safe summer while learning the most effective martial arts available.
Karate camps teach basic kicks, punches and self-defense techniques while developing the discipline, confidence and self-esteem that martial arts training instills.
Warrior Sport campers wield a padded sword to become a Jedi knight, a pirate, a superhero or whatever they can imagine. Kids learn teamwork and develop strategies by playing like a live-action video game.
Parents will appreciate: Before and after care available.
East Coast Martial Arts: June 22-Sept. 4, 410-268-1508; EastCoastMartialArts.com
Eco Adventures
Let the kids go wild
Specialty-themed camps are designed to get kids excited about the natural world with hands-on, up close and personal interactions with over 100 live animal ambassadors.
Choose from full-day camps or mini-camps, in three age groups (ages 3-11). Older campers can participate in the Counselors in Training program (ages 11+).
Campers will experience a simulated rain forest, learn in outdoor classrooms, make wild crafts, play games, meet a visiting scientist and more.
New this year is the interactive oyster exhibit Pearl Plunge where kids can tong for oysters and harvest their own pearl. Meet Harley, a blue and gold macaw, and some new animal guests. Parents can download photos of their child’s experiences at camp, too.
Parents will appreciate: One-of-a-kind personalized education with instructors who are qualified environmental educators, biologists, animal keepers/trainers, naturalists and artists, many with advanced degrees. Before and after care available.
Eco-Adventures: June 22-Aug. 14, Millersville, 410-987-1300, ecoadvetures.org/camps
Elks Camp Barrett
Young people develop and grow by getting outdoors
Elks Camp Barrett is an outdoor summer camp set on a 187-acre campus of rolling hills, streams and hiking paths, with air-conditioned cabins for comfortable sleeping. In addition to swimming, hiking, archery, arts and crafts, outdoor skills, campfire and zip-line, campers choose from an array of programs updated each year, such as computer building, drama, kitchen science, herb gardening, metal detecting, yoga and more.
Sessions rotate by week for girls only and boys only (ages 9-13 or rising 3rd-graders) with Sunday afternoon check-in; Friday afternoon pickup. New this year: a coed weeklong leadership camp for teens (ages 13-15).
Parents will appreciate: An American Camp Association accredited camp, operated by the Elks Association of Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia. Campers are sponsored by local Elks Lodges, with all or a portion of the cost covered by that sponsorship. Contact your local Elks Lodge for registration information: Mddedcelks.org.
Elks Camp Barrett: June 21-July 31, Annapolis, 410-224-2945, elkscampbarrett.org
Enticement Stables at Obligation Farm
Kids learn skills at equestrian camps
Enticement Stables in Harwood offers equestrian camps in small, private groups so children can learn in a fun family atmosphere.
Campers learn every aspect of horsemanship, from riding to the total care of the horse, plus non-equestrian activities.
All camps are for beginner to intermediate riders. More advanced riders have a special camp in June.
Half-day camp available (ages 5 to 7).
Camps are also held in the spring and fall.
Parents will appreciate: Parents, guardians, family and friends are invited to attend demonstrations where kids show off their new skills: Summer Fridays at 3pm. Camps are certified by the state of Maryland.
Enticement Stables at Obligation Farm: June 22-Aug.21, Harwood,
410-798-4980, enticementstables.com
Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum Summer Camps
Spend summer immersed in nature and history
Campers explore history, archaeology, ecology and more at six different summer camps at Jefferson Patterson Park in St. Leonard. These camps (for ages 5-16) combine discovery, fun and learning with traditional activities and one-of-a-kind experiences.
Choose from full-day Archaeology Camp, Native Skills Camp, River Life Camp, Stewards Camp and Hands-On History Camp.
Imagine If Camp is a half-day program designed to engage the younger camper’s imagination.
Learn what it takes to be an archaeologist by working with curators and conservators to clean, study and preserve artifacts. Build shelters, fires and learn about tools used by native people. Discover what makes the Patuxent River special and how the environment shaped the lifestyle of the people who have lived along its shores.
Parents will appreciate: Exciting activities get kids digging history in new ways.
Jefferson Patterson Park: July 6-Aug. 7, St. Leonard; 410-586-8501; jefpat.maryland.gov
Lillie Pad Studios
Spend the summer exploring artforms
At Lillie Pad Studios, campers (ages 12+) are offered unique art experiences working with materials like glass and metal in four weeklong all-day camps. The studios are a fun and safe place to experiment creatively and learn new art techniques. Highly skilled instructors are devoted to providing an unforgettable art experience.
Fabulous Metal Fab is a new camp in 2020 where campers will learn several ways to join metal, including welding, soldering, riveting, hinging, and more. Campers will also learn how to cut, grind, and polish metal and patina, wax and finish the surfaces of their art pieces. Each camper will make one functional art piece and one sculptural art piece in this exciting new camp.
Parents will appreciate: Small camp size means personalized instruction; early drop-off and extended day available. A full day of camp can be a long time to stay focused on even the most intriguing art projects so Lillie Pad offers an inspiration hour after lunch when campers can swim, hike, or relax in a hammock under the trees to rejuvenate.
Lillie Pad Studios: June 17- Aug. 28, Millersville, 443-494-8008; lilliepadstudios.com
Planet Hope Land and Sea Sailing Camp
At The Sailing Academy
An adventure-filled week learning to sail on the beach at Herrington Harbour South features beach games, water activities and team-building challenges.
PHLAS has been introducing young people to the sport of sailing for over 19 years. Sailing is a sport that can be enjoyed with friends and family for a lifetime.
Engaging instructors keep kids involved and excited as campers discover their potential. Confidence builds as they take charge of their own boat.
Once a student goes through a camp, he or she may come back and rent a sailboat on weekends all summer to practice and enjoy learned skills.
No experience is necessary, but returning students continue to build their skills with new challenges. Once ready, students learn about and participate in sailboat racing to help hone their skills.
Choose a camp by age: Mini Mariners (ages 5-7) Mon.-Fri. 10am-1pm. Youth Dinghy Camp (ages 8-15) Mon.-Fri. 10am–3pm.Cruising Camp (for teens) Sun. at 6pm through Fri. at 3pm. Live-aboard camp.
Parents will appreciate: Campers build confidence by taking charge of a small sailboat, learning to manage the rigging and reading the wind.
Planet Hope Land and Sea Sailing Camp: June 15-Aug.7, North Beach,
410-867-7177, sailingcamp.org
The Wesley School at Mt. Harmony Church
Summer camps that value the whole child, heart and mind
Campers at The Wesley School’s summer programs can choose from a variety of weekly long half-day camps.
Preschoolers thru 2nd grade dig in the dirt and learn about fossils, science and the earth in the Dig & Discover Dinosaurs Camp. Campers from kindergarten thru 5th grade learn the Gospel According to Disney in conjunction with Vacation Bible School week, full of costumes, stories and music.
Outdoor Creature Adventure inspires playful discovery with science, art & nature, inspired by creatures big & small. Creature Bible Adventure is an adventure every day, where campers discover the many stories of God’s creatures in the Bible with field trips, nature walks and crafts.
Teens and tweens can join the Hike+Bike+Fish program.
During the Gospel According to Star Wars week, campers join the Jedi to explore faith, hope, and the force behind the movies. Preschoolers join the fun in Baby Yoda Camp.
Parents will appreciate: Neuro-diversity is welcomed and special dietary, physical or socio-emotional needs are accommodated; campers take field trips in Creature Bible Adventure and the Hike+Bike+Fish camps.
The Wesley School at Mt. Harmony Church: June 8-Aug. 21, Owings,
410-257-0642, thewesleyschool.com
West River Sailing Club
Teaching the sport of sailing since 1953
Sailing teaches confidence, awareness, strong work ethics, a sense of direction and an appreciation of nature. Campers at the West River Sailing Club school not only learn through repetitive drills but also in creative ways such as an Adventure Sail, an inquisitive Treasure Hunt, a game of Jeopardy on a stormy day, and more.
Each two-week session (ages 4-18) culminates with a special activity that engages all the new skills campers have learned. They may sail to High Island in the Rhode River for lunch or take a quiet picnic to Round Bay and watch the horseshoe crabs hatching their young.
The Sailing School is for sailors of all skill levels (ages 8-18) and builds on skills learned in previous sessions. Sailors learn on OPTIs, 420s and Lasers.
The popular Friday Sea Urchins class for ages 4.5 to 7 returns for each week in June and July (4:30-6pm). Parents, grandparents, and family members are encouraged to stay, watch and cheer from the sidelines while enjoying our Friday night dinner and races. An August session may be added by request.
Parents will appreciate: WRSC is one of the few full-day camps where kids can sail from 8:30am to 3pm; discounts for siblings and club members.
West River Sailing Club: June 22-Aug. 14, Galesville; education
@westriversc.com; westriversc.com/summerprogram