Boston's Best Summer Day Camps
MIT Summer Day Camp
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
77 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 253-1000
www.mitrecsports.com/summer-day-camp
It has been more than half a century since MIT started using the summer months as an opportunity to offer programs to young minds. This highly respected school focuses on creating both an athletic and learning environment for summer day campers. Moreover, it takes extra care to celebrate the differences between students so everyone feels included. Some sessions of camp offer such activities as sailing and lifeguard training, so children are learning life and recreational skills.
Hill House Day Camp
Hill House
127 Mt. Vernon St.
Boston, MA 02108
(617) 227-5838
www.hillhouseboston.org/Summer_Day_Camp
The Hill House summer day camp has a diverse range of activities for kids, including dance parties, field trips, swimming and art creation. Campers from ages seven to 12 can opt for afternoons with an exclusively athletic camping experience as well. This includes athletic activities on the Boston Common and Teddy Ebersol's Red Sox Fields. Both options have the same morning activities so all campers get to socialize with children who have different interests.
Harbor Discoveries Camps
New England Aquarium
1 Central Wharf
Boston, MA 02110
(617) 973-5200
www.neaq.org
Harbor Discoveries Camps are an amazing opportunity for kids who like the New England Aquarium. Participants are allowed behind the scenes at the facility to get a better idea of what the animals are and how staff is able to care for them. Campers also get to venture out onto Boston Harbor and visit some of the harbor islands. Field trips to habitats north and south of the city are included as well as some traditional summer day camp activities.
Boston R.O.C.K.S. Out!!
Boston Centers for Youth & Families
35 Locations in the City of Boston
www.cityofboston.gov/BCYF
Boston R.O.C.K.S. Out!! is not one individual day camp. It is a citywide initiative that turns a number of locations, from parks to community centers, into day camps for city children. It is on a first-come, first-served basis and is provided on a sliding pay scale depending on a family's ability to pay. These places are offering exercise, sports, arts and more. Children who could use the socialization and parents who could use the help will benefit from this program.
Recreational Day Camp
Boston College Flynn Recreation Complex
140 Commonwealth Ave.
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
(617) 552-0797
www.bc.edu
Boston College offers an athletic, recreational and social day camp run by caring camp counselors. These individuals work for, attend or have attended the college. Activities offered by the camp include lounging outside with friends, having a pizza party, swimming, diving and engaging in a number of silly field day games. This is a chance for kids to get a taste of what it is like to meet new friends in a new environment where they have to work and play together. In short, it is a great precursor to college, but without all of the studying.
Shelly Barclay is a professional freelance writer and amateur author. She writes on a variety of topics from food to mysteries. She loves to share the culture and rich history of her birthplace and home, Boston, with the rest of the world. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.
