Summer camps are a great way for kids to spend their time over the summer, but they can be expensive to attend. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways for parents to save money while still ensuring that their child can have a fun summer camp experience.
Summer Camp Scholarships
Some camps will foot part of the bill for families in need. Typically, families will need to apply for a scholarship on the camp’s website. Priority is given to low-income campers, and the amount of money covered by scholarships varies by camp.
The Gift of Summer Fun
If you do not need a scholarship but would like to help others who do, many camps have a “send a child to camp” fund that pays for scholarships. The American Camp Association (ACA) and the UltraCamp Foundation have a fund that is distributed to camps across the United States.
Sibling Discounts
Sending multiple children to camp can be daunting when camp enrollment is already so expensive, but some camps offer sibling discounts for families who are enrolling more than one child at a time.
Refer a Friend
If your child already attends a summer camp, they may also be eligible for a discount if they get a friend to sign up. Depending on the camp, refer-a-friend discounts can stack — the more friends sign up for camp, the more you can save.
A Taste of Camp
If you can’t afford a full summer, some camps offer trial programs where prospective campers can spend a weekend away. These trial runs are designed to be affordable and to give children a sneak peek at what the camp experience is like, so they and their parents can decide if they want to attend an overnight camp in the future.
Cost-Saving Camps in the DMV
The Y of Metropolitan Washington has a Send a Kid to Camp campaign where donors can help fund camp scholarships.
Performing arts camp Camp Arena Stage offers both full and partial scholarships to families in need, giving priorities to children who live in D.C. and attend school in the D.C. Public Schools system.
Nonprofit organization Just Imagine provides overnight camp scholarships to inner city children as part of its mission to prepare them for college.
Camp Greenway in Mclean, Virginia, recently introduced a stacking sibling discount, where families receive 10% off for each child enrolled in camp.
