Summer Camps

Camps are listed by age groups. Please register your child for an age appropriate camp. If your child is entering kindergarten through eighth grade, please register your child according to what age they will be by September 1.

Each camp is supervised by a qualified, experienced coordinator who oversees the day-to-day operations of camp and the counselors. Counselors at each camp are a mix of mature and enthusiastic college and high school students. All staff members complete an extensive training program that includes supervision, safety techniques, curriculum development, CPR certification, and basic first aid.

All campers should wear comfortable clothing and athletic shoes to camp. We recommend that campers wear clothing that can get dirty, as our activities are hands-on. 

All items, when not in use, will remain in the backpack.

• Nut-free lunch and snack (reusable containers encouraged)
• Water bottle (reusable encouraged)
• Sunscreen

Pick up is promptly at each camp's designated conclusion time. 

All people listed on the camper’s ePACT form under parent/guardian, emergency contact, and authorized pick-up will be allowed to pick-up each camper daily. If carpooling, please make sure the adult is listed on the form. Please do not be offended if the camp staff ask for photo ID; it is for the safety of the children. In the event that a new person must be added unexpectedly, please contact the camp via text or email with the contact information. You may also contact the Camp Supervisor or the Maine Park front office.

A five-minute grace period will be granted for late pick up. If the pick-up person is later than five minutes, a charge of $1 per minute will be issued. If pick-up person will be later than 15 minutes, parents will be notified to pick up their child at After Care.

Yes, we are accredited through the American Camp Association. This Association has many standards that our camp has to not only verify on paper, but also through onsite inspections. Some of these standards include specific requirements for the hiring and training of staff, transportation, emergency drills, medication procedures, and camper to staff ratio.

The maximum camper to staff ratio is:

• For ages 2-5 years, 6:1
• For ages 6-8 years, 8:1
• For ages 9-14 years, 10:1 

ePACT provides a private, online site for emergency records. Families enter all their critical health and emergency data online. This information only needs to be entered once and then ePACT shares it between programs. If families update information, authorized staff are alerted.

If your camper is under the age of 8, the Park District will require the individual to use a booster seat. The Park District will provide the booster seat.

Some camps have a snack break during the camp day. We encourage nutritionally beneficial snacks. For full-day camps and camps that end at 1:15pm or later, please send a peanut and tree nut free lunch and a beverage in a labeled, eco-friendly container.

We have partnered with Spuntino’s to prepare hot and cold lunches delivered daily to your child’s camp site. Order forms will be available online, at the Camp Open House Meeting, and at the Maine Park Leisure Center front office. Orders are due the Wednesday prior to the week you are ordering lunch. Completed forms can be emailed to recreation@prparks.org or dropped off at Maine Park Leisure Center office. For more information, please call 847-692-5127. Please remember there is no lunch service on field trip days.

No. Please do not let your child bring personal belongings from home. We know how important and expensive some items can be. The Park Ridge Park District is not responsible for anything lost, stolen, or broken.

The Park District does not require children to have a medical examination to attend camp. You will receive an email from ePACT to enter participant information that includes emergency forms. The forms and more details are also available in the Medicine at Camp Appendix to the Parent Handbook. It is very important to complete these forms and upload the forms on ePACT as soon as possible and well before camp starts. If your child has medical concerns such as asthma or allergies, please include this information on the emergency forms.

If your child needs to take maintenance medication, please review the Medicine at Camp packet available online or on the Park District’s electronic portal (ePACT). You will need to fill out a Permission to Dispense Medication Form along with the Medical Emergency Action Plan, which are part of the packet. You can also pick up the packet at the Maine Park Leisure Center.

Whenever possible, medications should be dispensed or administered by parents or guardians before or after programs and camps. Please note that the Park District does not have medical providers (e.g., licensed medical professionals such as doctors, nurses, etc.) on staff. The Park District reviews requests for dispending or administering of medicine on a case-by-case basis. In some circumstances, the administration of medication cannot be performed by Park District staff because of specific and/or complex physician or manufacturer instructions, because a request requires medical diagnosis or judgment from our lay staff, and/or because the medication requires invasive procedures.

As to allergies, the Park District does not provide snack or lunches for campers. On occasion, the District may provide popsicles or a food treat. Please review the Food Activity release in ePact and indicate if you do not want your child to participate in food activities. Please note, staff does not monitor lunches brought by our campers.

In compliance with the American Disability Act, please notify us if your child has any special needs by checking the appropriate box on the registration form or by notifying one of the supervisors. As always, your confidentiality is respected.

Yes, but please note that camps do fill up. We have had campers in the past that signed up for many different camps, but then really liked the campers and staff in a particular camp and wanted to stay in that camp for the summer, but the other weeks were full.

Payment plans are available for the summer camps listed below. Payment plans can be completed online through February 28. Starting March 1, payment plans can be set-up in person at the Maine Park Leisure Center. When choosing the payment plan option, a placeholder will be charged at $1 for residents and $5 for non-residents for applicable summer camps. For more information, please call 847-692-5127. All policies, waivers, and proof of residency as outlined in the camp brochure apply. All summer camps must be paid in full prior to the start of the camp week.

The 2024 Summer Camps that offer a payment plan include:

• Little Explorers Camp
• Camp Curiosity
• Kickoff to Kindergarten Camp
• Kaleidoscope Kids Camp
• Camp Summer Quest
• Camp Rewind
• Camp Wannalottafun!
• Nature Camp
• Discovery Crew
• Sports Camp
• Teen Trail Blazers
• Subway Surf’n Camp
• Counselors in Training
• Before & After Care
• SSO Camp Rewind
• SSO Teen Trail Blazers
• Worlds of Wonder Nature Camp
• Jr. Chefs Cooking with Sticky Fingers
• All Technology Camps
• All Stage School Theater Camps
• All Dance Camps
• Art Extravaganza Camp

Scholarship funds are available to assist low income families participating in Park District programs. Assistance is available to eligible Park Ridge Park District residents only. Due to limited space, you will need to register and pay in full. Approved scholarships will be applied to your account and awarded amount will be refunded to you. Complete the following information and email it to jgreve@prparks.org for consideration.

• Scholarship Application
• Registration Form
• Proof of Residency – current driver’s license or current utility bill within 30 days
• Proof of Financial Need – (copy of tax returns, participation in the State subsidized hot lunch program, proof of government assistance – food stamps, welfare)

Please contact our customer service staff at 847-692-5127 or email recreation@prparks.org to process your refund. The following refund policy will apply:

• Five business days prior to the first day of camp:
  • A full refund minus a $3 administrative fee is granted.
• After the start of the first day of camp:
  • Prorated refunds are only granted for medical reasons or changes in residency.

Swimming activities vary by camp and are specified in the camp description. For the convenience of our parents, pool passes are not necessary for campers to enjoy our pools during camp hours. All of our campers will be admitted as part of the camp fees when attending the pools during the camp program. Parents who want their child to use Park District pools after camp hours or on weekends have the option of paying a daily fee or purchasing a pool pass.

No, Little Explorers Camp, Camp Curiosity, Kickoff to Kindergarten Camp, and Camp Wannalottafun! have "water days". "Water days" consist of sprinklers, water toys, and baby pools.

Swim tests are conducted on the first visit to the pool by the Park Ridge Park District’s Aquatic Staff. All campers are tested for swimming ability by swimming the width of the pool. Lifeguards are on the deck and in the pool assisting the campers, along with counselors. Color coded bracelets are distributed to designate which area of the swimming pool campers may use. Pool rules will be maintained for all campers, including minimum height requirements.

If your child is attending Summer School, we offer S.S.O. Camp Rewind, Wonders of Nature, and S.S.O. Teen Trail Blazers as options for camp.

Yes, please sign up for our Before Care & Transportation to Summer School.

Transportation from Summer School to camp is included in the camp fee for S.S.O. Camp Rewind, S.S.O. Teen Trail Blazers, and Worlds of Nature Camp. For any transportation questions, please call 847-692-5127.

The school provides a staff member to wait with your child until Park District staff arrives for transportation. Park District staff will accompany children to their camp site.

Summer school registrants may attend camp from 9:00am-3:00pm on June 10, June 11, June 19, and July 3, provided they are registered for that week's camp session.

Yes, please let your Camp Site Coordinator know.

Pick up will be at your child’s camp site unless you register for After Care, then pick up will be at the After Care location.