2024 Ultimate Guide to Summer Camps Around Charleston

With summer break just on the horizon, many parents are thinking about how to fill those slow, summer days with fun, engaging activities for the kiddos. While summer is a fun time for ice cream, beach days, and playground fun, it can also be a time when parents struggle to fill that time with entertainment, as well as childcare. Fortunately, Charleston is chock full of awesome summer camps for children of all ages. We hope this guide provides you with insight into the best camps for your children so you can focus on having a fun, and stress-free summer!

A special thanks goes out to all of the sponsors who helped make this guide possible. If you would like your camp included in this guide, let’s chat!

*This is a sponsored guide, presented by our valued local partners. While we love sharing these resources with our readers, we have not personally vetted each individual business represented here and encourage our readers to do their own research to find the best fit for their family.

Surround yourself with nature at The Charleston Museum’s Dill Sanctuary, a 580-acre wildlife sanctuary located on James Island along the Stono River. Campers get down and dirty exploring a marsh ecosystem and tracking animals along the trail while learning about archaeology, life in a marsh, indigenous Americans, and animals.

Nature Trailer Summer Camps are for ages 5 through 10 and include crafts, activities, and admission to the Dill Sanctuary from 9 am through 12 pm. For more information, call 843.722.2996 ext. 236.

Dates: June 3 – 7, June 10 – 14, June 17 – 21, June 24 -28
Ages: 5 -10
Price: $170 for Charleston Museum Members and $220 for non-members

Join Young Chefs Academy Culinary Camp and uncover the recipe for culinary success this summer! Indulge in our fully immersive multi-day, culinary experience, tailored for young food enthusiasts, eager to take their culinary aspirations to new heights. Young Chefs will not only sharpen their skills through hands-on instruction, but also thrilling and dynamic challenges, inspired by the hottest trends in the culinary world.

Dates: June 3 – August 5
Ages: 7 – 15
Price: $320/child weekly, $310 sibling rate

• Two kids zipline courses for ages 5-12 (must be between 40 and 180 lbs)
• Charleston’s tallest rock wall standing at 65 feet and for all ages (up to 300 lbs)
• Animal Encounters that include mini-horses, mini-goats, mini-pigs, reptiles and even alpacas!

Dates: June 11 – August 9
Ages: 5 – 12
Price: $150 for 2 day camp

More than self-defense, Jiu Jitsu is engaging, fun, and a great tool to help your child develop LIFE SKILLS like grit, resilience, and most importantly self-confidence. Our Jiu Jitsu Camps are for kids of all skill levels, from beginner to advanced. They’re perfect for any child who wants to have fun, explore their creativity, and learn this amazing martial art that’s been taught to kids of all ages around the globe. Each week we’ll work on different Jiu Jitsu and grappling techniques, and give them the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned during live sparring in a safe environment.

Dates: June 10 – 14, June 17 – 21, July 1 – 5 (No Camp on July 4th), July 8 – 12 / Half-day & Full-day camps
Ages: 6 – 13
Price: $209 – $409, depending on camp & registration date

Pack Athletics Kids Fun Camps are filled with exciting and age-appropriate activities throughout the summer! Each day, children can enjoy tumbling and ninja courses, games, in-house camp excursions, field trips, crafts, inflatables, and so much more!

Our kids camps are available all summer long, starting from June 3rd until August 9th. We offer both daily and weekly rates at our Mount Pleasant and West Ashley locations. Our Full-Day camp runs from 8:00am-5:00pm and costs $375.00 per week or $125.00 per day. Alternatively, our Half-Day camp runs from 8:00am-12:00pm and costs $275.00 per week or $75.00 per day. Don’t miss out on the FUN! Ages starting 3 and up!

Dates: June 3 – August 9
Ages: 3 – 15
Price: $75 – $375, depending on camp

Camp Shalom Charleston is open for enrollment, June 3rd- July 26th Monday-Friday from 8:30-4:00pm. Get ready to explore your imagination and creativity by joining us on a journey through a variety of academic, artistic, and athletic camps. Camp Shalom is a community-wide Jewish day camp designed for every camper. Our all-inclusive program welcomes children ages 18 months to 4th grade and is open to the surrounding Charleston area. With eight themed weeks of fun, your child will not want to miss a single one! Enrollment is limited and filling up fast!

For registration and details about the Camp Shalom program, please visit www.campshalomcharleston.com.

Dates: June 3 – July 26
Ages: 18 months – 4th grade
Price: $375/week

Crush Yard’s Summer Camp is full of pickleball, games, and activities! Keep your kids active, safe from the heat, and having fun all summer long! Seven weekly camps are available, beginning June 17, with options for full-day or half-day sessions. Our facility features 8 indoor, climate-controlled courts, ensuring a comfortable environment rain or shine. The camp is open to boys and girls aged 6-16, offering pickleball instruction, game play, and tournaments to improve their skills. Campers can enjoy a variety of other activities, including cornhole, ping pong, relay races, arcade games, and more! Plus, lunch can be included in some sessions for added convenience.

Dates: June 17 – August 9 / full-day & half-day camps
Ages: 6 – 16
Price: starts at $250/week

It’s camp time! From basketball to theater, art to soccer, environmental education to tennis, the City of Charleston Recreation Department has a camp for everyone. From early June to mid-August, we offer a variety of camps for ages 3 to 15, with leadership training opportunities for ages 13 to 16 at day camps. Registration begins March 16th. For even more fun, join our team this summer in a seasonal, part-time or full-time position!

Dates: June 3 – August 9
Ages: 3 – 15
Price: $60 – $425, depending on camp

Kids Garden’s eco-friendly, creative arts learning center offers a range of weekly themed and specialized camps. Options include morning half-day sessions, afternoon art camps, and outdoor nature camps, allowing parents to choose the best fit for their child’s interests and schedule. Each week will include a combination of direct instruction and individual artistic expression, created to foster and harness children’s natural creativity and encourage their innate imagination. We teach artistic skills and scientific thinking, so children will develop the ability to express, explore, and create all on their own. For more information or to register today, visit us online!

Dates: June 10 – August 9
Ages: 3 – 12
Price: varies by camp

Join longtime waterman, commercial fisherman, and USCG licensed Captain Jeff Spahr for Seamanship and Salt Marsh Exploration Camp with Charleston Salt Marsh Adventures! Your child will learn boater safety, navigation, knot tying, how to throw a cast net, fishing skills, see and learn about a variety of coastal marine species, and much more.

Drop off and pick up is at the Robert E. Ashley Boat Landing (405 Pinckney St. McClellanville, SC 29458). Sessions are available for ages 8-12. Sessions run Monday-Thursday, 8:30-12:30. $600 per child per session. Please call 843-568-5781 or email CharlestonSaltmarshAdven[email protected] for more information or to register.

Dates: select weeks June 3 – August 8
Ages: 8 – 12
Price: $600/child per session

Sign up for cheerleading camp with Cheer Works today! Our camps are open to rising kindergarten – 5th graders and the kids are put into small groups with their peers. We offer instruction in motions, jumps, cheers, dances, stunting and tumbling. Camp includes daily crafts and snacks as well as a camp t-shirt and goodie bag!

Dates: June 17-20, June 24-27, July 8-11
Ages: rising K – 5th graders
Price: $270/child per camp