42 Trending Summer Camp Businesses [2024]

Pat Walls

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Updated: January 18th, 2023

Start A Summer Camp

Starting a summer camp business can be a fun and rewarding experience for anyone looking to enter the education and recreation industry. Summer camps offer children and young adults a chance to participate in various activities and experiences, including sports, crafts, nature hikes, and more.

To start a summer camp business, you will need to secure a location, typically a large piece of land with various amenities such as cabins, a pool, and a dining hall. You will also need to hire a team of trained and experienced staff members to oversee the campers and lead activities. Marketing and advertising will be important to attract potential campers and their families, and you may want to consider offering promotions or discounts to attract new business.

According to a report by the American Camp Association, the summer camp industry generates over $15 billion in revenue annually, with approximately 14 million children attending camps each year. It is a popular and growing business opportunity, with an estimated 2,400 new camps opening in the United States each year.

Starting a summer camp business can be challenging, but with proper planning and execution, it can be a rewarding and successful venture. By providing a safe and engaging environment for children to learn and grow, you can positively impact their development and create lasting memories for them and their families.

Looking for some examples of a summer camp?

Interested in case studies of a successful summer camp? Check out our full list of success stories.

1. iD Tech

Where they're located: Sacramento, California, USA
Website traffic: 1.11M/month

2. San Francisco Recreation and Parks, CA

Where they're located: San Francisco, California, USA
Website traffic: 280K/month

Learn more about starting a summer camp:

Where to start?

-> How much does it cost to start a summer camp?
-> Pros and cons of a summer camp

Need inspiration?

-> Other summer camp success stories
-> Marketing ideas for a summer camp

Other resources

-> Profitability of a summer camp

4. Find Summer Camps & Classes for Kids

ActivityHero will help you find the best summer camps in 2020. Book after school classes and camps near you with one registration form.

Where they're located: Anaheim, California, USA
Website traffic: 310K/month

5. STEM Education

Where they're located: Detroit, Michigan, USA
Website traffic: 130K/month

6. Summer Camp Hub

Here we cover everything that has to do with summer camps. Whether you're looking for a summer camp or want to learn how to run one. We got you covered.

Website traffic: 190K/month

7. Kids Camp

KidsCamps.com is the Internet's most comprehensive directory of summer camps, winter camps, and spring break camps, including traditional overnight camps, day camps, teen tours, study abroad programs, and a variety of specialized camps and programs for children and teenagers of all ages.

Where they're located: Haina, Hesse, Germany
Website traffic: 130K/month

8. American Camp Association

As a leading authority for summer camps and youth development, ACA works to preserve, promote, and improve the camp experience. ACA is a comprehensive resource for parents and families, residential camps, day camps, and travel camps, summer camp staff, and after-school and out-of-school programs.

Where they're located: Haina, Hesse, Germany
Website traffic: 100K/month

9. The YMCA

Where they're located: Seattle, Washington, USA
Website traffic: 170K/month

10. Pedalheads

Pedalheads offers a range of children's programs for kids ages 2-12 including bike camps, swim lessons, and summer sport camps!

Where they're located: Seattle, Washington, USA

11. YMCA SF |

Where they're located: San Francisco, California, USA
Website traffic: 160K/month

12. Interlochen Center for the Arts

We offer arts education, concerts, and cultural opportunities for all ages. Located in beautiful northern Michigan.

Website traffic: 100K/month

13. Kids Sports Camps & Clinics

Skyhawks.com

offers Sports Camps & Clinics for players of all levels, ages 4-12. Find affordable
sports activities in your area.

Where they're located: Seattle, Washington, USA
Website traffic: 260K/month

14. Avid4 Adventure

Avid4 Adventure offers summer camps in Colorado & California that reconnect kids with the natural world. Providing outdoor adventure day & overnight camps.

Where they're located: Denver, Colorado, USA

15. Home

Where they're located: Los Angeles, California, USA

16. Summer Camps 2020

Welcome to SummerCamps.com — the premier web-location for parents and family members to research, find and book the very best summer camps. Your children

Where they're located: Long Beach, California, USA

17. Summer Camp Music Festival

Three Sisters Park – Chillicothe, Ilinois

18. Summer Camp Programming

Where they're located: Baie-Mahault, Guadeloupe, France

19. Summer Camp

Got Game Summer Camp is the premier Los Angeles summer camp destination for kids. We offer an exciting youth development program centrally located in Los Angeles, CA and surrounded by the communities of West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Larchmont Village, Ha

Where they're located: Los Angeles, California, USA

20. Georgetown Day School

Home - Georgetown Day School is a coed, preK-12, non-sectarian private school in Washington, DC with small class sizes and a diverse school community.

Where they're located: Washington D.C., Washington, D.C., USA

21. Camps for Kids: Overnight & Day, Summer & March Break

Find day and overnight camps for kids, summer or year round. Camps.ca lists programs from throughout Canada and the northern United States.

Where they're located: Vancouver, Washington, United States

22. Metro Parks

Welcome to the official Columbus & Franklin County Metro Parks website. Find Maps, Pet Trails, ParkScope magazine, and information about all 20 Metro Parks.

Where they're located: Columbus, Ohio, USA

23. Camp No Counselors

Camp No Counselors is the all-inclusive sleepaway camp for grown-ups. As seen on ABC's "Shark Tank"!

24. Trackers Earth: Camps & Outdoor Programs

Where they're located: Portland, Oregon, USA

25. homepage

Where they're located: Manhattan Community Board 1, New York, USA

26. Girls Rock! DC

Girls Rock! DC was founded in October 2007 by an all-volunteer collective of DC metro area musicians, teachers, artists, and community organizers. We offer programs for youth, adults and the community. Rock out with Girls Rock! DC!

Where they're located: Washington D.C., Washington, D.C., USA

27. Lavner Camps

Lavner Summer Camps - The World's #1 Sports Camps, Art Camps, Tech Camps, STEM Camps, Virtual Camps & Virtual Tech Camps. PA, NYC, LI, NJ, LA, SF, DC, USA

Where they're located: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

28. The #1 International summer basketball league in the world

Where they're located: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

29. Children's Day School

Where they're located: San Francisco, California, USA

30. Coppermine Fieldhouse

Where they're located: Baltimore, Maryland, USA

31. Outpost Summer Camps

Where they're located: San Diego, California, USA

32. Summer at BA

Where they're located: Nashville, Tennessee, USA

33. Pali Adventures

Kids 8 to 16 can enjoy an adventure every day at the Pali Adventures sleepover summer camp located in Southern California.

Where they're located: Los Angeles, California, USA

34. Trackers Earth

Where they're located: Seattle, Washington, USA

35. Impact Basketball

The World’s premier basketball player development authority and destination for Professionals & Students, offering Programs, Academies & Certification.

Where they're located: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

36. The Watersports Camp at Mission Bay Aquatic Center

The Watersports Camp is an exciting day-camp featuring wakeboarding camps, surfing camps, sailing camps and much more. Brought to you by Associated Students, UCSD Recreation and the Peninsula Family YMCA.

Where they're located: San Diego, California, USA