Don’t want your kids sitting at home all summer long? Summer camp is the best option!

If you live here in Collier County, there are lots of awesome summer camp options, ranging from cooking to sailing to water skiing to rock climbing. Whatever your child is in to, there are fun options to explore.

Mackenzie has tried several of the City of Naples camps, as well as those from Collier County. We’ve also tried a few independent programs. For the most part, we were very thrilled with the programs – but it does seem that you often get what you pay for. Some of the cheaper camps turned out to have lesser supervision and animation, which may be fine for the older kids but was not ideal for Mackenzie at 5-years-old.

We started finding summer camps for Mackenzie when she was old enough for elementary school and no longer in a pre-school program. As parents who both work, we needed to have some time during the day when we could get work done. And when the only other practical option is a babysitter (but there are few of them available), you welcome the ease of summer camps.

Naples Summer Camps We Recommend

  • Conservancy of Southwest Florida – One of Mackenzie’s favorite camps which we discovered last year, these camps are a combination of wildlife, nature, education, and adventure. The kids learn a lot about Southwest Florida and all that lives and grows here; but they also have a ton of fun. Mackenzie never wanted to leave at the end of the day and they offer a full day program from 9 am – 4 pm (with drop off as early as 8 am and pick up as late as 5 pm.) Members of the Conservancy will get a discount on all their camps ($285 vs $305 I think) and members also get to register early which is a great perk considering how quickly these camps fill up!
  • Waterski Camp with Collier County – This camp ties for Mackenzie’s favorite and we usually sign up for two weeks of this camp. One week of camp from 9 am – 5 pm is $225 and worth every penny. The kids get to spend all day in the lake swimming and playing…and learning how to water ski and wakeboard.  Needless to say she’s exhausted at the end of the day from this one – but loves going back. The last day of camp, the campers put on a show to showcase all the skills they have learned which is a real treat!
    Collier County also offers quite a few other camps including tennis, soccer, science building camps and more. See their full list of available camps online or click here to register online (2018 registration opens April 1st). The Ski Camp is extremely popular, so if you want to join this one, make sure you are online early.
  • Rock Climbing at Fleischmann Park – A great camp and wonderful teacher leading the program, this is a great last-minute camp to jump into for the morning (9 am -12 pm) for the week or even just a day. Even if your kids have never climbed before, they will build confidence and strength in this camp..and get to the top of that rock wall too!
    We’ve also done Film Making, Game Creation and a few other camps which were fairly fun, but not fun enough to do two years in a row. She did love the tennis camp at the Arthur Allen center, but playing in the summer heat wasn’t a big hit, even with the lure of the inflatable water slide they bring in one afternoon.
    City of Naples camp registration for specialty camps begins on Monday, April 2nd at 10:00 am for City of Naples Residents and on Monday, April 16th at 10:00 am for all others. Proof of city residency (driver’s license, tax bill) and full payment required at time of registration. Online registration is available starting April 16th, 2018. See the full list of camps available for 2018 in City of Naples.

 

Other Camps of Interest

  • Artscool at the Naples Art Association – Offering a variety of art classes for your little artist with morning and evening sessions. I really like the variety and the number of sessions they offer each week, and we may try one of these out this year as well because Mackenzie has a huge interest in art.
  • ArtSmart at Artis Naples – We’re unfortunately not going to be here for this camp but they are offering two camp options for kids who are looking for lots of hands-on art experience.
  • Ocean Kids Camp – We’ve heard lots of good things about this camp but never been. If your kids love the sun and beach, this definitely one worth checking out.
  • Camp Wild at Naples Zoo – If your kids are looking for animal encounters and behind-the-scenes zoo fun, this camp is a must.

What kinds of summer camps do your kids enjoy? Have you found any camps in Naples or your area that your kids have loved? Please share with us below!