Get ready for a slew of 2026 summer camps hosted by Akron Public Schools and the Akron Recreation & Parks department — from Dinosaur Digs and ASPIRE Camp to Survivor Camp and Middle School Adventurer’s Camps.

Online registration for Akron Recreation & Parks camps is open through the city’s RecDesk, while registration for the school district’s summer programming (for district students) opens here Monday, April 20.

“(It’s a) space where you build relationships with children,” said Tiffany Lundy, who coordinates summer experiences for Akron Public Schools. 

“It’s just so valuable in that way … they are building places where children want to be, want to spend time and a busy kid is a safe kid.” 

Also, United Way of Summit & Medina’s partner organizations offer a number of summer camps, sports and enrichment opportunities. For more information, visit 211summit.org. 

In total, the two organizations aim to serve thousands of campers, ranging in age from preschoolers to teenagers. Know of other summer camps in the Akron area? Email Signal Akron Education Reporter Carissa Woytach at carissa@signalakron.org.

Akron’s community calendar

Looking for things to do in Akron? Signal Akron’s events calendar is your go-to guide for what’s happening across the city each week. From family-friendly festivals and outdoor concerts to art exhibits, food truck rallies, and neighborhood block parties, we’ve gathered events that showcase the energy and creativity of our community.

APS summer camps free for its students

Akron Public Schools operates about 30 camps for students for incoming kindergarteners to high schoolers in June, July and August — with many at no cost to district families, Lundy said. The full list is available here.

Last year, APS’ summer camps served about 2,000 students within the district. While funding cuts will impact this summer’s program capacity, Lundy still expects the camps to positively serve plenty of children in Akron.

The newest program is Jumpstart to Kindergarten, created for up to 500 incoming kindergarteners within the district. Funded through a $600,000 Kindergarten Readiness Boot Camp grant from the state, the program aims to teach early literacy, math and social-emotional skills ahead of the new school year. The camp runs Aug. 3-7 Barber, Hatton, Harris-Jackson, McEbright, Portage Path, Sam Salem and Schumacher elementary schools. 

Students enrolling in kindergarten in the Buchtel and East clusters can attend Bridge to Kindergarten at Schumacher CLC from June 1-18 to gain early literacy, math, social emotional, motor and transition skills. Lundy encouraged families to register students for kindergarten early to be able to register for the summer camp with their child’s student ID number.

The following are some of the available APS camps for this summer:

Aug. 3-7

The Trailblazers Unite program aims to help students transition from elementary to middle school. Rising sixth graders at Buchtel, East, Hyre, Litchfield, Innes and Jennings CLCs will meet their new principals, counselors and other staff. 

July 8-24

Larger middle school Adventurer’s Camps for sixth, seventh and eighth graders. This programming is also available July 8 to 24.

Similar to the middle school programs, Level Up Elementary looks to serve rising first- through fifth-grade students at APS elementary schools June 8-18. It is a fun camp, Lundy said, with a reading and math focus.  

Early June summer camps

For older students, the Summer Youth Employment Program connects teenagers with work experience and the opportunity to earn up to $2,400 over eight weeks with jobs in health care, marketing, theater, construction, automotive technology and other industries. The work placement is available to teens ages 16 to 18 whose household income does not exceed 200 percent of the federal poverty level (income for a family of four may not exceed a gross monthly income of $5,500).

June 1-5 

University of Akron’s Aspire program is open to 20 high school marketing and entrepreneurship students. 

Akron Recreation & Parks offers exploration, play

Summer camps hosted by Akron Recreation & Parks create spaces where younger children can focus on play and movement, while older youth can explore STEM, cooking, golf, visual arts and other themes.

The City of Akron’s lineup includes programming for youth ranging in age from 3 to 15. Many camps are priced at $50 per week, with lower-cost options around $35 for younger age groups. Some specialty camps — such as cooking programs — are priced slightly higher.

June 8 – July 31

Summer Fun Camps are scheduled for the final eight weeks of the summer. They will operate at select locations, including Lawton Street, Mason Park and Patterson Park community centers. Designed as a full-season option, the camps operate Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and include breakfast, lunch, field trips and daily activities. 

The cost is $300 for the full eight weeks — some sites offer before- and after-care for an additional fee.

For families in need of shorter commitments, Weekly Theme Camps are offered at multiple sites, including Ellet, Firestone Park, Joy Park, Kenmore, Northwest, Reservoir Park and Summit Lake community centers. These camps typically run Monday through Thursday and focus on specific themes such as art, sports, science, nature and imaginative play.

Some locations offer robust schedules. Northwest Family Recreation Center, for example, hosts camps ranging from dance and STEM to art and outdoor adventures, while Joy Park focuses heavily on sports, science and water-themed activities.

Four-day summer camps

Weekly Theme Camps are themed and available in four-day sessions throughout the summer. The variety of camps include:

  • Spy Kids Camp (June 15-18 at Ellet Community Center)
  • Golf Camp (June 8-11 at Joy Park Community Center)
  • Art 1: Little Masters Camp I (June 15-18 at Northwest Family Recreation Center)
  • Game On Camp (July 6-9 at Firestone Park Community Center)

The full list is available here.

Other Akron-area organizations offering summer camps

  • Noex Sports’ Camp MOVE offers a free sports and science, technology, engineering, art and math camp July 13-31 for rising third-through-eighth graders. The camp, which includes field trips and activities, will be held at 1690 Hillside Terrace. 
  • Rubber City Theatre’s Summer Arts Camp is June 8-19. Run through the University of Akron’s Arts Academy, the camp offers students visual art, music and theatre activities with a production of Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka KIDS! (June 19 – 20). 
  • Unique Kidz Care Learning Center’s summer camp is June 8 to Aug. 14. The weekday camp costs $100 for toddlers, $150 for preschoolers and $200 for school-age children.
  • Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio will host free summer activities at its various Akron camps for children ages 6 to 18. Hours and dates vary by club location.
  • North Hill Community House‘s Building Blocks Summer Enrichment Program is mid-June through July. Activities include music, art, health and wellness activities, computer and life skills and academics, alongside field trips and community service projects.
  • Summit County Historical Society of Akron‘s free Friday camps are available for children in preschool through middle school.
  • Weathervane Community Playhouse hosts camps in June, July and August, focusing on acting, improvisation, dance, signing, stage design and technical theater. Fees vary according to the camp, and partial scholarships are available.

Summer camp scholarships available. Here’s how to apply

To help make summer camps more accessible, the City of Akron offers financial assistance through the YES Youth Empowerment Scholarship. The program provides support for eligible families with children 18 and younger to participate in fee-based recreation programming.

YES and AMHA pricing will not be available at registration checkout until applications have been approved.

To apply, complete an application and email the completed copy to Robert Dowdell at RDowdell@akronohio.gov. For additional information, contact Recreation and Parks at 330-375-2832.  

Carissa Woytach joins Signal Akron to cover education after working at The Chronicle-Telegram in Lorain County for nearly a decade. Prior to that, she worked in St. Joseph, Michigan. She aims to focus on the impact schools have on the students, staff, families and communities they serve. She wants to highlight the good of local districts, while bringing to light the issues within them. She holds bachelor's degrees in journalism and photography from Cleveland State University. When not working, she can be found keeping track of her three cats, Buddy, Honey and Denali and wasting film throughout Northeast Ohio.

Meagan Rodgers is a writer from Akron with experience in academic, nonprofit, corporate, and online settings. Raised in Stow, Meagan earned a bachelor’s degree from the Ohio State University, an M.A. from the University of Akron and a Ph.D. in English from the University of New Hampshire. She works as a grants consultant for nonprofits in greater Akron and throughout Ohio.

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