A Summer to Remember
Open-house events and private tours can help parents make good choices when deciding how to enrich a child’s summer.
Most of us associate our childhood summers with unbridled freedom—walks in the woods, splashing in the pool with friends, and the occasional lazy afternoon in the shade. Thanks to the many summer-enrichment programs hosted by local camps and schools, the season can also be an outlet for a child’s intellectual growth, athletic development, and creative expression.
Center School’s Summer Learning and Enrichment Program, for example, caters to students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences, such as dyscalculia and dysgraphia, as well as those with ADHD. The Abington-based school’s summertime offerings mimic its year-round programming, according to Head of School Mindy Wawrzyniak.
“Students have the opportunity to work on their academic skills so they’re well prepared for the coming school year,” she says. “They focus on core subjects in the morning, and in the afternoon [the schedule] varies to make room for enrichment apart from academics.”
Parents can choose from full- and half-day options for their children; both focus on academic “maintenance,” including basic reading skills, phonics comprehension, and learning strategies, while the full-day program incorporates afternoon “extracurriculars,” ranging from fitness and art to cooking and music. The program is open to all children, not just existing Center School students.
Each year’s summer program follows a theme around which student lessons revolve. The theme of this year’s summer program, which begins on July 6 and concludes on July 31, is Greek mythology.
Whether a parent is considering Center School or any other school or camp, Wawrzyniak recommends attending an open house or taking a private tour, if available, to help inform their decisions.
“A general open house gives people the opportunity to come in and get to know who we are, see our building, and learn more about what their child will be doing while they’re here,” she adds. “If parents are searching for a summer camp program for their child, they want to have a good understanding of what the offerings are going to be. Coming to Center School to see our programming during the year really helps them to get a good sense of what we do and what their children have to gain.”
Parents should attend as many open-house events as they need to feel comfortable in their decision. Whereas one parent might discover they have found “the right place” after attending a single open house, another might attend as many as a dozen before they have found the ideal blend of environment and enrichment.
“For me the question comes down to: What is their goal for their child for the summer?” Wawrzyniak adds. “Are they looking for their child to just go have fun and be active, or is there a specific goal? If their interest is purely about learning, they might come here just for the morning. If they’re more interested in learning plus activity, they would be better for our full-day program, where they come in to get the academic piece in the morning but then in the afternoon they have opportunities for play and creative expression.”
Regardless of the focus of any given summer camp or program—academics, athletics, robotics, etc.—Wawrzyniak advises parents to measure their expectations.
“In a four-week program, you’re not going to see leaps and bounds [in improvement],” she says. “What you want to be able to see for the summer is maintenance; you want to avoid the summer slide. We want to make sure that students’ academics remain fresh so when they head back for the school year they haven’t fallen behind. They can just jump right in and start where they were at the end of the previous school year.”
Summer is only a few turns of the calendar away. In other words, parents should firm up their children’s summer plans now, because summer programs tend to fill up quickly. Wawrzyniak suggests visiting the websites of area schools and camps to learn about their summer offerings, and to follow them on social media for updates and “sneak peaks” of upcoming programming. For anyone unsure of where to begin, start by consulting the following list.
ACADEMICS +
Academy of Notre Dame de Namur
Villanova
ndapa.org/campus-life/summer-camps
Archmere Academy
Claymont, Delaware
archmereacademy.com
Friends’ Central School
Wynnewood
fcsprograms.org
Friends School Haverford
Haverford
friendshaverford.org
Germantown Academy
Fort Washington
germantownacademy.net/summer
The Meadowbrook School – Camp Meadowbrook
Meadowbrook
themeadowbrookschool.org
Notre Dame High School
Lawrenceville, New Jersey
ndnj.org/summer-experience
Perkiomen School
Pennsburg
perkiomen.org
Salesianum School
Wilmington, Delaware
salesianum.org
St. Joseph’s Preparatory School
Philadelphia
sjprep.org
Academy of Notre Dame de Namur
Villanova
ndapa.org/campus-life/summer-camps
Archmere Academy
Claymont, Delaware
archmereacademy.com
Friends’ Central School
Wynnewood
fcsprograms.org
Friends School Haverford
Haverford
friendshaverford.org
Germantown Academy
Fort Washington
germantownacademy.net/summer
The Meadowbrook School – Camp Meadowbrook
Meadowbrook
themeadowbrookschool.org
Notre Dame High School
Lawrenceville, New Jersey
ndnj.org/summer-experience
Perkiomen School
Pennsburg
perkiomen.org
Salesianum School
Wilmington, Delaware
salesianum.org
St. Joseph’s Preparatory School
Philadelphia
sjprep.org
St. Katharine Drexel Catholic School
Southampton
sunnydayssummerfun.weebly.com
Tatnall School
Wilmington, Delaware
atatnallsummer.org
Ursuline Academy
Wilmington, Delaware
ursuline.org/discovery-cove
Villa Joseph Marie High School
Holland
vjmhs.org/summer
Villa Victoria Academy
Ewing, New Jersey
villavictoria.org
Southampton
sunnydayssummerfun.weebly.com
Tatnall School
Wilmington, Delaware
atatnallsummer.org
Ursuline Academy
Wilmington, Delaware
ursuline.org/discovery-cove
Villa Joseph Marie High School
Holland
vjmhs.org/summer
Villa Victoria Academy
Ewing, New Jersey
villavictoria.org
LEARNING DIFFERENCES
AIM Academy
Conshohocken
aimpa.org
Benchmark School
Media
benchmarkschool.org
Center School
Abington
centerschoolpa.org
Delaware Valley Friends School
Paoli
dvfs.org
Woodlynde School
Strafford
woodlynde.org
ATHLETICS
CAL Sports Academy
Hatfield
calsportsacademy.com
Game Breaker Lacrosse Camps
Multiple locations
laxcamps.com
The Gymnastics & Cheerleading Academy
Cherry Hill, New Jersey
thegcacademy.com
Hatfield Ice
Hatfield
hatfieldice.com/youth-hockey/summer-camps
High Performance Tennis Academy
Multiple locations
hprsports.com
Phillies Baseball Academy
Multiple locations
philliesacademy.com
Philadelphia NFL Alumni Youth Football Camps
Multiple locations
prosportsexperience.com
CAL Sports Academy
Hatfield
calsportsacademy.com
Game Breaker Lacrosse Camps
Multiple locations
laxcamps.com
The Gymnastics & Cheerleading Academy
Cherry Hill, New Jersey
thegcacademy.com
Hatfield Ice
Hatfield
hatfieldice.com/youth-hockey/summer-camps
High Performance Tennis Academy
Multiple locations
hprsports.com
Phillies Baseball Academy
Multiple locations
philliesacademy.com
Philadelphia NFL Alumni Youth Football Camps
Multiple locations
prosportsexperience.com
CREATIVE AND PERFORMING ARTS
Burn Brae Day Camp of Creative Arts
Dresher
burnbraedaycamp.com
HomeCooked Kids Cooking Camp
Paoli
homecooked.net
Main Line Art Center Summer Art Camp
Haverford
mainlineart.org
Michener Art Museum Summer Camps
Doylestown
michenerartmuseum.org
Rockdale Art Center Summer Art Weeks
Aston
rockdaleartcenter.com
Rockdale Music & Studios Summer Camps
Aston and Media
rockdalemusic.com
School of Rock Music Camps
Multiple locations
schoolofrock.com/locations
DISCOVERY, SCIENCE, AND TECH
Awbury Adventures Camp
Philadelphia
awbury.org/summer-camp
Briar Bush Nature Center Summer Camp
Abington
briarbush.org
Bucks County Audubon Society Summer at Honey Hollow
New Hope
honeyhollownaturecenter.org/summer-camp-2026
Bucks County Community College – Kids on Campus at Bucks
Newtown
bucks.edu/kidsoncampus
Churchville Nature Center Summer Camp
Churchville
churchvillenaturecenter.org
Delaware Valley University Kids U! and Inspire U!
Doylestown
delval.edu/programs
Elmwood Park Zoo Summer Camps
Norristown
elmwoodparkzoo.org
Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania Nature Explorers Summer Camp
Chestnut Hill
morrisarboretum.org
Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy Summer Camps
Schwenksville
perkiomenwatershed.org
Riverbend Environmental Education Center Summer Camp
Gladwyne
riverbendeec.org
Science Explorers Summer STEM Camps
Multiple locations
scienceexplorers.com
The Yoga Gnome Summer Camps
Doylestown
theyogagnome.com
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
Briarwood Day Camp
Furlong
briarwooddaycamp.com
Camp America
Chalfont
camp-america.com
Camp Curiosity
Doylestown
campcuriosity.com
Camp Kweebec
Schwenksville
kweebec.com
Camp Sequoia
Pennsburg
camp-sequoia.com
Future Stars Day Camps
Multiple locations
futurestarscamps.com
Habonim Dror Camp Galil
Ottsville
campgalil.org
Hideaway Day Camp
Collegeville
hideawaydaycamp.org
Independent Lake Camp
Thompson (Susquehanna County)
independentlake.com
Liberty Lake Day Camp
Mansfield Township, New Jersey
libertylakedaycamp.com
Malvern Day Camp
Glen Mills
malverndaycamp.com
Perkiomen Pines Day Camp
Schwenksville
perkiomenpines.com
Pinemere Camp
Stroudsburg
pinemere.com
Rainbow Academy Summer Camp
Ivyland
rainbowacademypreschool.com
The School in Rose Valley Summer Camp
Rose Valley
srvcamp.org
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life, March 2026.
