Without much of a winter this year, it may not feel like it's already time to be thinking about summer. But this is when many registrations open, and with so many amazing camps and workshops in our area, you have to sign up fast before everything fills up.

Recently, I started taking adult violin classes and it takes me back to when I attended summer music camps as a kid in Missoula. I remember spending mornings in a classroom at Jefferson School learning how to play the clarinet and years later the summer afternoons I spent at the University of Montana.

Here's a roundup of summer kids' camps in and around Missoula for summer 204. I tried to grab as many as I could, but I'm sure I'm missing some. Feel free to message me on the app with anything I may have missed.

The Missoula Public Library will also host its annual Summer Camp Expo on March 9, 2024 from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm in the Families First Learning Lab.

Animal Wonders/Parks and Recreation 

This is a collaboration between Animal Wonders and Missoula Parks and Rec that includes a range of animal education for a variety of ages. Many programs will have campers interacting with animals.

Registration opens: April 7, 2024, at 9:00 am

Visit their Website

Art and Movement Summer Camp

This camp is specifically designed to support caregivers as much as possible. Camps run daily from 7:30 am - 5:30 pm June 10 - August 16 with activities like arts and crafts, painting, and acting.

Registration is now open on their website

Boys & Girls Club of Missoula County

For a full-day camp with three meals and a snack provided, consider registering for Summer Club through the Boys & Girls Club of Missoula County. Campers will have the opportunity to take field trips all over the state. Summer Club serves those entering 1st - 8th grade.

Registration opens: More information coming soon!

Visit their website. 

Garden City Harvest — Summer Camps 

Garden City Harvest says that they won't be hosting any summer camps in 2024, but that they are focusing on "core programming with schools and visits to the farm..."

Visit their website

Historial Museum at Fort Missoula

This summer, Fort Missoula will hold a Summer History Camp for 8 to 12 year olds during the week of July 22 - July 26.

Registration opens: March 1, 2024

Visit their Website

Learning With Meaning Summer Camps 

These camps are geared toward the sciences: "learn traditional skills from all over the world or beef up your brain with our STEM camps. Archery, survival skills, robotics, projectiles, and more..." In 2024, Learning With Meaning will offer an outdoor backpacking trip for youth aged 13 - 17.

Camps take place at multiple locations. Check out their FAQ for more information.

Registration is now open on their website. 

Missoula Art Museum

For kids aged 12 years old and younger, the Missoula Art Museum has weekly art camps in varying mediums hosted by different Teaching Artists beginning the week of June 17 and wrapping up the week of August 5.

Registration is now open on their website. 

Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium

The newly opened location on South Avenue will offer summer camps in 2024 for youth in Pre-kindergarten through 8th grade. Each week will focus on a different age group. Camps will take place in June, July, and August.

Registration opens for members: March 4, 2024, at 8:00 am.

Registration opens (general): March 8, 2024, at 8:00 am.

Visit their Website  

Missoula Children’s Theatre 

This beloved staple of the Missoula Community not only hosts Summer Day Camps, but Performing Arts Camps around Montana too.

2024 Summer Day Camps are all sold out but wait lists are available.

Missoula Community Access Television 

There are four video-themed camps for kids this summer: stop animation, horror movies, documentaries, and movies.

Registration is now open on their website. 

Missoula Outdoor Learning Adventures (MOLA)

This is a great opportunity for engaging kids in some of the outdoor activities that Missoulians love, like biking and whitewater rafting. Camps are for kids in grades K-10 and last for five days.

Registration is open now on their website. 

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Missoula Parks and Recreation 

With a host of programs and places like Currents and Splash Montana, waiting for the Missoula Parks and Rec Summer Camps guide and camp schedule to come out is a little like waiting for Christmas.

The guide will be published online on March 19, 2024.

Registration opens: April 7. 

Visit their website

Missoula Writing Collaborative  

Programs for grades 3-8 and 9-12 will focus on creative writing in creative ways and creative settings, like the Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium and the University of Montana Zoological Museum.

Registration is open now on their website. 

Montana Natural History Center 

"Connecting People with Nature" the Montana Natural History Center has multiple camps for multiple age groups. There are also programs dedicated specifically to girls, one focused on STEEM and another focused on conservation.

Registration is open now on their website. 

Montana Natural Resource Youth Camp 

A camp hosted by MSU Extension Forestry, youth who have graduated 8th grade (age 13-18) have the opportunity to study science and land management in the Lubrecht Experimental Forest which is east of Missoula. It's not all study, though, campers will also float the Alberton Gorge.

Applications are now available on their website and are due July 1. 

University of Montana

If your kid is interested in sports, you'll want to get them into a University of Montana summer camp, like Griz Football or Lady Griz Basketball. Of course, UM has other amazing camps, too, like SpectrUM.

Registration varies depending on the camp. For a complete list of programs, start here. 

YMCA 

Summer camps at the YMCA offer so. many. options. There are 11 weeks of camps and each week has a theme, with multiple options to choose from.

Registration opens: March 1, 2024 at 7:00am

Visit their website

ZACC Summer Youth Art Camps 

For young artists, Zootown Arts Community Center offers art and music camps and even camps inclusive of nonbinary and trans campers.

For the latest classes and workshops, visit their website.

 

Huge list of "Cool Stuff" that kids in the 80's and 90's were all about.

Everything from the 80's and 90's screams "Cool!". Ok, looking back at photos of kids in their bright neon shorts and Hypercolor shirts where their armpits were pitted out, that really doesn't look all that "cool" today but if you were a kid back then, we sure felt like we knew style. Go through the list and see how many of these items you had in your room or used back in the day.

Gallery Credit: Jessica Williams