The Best Marketplaces to Find Kids Camps in the U.S. (So Far)

There are tons of camp marketplaces and directories out there, and it can be overwhelming. And even with all these supposed “resources”, most parents still end up stitching together info from 6 different tabs, PTO emails, and mom group threads.

We’re breaking down some of the major online marketplaces that help parents find camps in the U.S.; what they do well, where they fall short, and how we plan to fix the messy parts with the MomBrains camp marketplace launching in January 2026!

ActivityHero: Big Marketplace With Filters, Reviews & Booking

ActivityHero is one of the most robust marketplaces built specifically for kids’ camps and classes. They describe themselves as “the largest marketplace for in-person camps and classes” with price and session information for hundreds of camps nationwide and “robust marketplace search filters, camp reviews, and personalized email recommendations.”

What ActivityHero does well:

• Powerful search & filters: You can search by location, age, dates, price, and category (STEM, sports, art, etc.).
• Camp reviews & recommendations: ActivityHero explicitly calls out that families can read reviews and that the marketplace offers personalized email recommendations to subscribed families.
• Integrated booking: For many programs, you can view sessions and register directly through the platform rather than bouncing around to a dozen separate registration systems.

Shortcomings to keep in mind:

• Not every camp is listed: Like any marketplace, ActivityHero only shows programs that choose to list and integrate with their system, so hyper-local or tiny camps (nature centers, small farms, small rec departments) may be missing.
• Coverage skews to certain markets: Their own blog notes they include information for “hundreds of camps nationwide,” which is impressive, but the depth will naturally be better in metro areas where more programs sign up.

Best way to use it as a parent:
ActivityHero is a great first stop when you want to quickly see a range of options in your area and actually book something on the spot. Just remember to cross-check with local rec departments and schools for any “off-the-grid” programs that aren’t in the marketplace.

ACA’s “Find a Camp”: Safety-Focused, Accredited Options

The American Camp Association (ACA) is the main national accrediting body for camps in the U.S. Their Parents & Families page lets you use Find a Camp to “search by zip code or camp name to find summer camps, programs and sessions” close to you. 

ACA’s Find a Camp search tool currently lists thousands of camps and programs—3,922 camps and over 11,000 programs, according to the tool.

What ACA Find a Camp does well:

• Focus on accredited camps: ACA explains that it is the only national accrediting body for all camps and that its accreditation standards focus on health, safety, and risk management.
• Robust camp database: With thousands of camps in the database, you can filter by day vs. overnight, family camps, and more. 
• Non-profit, not a pay-to-play lead generator. ACA’s mission is educational and safety-focused, and they invite camps to list/update for the purpose of helping families find the right fit. 

Shortcomings to keep in mind:

• Mostly mid-to-large camps: Because ACA accreditation is a full process, smaller neighborhood or micro-camps may not appear; you’ll see a lot of traditional overnight camps and larger day camps.

Best way to use it as a parent:
Think of ACA’s Find a Camp as your “safety-first” filter, especially if you’re considering sleepaway camps or bigger programs. It’s also a good way to generate a shortlist by zip code before you deep-dive on individual websites.

SummerCamps.com: Huge Directory, Mixed Depth

SummerCamps.com describes itself as “the premier web-location for parents and family members to research, find and book the very best in-person and virtual camps,” and notes that they have been “connecting camps and campers since 1995.”

They offer filters by location, camp type, and theme, and highlight categories like day camps, overnight camps, academic, arts, sports, adventure, and tech.

What SummerCamps.com does well:

• Breadth of listings: They promote themselves as a long-running, wide-reaching directory and highlight that they connect “millions” of kids with camps.
• Filterable categories: You can filter by state, camp type, and activity focus, which is helpful if you know your child wants, say, an arts camp in California or a tech camp near home.
• Camp detail pages: Listings can include descriptions, links to the camp website, and sometimes videos or extra media. 

Shortcomings to keep in mind:

• Listing quality varies: Some camps have robust, detailed profiles; others are sparse, which can mean extra digging for real details.

Best way to use it as a parent:
Use SummerCamps.com as a big, top-of-funnel discovery tool, especially if you’re searching beyond your home area or exploring new states or types of camps.

CampNavigator: Directory + “Help Me Choose” Support

CampNavigator pitches itself as “the perfect online platform for prospective campers and their parents to find the most suitable camps within their budgets,” promising to help parents find camps that meet their kids’ needs.

They also highlight nine main categories with subcategories (sports, arts, academic, travel, etc.) and include parent reviews as part of the browsing experience. 

What CampNavigator does well:

• Support in choosing a camp: The site invites parents to call an advisory team or get “free help” to find a camp that fits their budget and needs. 
• Budget-conscious positioning: They explicitly say they help families find camps “within their budgets,” which can be reassuring when you’re staring at high price tags.
• Parent review angle: Their copy highlights that you can browse camps and “parent reviews,” giving some peer insight into different programs.

Shortcomings to keep in mind:

• Listings may be uneven or outdated: Like other directories, the quality and freshness of individual listings can vary, and not every camp in your area will be included.

Best way to use it as a parent:
CampNavigator is handy if you want human help narrowing options or you’re feeling overwhelmed by choices and want a guide.

Care.com Explore: Camps as Part of the “Care Ecosystem”

Most people know Care.com for sitters and nannies, but their Explore section also helps families find kids’ activities and camps. They invite parents to “find kids activities and camps—without the headaches” and to “browse, compare, and book classes, after-school programs, and more—all in one place.” 

Local pages (e.g., San Francisco, Denver) list after-school classes, camps, and activities by category and answer FAQs about types of activities and age ranges. 

What Care.com Explore does well:

• Integrated with other care needs: If you’re already using Care.com for childcare, it’s easy to also look at camps and activities in the same ecosystem.
• Broader than just camps: You can search for classes, lessons, and recurring activities, which is useful for mapping out the whole year, not just summertime.
• Local filters: City-based pages list specific numbers of activities and let you browse what’s available nearby. 

Shortcomings to keep in mind:

• Camps are one slice of a much bigger platform: Explore is not camp-specific; listings may feel more generic, and the depth for each camp can vary.
• Best suited to bigger markets: The richness of listings tends to be better in major metros, where more businesses use Care.com’s business tools.

Best way to use it as a parent:
Care.com is a good add-on search tool if you’re already on Care.com or if you’re trying to combine camp weeks + sitters + other childcare solutions for the summer.

So…Which Marketplace Should You Use?

There isn’t one “winner”, and that’s exactly the problem most parents feel.

Each platform has strengths:

• ActivityHero: Filters, reviews, and direct booking in many regions. 
• ACA Find a Camp: Safety-focused, accredited camp search. 
• SummerCamps.com: Long-running, broad directory with lots of categories.
• CampNavigator: Directory + budget-conscious advisory help and parent review positioning.
• Care.com Explore: Camps + classes + care in one ecosystem, especially useful for big-city families.

And some common shortcomings:

• None of them fully capture every local camp, especially tiny or hyper-local programs.
• Many listings still require you to click out to each camp’s site to see up-to-date details (extended care, staff, age breakdowns).
• They don’t always standardize the information parents care about most (hours, extended day, lunch, age bands, price ranges, staff qualifications).

So you end up with a familiar pattern:

Search marketplace → open 10 tabs → cross-check with PTO emails → text your friend → still feel like you might be missing something.

How MomBrains Wants to Fix This (Launching January)

All of these tools are useful, and we absolutely think parents should keep using them.

But the gaps they leave, the ones you feel when you’re 14 tabs deep, are exactly why we’re building the MomBrains Camp Finder, launching in January 2026.

Our goal is to:

• Combine national search with hyper-local depth, including:
  
  • Local rec departments
  • Small nature centers and farms
  • Independent studios (dance, art, STEM, sports)
• Standardize the details parents actually ask about:
  
  • Hours and extended care
  • Age ranges
  • Price ranges
• Layer in real parent feedback, not just marketing copy
• Help you compare and plan a whole summer (and school-year breaks) without DIY spreadsheets

We’re not trying to replace every site above; we’re trying to be the parent-centered layer on top of all that scattered information.

So for now, use these marketplaces as your starting points. But know that in January, MomBrains will be here to help you go from “I think I found a camp?” to “We found the camp that actually fits our kid and our life.”