How to Find Camps in Your Area

If finding camps for your kids feels like a part-time job, you’re not imagining things.

There is no single, magical, “All Camps Here” button for parents (yet). Instead, most of us are cobbling together information from 12 different places, hoping we don’t miss the one program our kid would absolutely love.

This guide walks through how to actually find camps in your area, using the same grassroots detective work most parents rely on now (mom groups, word of mouth, driving around town, school flyers, PTO emails, local papers), plus a few region-specific ideas if you’re in New York City, Boston, San Francisco, or Minneapolis–St. Paul.

(And then we’ll talk about how MomBrains plans to make this whole process much less chaotic with a new camp & activities marketplace launching in January 2026!)

Why Camps Are Weirdly Hard to Find

You’d think in 2025 that there would be a single national platform where every camp lists its offerings, spots, pricing, dates, ages, and reviews in one place.

Instead, you get:

A glossy brochure in your kid’s backpack… that you find three days after the deadline
An outdated PDF buried somewhere on your local Parks & Rec site
An Instagram post that vanishes into the feed
A registration link that lives in a random email from the PTO

Camps are often run by:

School districts
YMCAs and JCCs
Town rec departments
Nature centers, farms, stables
Museums, theaters, sports clubs, learning centers
Faith communities

…and none of them use the same system. So you’re not actually bad at this. The system is just fractured.

Step 1: Start With Mom Intel (The Real Search Engine)

Before you Google, ask another mom.

Some of the best camps in any town never show up on the first page of search results. They fill up by word of mouth.

Places to ask:

School pickup line/playground: Ask, “Where did your kids go last summer that you’d actually do again?”
Classroom or grade-level group chats: WhatsApp, GroupMe, text threads, Facebook school groups.
Local parenting Facebook groups: Search “summer camp” in the group search bar and read old threads; there’s almost always a goldmine of recs + warnings.
Your kids’ friends: Ask your child, “Where are X and Y going this summer?” Kids usually know what’s on each other’s calendars before we do.

Pro tip: Keep a quick notes doc on your phone. Anytime someone says, “Oh, Camp A was amazing,” write it down with one sentence: why it was great (or not).

Step 2: Let Your School & PTO Do Some of the Work

Schools and PTOs are quiet powerhouses for camp information because:

They know local families and budgets
They often host after-school and vacation programs themselves
They partner with third-party providers who rent space in the summer

Check:

PTO newsletters: Look for “Community News” sections and scrolling flyers.
Principal/school emails: Many districts send a spring “Summer Opportunities” email.
School website: Sometimes there’s a “Community” or “Extended Learning” section with links.
Bulletin boards: Yes, the literal corkboard inside the main entrance or near the office.

Don’t be shy about emailing your PTO or school counselor, “Do you have a list of local camps and programs families have used in the past?” Many will happily point you to a Google doc or PDF that isn’t obvious from the outside.

Step 3: Drive Around (Seriously)

Old-fashioned? Yes. Weirdly effective? Also yes.

When you’re out:

Look at signs and banners near schools, gyms, churches, and rec centers (“NOW ENROLLING SUMMER CAMP”).
Note faith communities (churches, synagogues, mosques). Many run day camps for members and non-members.
Check farm stands, stables, and nature centers. A lot of outdoor camps never show up on generic “summer camp” lists.

If you find a place that looks cute, check their website or call and ask if they run any summer or school-vacation camps for kids. You’d be surprised how much doesn’t show up in Google, but does exist.

Step 4: Use Local Listings & Directories (With a Filter)

Depending on your metro area, there are usually 1–3 “big” parenting or city guides that publish annual camp lists.

You can search things like:

“[Your city] summer camp guide”
“[Your city] kids camp directory”
“[Your city] parenting magazine camps”

Then filter ruthlessly. Look for:

Age ranges matching your kid
Real descriptions (not just buzzwords)
Clear pricing and dates
Photos that reflect the actual vibe (e.g., genuinely outdoorsy vs polished stock photos)

Region-Specific Starting Points

We can’t list every camp (yet 👀), but here are common “starting points” by region (not exhaustive, but helpful if you’re nearby):

New York City

NYC Parks & Recreation: Day camps in all five boroughs, often at a lower price point.
City YMCAs & JCCs: Reliable day camps and specialty options (sports, arts, swim).
Local parenting sites: Think city-focused “things to do” sites and camp guides that get updated annually.
Museums & zoos: Many big institutions run themed day camps (science, art, animals).

Greater Boston Area

Town/City Rec Departments (Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, Newton, Burlington, etc.): Each has its own summer brochure.
YMCA of Greater Boston/MetroWest Y: Multi-location camps with buses to outdoor sites.
Independent schools & colleges: Tons of sports and enrichment camps run from campuses.
Local parenting magazines: Many publish “Best Summer Camps” lists each spring.

San Francisco Bay Area

City Parks & Rec (SF Rec & Parks, Oakland, Berkeley, San Jose): Core camp offerings for K–8.
Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCAs, JCCs: Affordable, structured, neighborhood-based programs.
STEM & coding programs: The Bay is full of tech and maker camps.
Nature + farm camps: Check out regional parks, farms, and nature centers for outdoor weeks.

Minneapolis–St. Paul

Community Education (Minneapolis, St. Paul, and surrounding districts): Enrichment classes and week-long camps.
YMCA of the North: Day camps and overnight camps across the region.
Three Rivers Park District & local nature centers: Outdoor camps, animal programs, water-focused weeks.
Museums & arts organizations: Openings often go fast, so these are “save-the-date” candidates.

Step 5: Align Camp With Your Actual Life

It’s easy to fall in love with a camp on paper and then realize it doesn’t fit your life at all.

Reality check questions:

Hours: Does it cover your workday, or will you spend half your time in pickup/drop-off limbo? Extended care (or lack thereof) could be a lifesaver.
Location & traffic: Is it on your way… or an extra hour every day?
Cost vs. number of weeks: Do you want one “fancy” camp week or multiple more affordable weeks?
Your kid’s temperament:
- Outdoorsy vs. indoorsy
- Big groups vs. smaller groups
- Familiar routine vs. new every week

Your “best camp” isn’t the one with the fanciest brochure. It’s the one your child enjoys, and your family can actually sustain.

Step 6: Start Early, But Don’t Panic

Many camps open registration:

As early as January–February for summer
Right after winter break for February/April vacations

Some fill in hours. Others quietly sit half-empty until May.

Rough plan:

December–February: Make a shortlist (3–7 camps)
March–April: Register for 1–3 anchor weeks
Late spring: Fill in gaps with day programs, rec camps, or “grandma week.” Address any other calendar year gaps as well (school, holidays, winter break, etc.).

You will almost definitely miss something. That’s okay. Kids don’t need the “perfect” camp; they need safe adults, fun peers, and a chance to try new things.

Where MomBrains Comes In (January 2026 and Beyond)

Everything we just described—the mom groups, the PTO newsletters, the random PDFs, the physical flyers pinned to a corkboard—is exactly why we’re building something new.

Right now, finding camps is basically a treasure hunt. Fun if you’re in the mood. Soul-crushing if you’re a tired parent with 20 tabs open and a registration deadline staring at you.

So here’s what we’re working on:

A camp & activities marketplace where:
- You can search by age, location, dates, price, schedule, and vibe
- You can see both “big” programs and small hidden gems (farm camps, art studios, nature centers)
- You can read parent-sourced notes and reviews, not just marketing lines
Coverage starting with markets like NYC, Boston, SF Bay Area, and Minneapolis–St. Paul, then expanding
Tools to help you compare, save, and plan your summer without starting from scratch every year

We’re aiming to launch this in January 2026, so you can do next year’s camp search in one place instead of 17.

Until then, we’re building it alongside you, using the same grassroots methods we just described, plus a lot of spreadsheets and caffeine.

In the Meantime…

Your best camp-finding combo right now is:

Ask other parents
Check school & PTO channels
Scan local rec departments, Ys, JCCs, museums, farms
Use regional camp guides as a starting point, not the whole answer
Choose what works for your kid and your actual life, not someone else’s Instagram

And if you stumble on an amazing camp that no one seems to know about? Write it down. Tell a friend. And when the MomBrains marketplace goes live, come list it there so the next tired parent doesn’t have to dig quite as hard.

We see you, camp detectives. We’re right there with you, and we’re determined to make this whole process saner by 2026.