Project Best Life | Camps for Kids to have a happy, healthy, and creative Summer!
9 min read
Summer is finally upon us! While we look forward to the coming warmer months with excitement and anticipation, for many parents this time can also cause a slew of overwhelming feelings as they prepare for the busy summer ahead. Not to fear – Buffalo and the surrounding area is full of activities that will keep your children having fun, making friends and learning new things in the process.
Check out this list of just a few of the summer activities available to your family this summer season! Be sure to register fast as these spots will fill up quickly.
Family Nature Quest: World of the Pond at Reinstein Woods
Join as we grab nets and scoop in the pond to search for aquatic animals. Wear waterproof boots or old sneakers. Registration required; call 716-683-5959.
Saturday, June 25 at 10:30 AM
Fairy Houses at Amherst State Park
Join a naturalist from Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve in creating a house to attract nature’s fairies. Once you learn how, you can make one anywhere. For children ages 5–10 and their caregivers. Note: This program takes place at Amherst State Park. Registration required; call Reinstein Woods at 716-683-5959.
Thursday, July 14 at 10:30 AM
Week-long, full-day, summer camp is BACK at the Buffalo Zoo! Join us for a wild camp experience like no other. Campers will learn and discover through visits to animal habitats, up close animal encounters, crafts, art, nature play, hands-on activities, and more!
Program Details
What: Week-Long, Full Day Summer Camp
Who: Campers ages 6-8, and 9-12
Where: At the Zoo
When: July – August 2022
Time: Weekly sessions, Monday – Friday, 9:00 am – 3:30 pm
For more information or to register visit https://buffalozoo.org/single-experience/summer-camp-2022-registration-is-now-open/
Summer at the Castellani Art Museum! Free Children’s Art Workshops
The CAM will host two free Art Express workshops for children in grades Pre K–3 with Young Audiences Teaching Artist, Fotini Galanes. Participants will leave with a beautiful hand-drawn artwork and have a chance to explore the vibrant and colorful art exhibition of artist Dorothy Gillespie. Space is limited. Register on the CAM Program page.
Saturday, June 25 at 12:00PM – 12:45PM, 1:00PM – 1:45PM
Six weeks of outdoor summer fun for kids of all ages. Campers will get to know nature up close by exploring the fields, forests and wetlands of Beaver Meadow and the plants and animals who live there.
Week 1: July 11th—15th
Week 2: July 18th—22nd
Week 3: July 25th—July 29th
Week 4: August 1st—5th
Week 5: August 8th—12th
Week 6: August 15th—19th
To find about which age group your child will fit into and the fees associated, visit https://www.buffaloaudubon.org/summer-camp-descriptions.html
Explore & More is pleased to offer an exciting variety of summer camps where kids will have so much fun, they won’t even know they’re learning!
For more info or to register for any of the events listed below, visit https://exploreandmore.org/summer-camps/?utm_source=koaa&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=camps
Sports Camp
Fun is in the air at Sports Camp! Children will build friendships and engage in physical activity in a safe and healthy environment, both indoors at Explore & More and outdoors at nearby Canalside. With the aid of some outside program partners who will supply various sports-themed materials and activities, children will play, explore, learn, and develop their athletic skills. Children will be introduced to various sports, such as tennis, soccer, and basketball while emphasizing the importance of teamwork and good sportsmanship.
Ages: 5 – 10
Date: Monday, July 11th – Friday, July 15th
Time: 8:30am – 4:00pm
Art Explorers Pre-k Camp
Every day is a new adventure when you are an Art Explorer! Campers will become immersed in beloved books that correspond with the various Play Zones at Explore & More. We will explore these stories through hands-on art projects that will challenge our imagination and encourage creativity. Campers will need to provide a snack and a water bottle daily.
Ages: For children ages 4 – 5 (entering Kindergarten in September 2022)
Date: Monday, July 11th – Friday, July 15th
Time: 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Art Voyagers Camp
Every day is a new adventure when you are an Art Voyager! Campers will become immersed in even more beloved books that correspond with the various Play Zones at Explore & More. We will explore these stories through hands-on art projects that will challenge our imagination and encourage creativity. Campers will need to provide a snack and a water bottle daily.
Ages: 5 – 10
Date: Monday, July 11th – Friday, July 15th
Time: 9:00am – 11:30am
Space Camp
Houston, we have a new camp! Space camp will travel to the far ends of space to learn about how Western New York had a pivotal role in the Apollo Lunar Missions. Campers will learn about planets, stars, and the future of space travel. On top of that campers will launch their own spaceships, build Moon Rovers, and Mars Bases. That’s one small step for man, and one giant leap for Explore & More campers!
Ages: 5 – 10
Date: Monday, July 18th – Friday, July 22nd
Time: 8:30am – 4:00pm
Buffalove Camp
Explore & More’s Buffalove Camp is designed to enhance your child’s knowledge about our great Buffalo Niagara region with lessons detailing Buffalo’s past, present, and future. Campers participate in a variety of hands-on activities and open-ended opportunities for children to build understanding and knowledge about Buffalo’s architectural history, while making some structures of their own. We will celebrate our hometown teams and whip up some food experiments. Taste and see how good it is to be a Western New Yorker!
Ages: 5 – 10
Date: Monday, August 1st – Friday, August 5th
Time: 8:30am – 4:00pm
Weird Science for Kids
This Summer Camp will spark children’s imagination and encourage exploration! Learn how much fun science can be as you explore the weird world of science as we conduct daily experiments to unravel the mysteries of electricity, chemistry, light, and sound. Try not to get stuck as you make your own quicksand. Learn about floating rocks, cornstarch, fake snot, sink the unsinkable and all kinds of weird science. Science experiments such as creating invisible ink, rainbow jars, fizzy ice and checking out the science of a slushy will ensure your kids have a blast. Next up: make a homemade bottle rocket, glowing magic milk, color changing chalk, magic balloons, and fizzy sherbet. Get outside to enjoy homemade giant bubbles, Mentos & Diet Coke explosions and apple eruptions. Your child will learn while having so much fun!
Ages: 5 – 10
Date: Monday, August 22nd – Friday, August 26th
Time: 8:30am – 4:00pm
Together to Kindergarten
We know summer is just starting, but it is never too early to start preparing for school! In September, many children will be “leaving the nest” and going off on their own for the first time. No, we are not talking about going to college. We’re talking about little ones going to Kindergarten! For many kids, this will be the first time they spend away from their parents for an extended period. At Together to Kindergarten, young campers are set up for success by providing fun and educational activities based on the following Kindergarten Readiness Skill-Builders: fine motor skills (cutting, writing, using manipulatives for small motor tasks), large motor skills (large group games, balancing, climbing), social/emotional skills (socializing, making new friends, taking turns, sharing, good manners), language skills (speaking in a whole group setting, asking for assistance), reading skills (rhyming, recognizing patterns in stories, print awareness), and math skills (counting, patterning, measuring). Campers will get used to “school” routines and separating from parents while playing and learning in the various Play Zones at Explore & More. Campers will need to provide a snack and a water bottle daily.
Ages: 4 – 5 (entering Kindergarten in September 2022)
Date: Monday, August 22nd – Friday, August 26th
Two Sessions: 9:00 am – 11:30 am, 12:30 pm – 3:00 pm
Summer at SEM (Buffalo Seminary)
Fun, Community, and Learning for girls entering grades 4 – 9 Highlights include Fashion Lab with Arlene Kay, cooking classes with Chef Krista Van Wagner, Sailing with the Buffalo Yacht Club, Rowing at the BSRA, and horseback riding with the Buffalo Equestrian Center!
To see which camp is best for you child visit https://www.buffaloseminary.org/sas/summeratsem
Does your child love horses? Looking to learn to ride? Summer camp at Hunters Ridge is a great way to start! In our summer camp program, riders take one riding lesson per day with our knowledgeable instructors on our seasoned and safe lesson horses. They also do one unmounted lesson per day to learn about horses. Topics for unmounted lessons include; Parts of the horse, Cleaning tack, Parts of the saddle and bridle, safety and general horse caretaking to name a few. Riders also do crafts and participate in a horse show and pizza party on Fridays! Each week has a theme and the lessons, crafts and activities revolve around that theme. Each week is Tuesday-Friday 10:00-2:00. Give Lindsay a call to schedule at 716-622-7303
For additional information visit http://www.huntersridgeinc.com
Sail Buffalo Junior Sail Camp 2022
Welcome to Sail Buffalo’s Nautical Day Camp, where safety, fun and learning are our top priorities! Buffalo’s only nationally accredited sailing education (ASA) organization, boat share program, and youth sailing education location. Here you can expect your child to come Monday – Friday between 9am – 4pm and have a full day of summertime outdoor activity and nautical education!
We Teach Kids to Sail – RIGGING, HOISTING, TRIMMING, STEERING, TACKING, JIBING AND MUCH, MUCH MORE!
We Teach Life Lessons – Campers will LEARN SELF-CONFIDENCE, TEAMWORK, CAMARADERIE!
We Sail on Lake Erie – WE SAIL IN FRONT OF BUFFALO’S INNER HARBOR AND WE SEE CANADIAN WATERFRONTS.
Ages- 7-17
For more info on class dates and fees associated visit www.Sail-Buffalo.org
This class is jam packed with all sorts of fun photo activities, including darkroom, digital, and experimental photography. Cameras are available for use or students are welcome to use their own. For ages 8-12
Workshop Location- CEPA Gallery Learning Center
Limited Availability- This workshop is limited to 8 participants.
Dates & Times- July 11-15, 9:00am-12:00pm
For information regarding more youth summer camps at CEPA Gallery visit https://www.cepagallery.org/product-category/youth-summer-art-programs/
The SPCA is the perfect summer destination for campers looking for hands-on animal encounters, exciting interactive activities, and a daily look into the world of animal welfare and care! They’ll be excited to:
*Become animal advocates
*Interact with animals
*Participate in activities led by animal experts
Sessions are offered for children ages 6 through 14 currently enrolled in grades 1 through 9.
For more information visit https://yourspca.org
Discovery Camp – Buffalo Museum of Science
Our summer Discovery Camps return for 2022 with quality counselors, a variety of educational themes, and most of all – fun!
As an Erie County Department of Health permitted camp provider, we are working diligently to closely align our summer camp plans with NYS and Department of Health Day Camp Guidelines to create a safe environment for the campers in our care.
Additional Details
All camps run 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Campers must be potty trained; no pull-ups.
Registration, immunization form, and payment required at least two (2) weeks prior to each session
Campers are asked to bring a bagged lunch (daily snack provided)
LATE PICK-UP: 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.; $9 per 30 minutes per day (must be arranged at time of booking)
For additional information or to see sessions that are not yet sold out visit https://www.sciencebuff.org/programs/discovery-camps/
Stories In the Woods at Reinstein Woods
Enjoy hearing a nature story, followed by a guided walk in the woods. For children ages 3–7. Registration required; call 716-683-5959.
Saturday, August 6 at 10:00 AM
Creek Critters at Amherst State Park
Discover what amazing animals are lurking underwater in Ellicott Creek. For children ages 7–12 and their caregivers. Note: This program takes place at Amherst State Park. Registration required; call Reinstein Woods at 716-683-5959.
Tuesday, August 23 at 10:30 AM
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