Best Arts Summer Camps in Connecticut

Ages 6–16 · $900/session

ASAP! Summer Camp is an arts-focused day camp held at Rumsey Hall School in Washington, CT, led by professional teaching artists across visual, culinary, and performing arts. The program has served the community for roughly 26 years and offers age-tiered tracks from grades 1–10.

As published: $900 base tuition; $100 early-registration discount before April 1; financial aid available (apply by June 1)

Ages 7–14

A morning arts camp at The Bushnell for ages 7-14 with three one-week sessions in July 2026. Teaching artists lead puppetry, sewing, visual arts, textiles, drumming, jewelry-making, yoga and music creation.

As published: Not published

Brunswick School's open-enrollment Summer Session offers courses, workshops, camps and theater workshops across Pre School, Lower, Middle and Upper School divisions, and was returning for summer 2026. Middle and Upper School classes are coed while Lower School and Pre School are all-boys, with sports camps that pair with morning sessions.

As published: Not published

Ages 11–16

A freedom-of-choice performing and creative arts camp for ages 11–16 in the Berkshire foothills, offering 30+ non-competitive arts activities and income-based sliding-scale tuition (from roughly $9,275 for a 4-week session up to about $15,991 for 8 weeks at the top tier). Its distinguishing identity within this Connecticut set is being the one camp built entirely around an arts/no-sports model with staff described as "working artists and teachers."

As published: 2027 income-based tiered tuition (sliding scale): Tier 1 (highest income) Full Season (8 wk) $15,991, First/Second Session (4 wk) $9,275; scales down through Tier 6 ($0) based on household size/income disclosure. Pricing is per session (full season, half-season, or 6-week)

Ages 6–12 · $480–$530/week

A full-day, week-long arts camp at a contemporary art museum in Ridgefield for children in grades 1 through 6. Campers tour the galleries and three-acre Sculpture Garden, then make art with a teaching artist and counselors, and each week ends with a Friday evening celebration for families. Museum members at the Family level or above receive a 10 percent discount.

As published: 2026: members (Family level and above) $480 per week, non-members $530 per week

Ages 5–12

A free summer day camp on a 36-acre campus in Farmington for children ages 5 to 12 who live in the City of Hartford or the Town of East Hartford, which the camp says has served Hartford's children since 1894. Campers are bused from assigned stops and get breakfast and lunch. Daily programs include arts and crafts, nature, music and performing arts, swimming, sports, a computer lab and a LEGO STEM program.

As published: Free to eligible families. A one-time non-refundable application fee per child applies, and East Hartford campers pay a weekly fee (amounts not published); Care 4 Kids is accepted.

An overnight summer camp at 127 Babcock Hill Road for campers with developmental disabilities or special needs, offering recreation and respite in two-week sessions across eight weeks. Campers and counselors bunk together in cabins, with swimming, boating, arts, music, performing arts and evening campfires.

As published: Not published (fees refer to a registration policies document)

A 10-week summer arts program at MoCA\CT for children ages 4 and up, with painting, sculpture and mixed media guided by professional teaching artists. The site says registration for 2027 opens January 2027.

As published: 2026: $600 full day (9 AM-3 PM), $400 half day (9 AM-12:30 PM) per week; 2027 not yet published

Grades 6 to 12 (about ages 10–17)

Choate's summer programs on a 458-acre campus, including academic enrichment, theater arts, a government institute and music programs for grades 6-12, plus a Young Artist Program for elementary and middle schoolers. Summer faculty live on campus and serve as residential advisers.

As published: 2026 day/boarding: 5-week Academic Enrichment $2,975 per course (day) or $11,240 (boarding); Theater Arts Institute $8,175 day or $10,220 boarding; 2-week Workshops $4,040 day or $5,050 boarding; Young Artist Program (2 weeks, day only) $1,150 ($1,100 early). 2027 fees expected early November 2026

$365/week

A hands-on museum workshop on the historic site of Eli Whitney's armory in Hamden that runs week-long camps for young builders and experimenters. The 2026 schedule lists over 50 workshops across 11 weeks, each grouped by age band, such as woodworking, robotics, ceramics, theater, sewing and model building. Tuition assistance funds are available.

As published: 2026 workshops listed at $365 per child per week (full-day, 9am to 3pm); extended care 8-9am $10 per day and 3-5:30pm $25 per day

Ages 7–13 · $670/session

A two-week theater day camp for ages 7 to 13 run by Elm Shakespeare Company at Edgerton Park and at Congregation Beth El-Keser Israel in Westville. Campers explore acting, stagecraft and storytelling and finish with a performance. The company states that a significant portion of campers attend on donor-funded scholarships.

As published: 2026 tuition $670 per two-week session; four sessions offered (June 22-July 3, July 6-17, July 20-31, August 3-14); scholarships available and no child is turned away

Ages 3–13

A traditional five-week camp on the Greenwich Country Day School campus (June 29 to July 31 in 2026) for ages 3-13 in Three's, Lower (4-5) and Upper (6-13) divisions. Facilities include two pools, four gyms, tennis courts, a dance studio and a rock wall.

As published: Not published on the camp page

Ages 3–18

Hartford Stage's summer theater programs, held at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, for ages 3 to 18. Programs include teen and youth musicals, a one-act play, technical theater, a Filmmakers Lab and early-childhood classes.

As published: 2026 tuition: Teen Musical (14-18) $1,640; Youth Ensemble (10-14) $1,500; Junior Troupe (8-11) $1,165; Filmmakers Lab (12-18) $1,500; Children's Cast (5-8) $780 per two-week session; Day Dreamers (3-5) $215 per week; Page to Stage Players $410. Early drop-off and late pick-up $5 per session; tuition assistance available

Ages 5–18

The Hartt School Community Division at the University of Hartford offers weeklong summer music and dance programs for young people, including a jazz camp, young composers projects, chamber music, flute and piano intensives, a vocal institute for ages 14-18 and dance theme camps for ages 5 to 8. Programs run on campus in West Hartford, with registration deadlines listed for each.

As published: 2026 dance Youth Theme Camp (ages 5-8, July 13-17, 9 am to noon) $275. Music program tuition not published on the program list.

A residential summer program on the 800-acre Hotchkiss campus for middle and high school students, with two-week courses such as rocketry, DNA science, environmental science, climbing, fly fishing, theatre, piano and writing, plus afternoon and evening activities like swimming, hiking and crafts. The 2027 sessions run June 27 to July 10 and July 11 to 24, 2027.

As published: 2027: Rocketry course $5,250 per two-week session (other courses not checked); tuition includes room, board, course expenses and health center needs; specialized afternoon options cost extra

Ages 5–10 · $350/week

Kate's Camp for Kids is a state-licensed summer arts day camp run by the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center ("The Kate"), founded in 2012, combining theater, music, dance, and visual art around weekly themes that culminate in a Friday performance. Leadership includes a professional actress/children's book author as drama director and a music educator from Bryn Mawr School as assistant/music director.

As published: $350 per session; 10% discount for multiple registrations/siblings; before-care $25/week, aftercare $50/week

$1,800–$2,200/week

A residential and day jazz camp run by Litchfield Performing Arts at The Frederick Gunn School, for students age 13 through adult at beginner to advanced levels, including students with learning disabilities. Sessions run one to four weeks with faculty-led instruction in a non-competitive program that includes a big band, core courses and student and faculty concerts. The camp lists 44 teaching artists and an income-based scholarship program.

As published: 2027 one-week tuition: $1,800 day student, $2,200 residential. Four weeks: $6,900 day, $8,500 residential. Early registration and loyalty discounts listed.

Ages 3–16 · $357–$407/session

A traditional YMCA day camp at the Mountain Mist Outdoor Center in Meriden serving ages 3–16, with a broad specialty-program menu (art, cooking, dance, fishing, musical theater, STEM, sports) plus adaptive and Type 1 diabetes-specific camp options and bus transportation for families — a wide-inclusion, community-YMCA model rather than a specialty or premium camp.

As published: "Traditional Camp Pricing (for a two-week session)... Full Member $357, Program Member $407" (2026 info; specialty camps priced separately)

One-week summer theatre workshops for elementary and middle school students plus a two-week intensive for older students, run by Music Theatre of Connecticut, founded in 1987. Details are from the organization's March 2026 blog post.

As published: 2026 tuition: half-day $625 or full-day $925 (workshops, grades 2-8); two-week production $1,225 (grades 6-12, the production was full)

A Bridgeport day camp with eight weekly sessions from June 22 to August 14, 2026, plus Basketball and Swim camps August 17-21. Activities include swimming, arts and crafts, basketball, tennis, dance and math, STEM and literacy classes.

As published: Not published (a directory says fees are on a sliding scale; registration packet is a PDF)

$180–$250/week

Short summer arts camps run by the Fairfield University Quick Center for the Arts, with morning camps at the Fairfield University Store in downtown Fairfield and afternoon camps at the Quick Center. The 2026 camps cover acting and improvisation, circus skills, singing for the stage and audition prep, with a different instructor for each. Most camps are open to ages 8 and up.

As published: 2026: morning camps (Monday to Friday, 9am to 12pm) $250 per week; afternoon camps (Monday to Thursday, 2:30 to 4:30pm) $180 per week

Ages 5–14 · $425/week

The Rectory School in Pomfret runs a screen-free day camp for ages 5 to 13 with weekly registration, plus Summer@Rectory, a two-week boarding or day program for ages 9 to 14 that combines morning academics and enrichment with afternoon adventures. Activities named include sports, art, nature trails, robotics, coding, theater, science labs and swimming.

As published: 2026 Day Camp full day $425 (9:00 am to 4:00 pm), extended hours 8:00 am to 5:00 pm an additional $15. Summer@Rectory tuition not published on the program page.

Grades 3 to 10 (about ages 7–15)

A screen-free residential and day camp at Marvelwood School, 476 Skiff Mountain Road, for rising 3rd through 10th graders, with archery, mountain biking, swimming, horseback riding, art, performing arts and optional learning-support enrichment (Orton-Gillingham, multisensory math, executive function). Sessions are June 27 to July 18, July 18 to August 8, or the full six weeks; the page does not label the year.

As published: Residential $2,500 per week; day $2,000 per week; a second enrichment activity is $425 extra per week; financial aid available

Grades 1 to 9 (about ages 5–14)

New summer programs at The Foote School for grades K-9 including "FooteSteps to Broadway," a two-week musical theater program for rising grades 1-9 (max enrollment 60), and "Falco's Explorers," a weekly choose-your-classes program (music, Dungeons and Dragons, crafts, LEGO STEM, fencing). The page gives no dates or year.

As published: FooteSteps to Broadway $1,000 for the two-week program; Falco's Explorers Not published

Ages 6–16 · $425/week

A day theater camp at the Garde Arts Center in New London for ages 6 to 16, held as three one-week sessions in partnership with the Missoula Children's Theatre. Students rehearse and attend workshops all week, then perform two shows of an original musical, and also learn costuming, sound and lighting skills. Up to 60 students take part in each session.

As published: 2026: $425 per week. Camp hours 9:00 am to 3:30 pm. Partial scholarships may be available on request.

Ages 4–18

St. Luke's School offers weekly day camps for ages 4-18 on its New Canaan campus, from a classic Day Camp (ages 4-11) to specialty camps in ceramics, marine science, mock trial, movies, theater and more. The 2026 schedule ran June 15 to August 28 and is led by school faculty.

As published: Day Camp $375 per half-day week ($325 for SLS families) or $750 for morning plus afternoon ($650 SLS families); Ceramics two-week camp $800 ($750 SLS families); Marine Science $400 ($350 SLS families)

A YMCA summer day camp at 270 Smith Pond Road serving Waterbury, Watertown and surrounding towns, with swimming, boating, archery, arts and crafts, low and high ropes, a climbing tower, sports and nature, plus specialty camps in fishing, aquatics, mountain biking, survival and performing arts. The camp page lists registration as opening February 2027.

As published: Not published

A two-week residential arts camp held at Suffield Academy with workshops in creative writing, performing arts and visual arts (photography, film, musical theater, dance, songwriting). Campers may attend one or both weeks; the camp lists July 25 to August 7, 2027 (the Suffield Academy page lists July 26 to August 8, 2026).

As published: 2027: $1,700 per week (Week 1 July 25-31, Week 2 August 1-7); $3,100 for both weeks; $300 early registration discount before February 15, 2027; $100 referral or sibling discount; includes room and board