Camps with financial aid in Massachusetts

Ages 5–14 · $450/week

Action Adventures Day Camp is run by Berkshire South in Great Barrington for children entering kindergarten through 8th grade, or up to age 14. Days combine sports, arts and crafts, cooking, gardening, drama, recreational swimming and STEM activities, with weekly themes such as S.T.E.A.M., Wizard Academy and Camp Rock. The camp runs nine weeks, Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.

As published: 2026 tuition $450 per week; prorated weeks 2 and 9 cost $360.

Ages 5–12

Full-day arts camp run by the Community Art Center in Cambridge's Port neighborhood, part of its school-age program for ages 5 to 12. It runs nine weeks from July 4th through Labor Day, from 8am to 6pm, and combines artistic skill-building with outdoor fun and weekly field trips to places such as the beach, Hale Reservation and the Institute of Contemporary Art. Three meals are provided daily.

As published: Not published as a flat fee (tuition is on an income-based sliding scale; vouchers and income-eligible slots are accepted; two weeks of fees due as deposit at registration)

Ages 5–15 · $3,500–$9,150/session

A historic Berkshires YMCA camp complex combining Camp Becket for boys (est. 1903), Chimney Corners Camp for girls (est. 1931), and a day camp serving nearly 800 local children each summer. Distinctive for a structured multi-year staff-leadership pipeline (the "Aides Program") and a decades-old International Camper Exchange Program sending teens to YMCAs worldwide; pricing is income-tiered, $3,500–$9,150 per session.

As published: Overnight, per session, 2027 pricing (tiered — Tier 1 = full cost, lower tiers subsidized): Traditional Camp 4 weeks $6,650–$8,300; Specialty (Construction & Adventure Odyssey) 4 weeks $7,350–$9,150; First-time-camper 2-week $3,500–$4,400; 3-week $5,250–$6,600. Dates & Rates (https://bccymca.org/dates-rates/)

Ages 5–14 · $360–$450/week

Berkshire Art Center runs weekly summer art day camps for ages 5 to 14 in Stockbridge, with some sessions in West Stockbridge and Pittsfield. Each week has a theme combining drawing, painting, building and other creative work, and there is a new outdoor sculpture studio and a weekly walk to TurnPark Art Space. Families can sign up for single weeks across an eleven-week season.

As published: 2026 tuition $360 per week for Monday to Thursday sessions and $450 per week for Monday to Friday sessions; family members save 15%.

Ages 5–15 · $103–$565/week

Blue Hills Nature Camp is a Mass Audubon day camp based at Blue Hills Trailside Museum on Chickatawbut Hill, with access to the 7,000-acre Blue Hills Reservation. Campers ages 5 to 15 explore nature through hands-on activities, art and daily hikes, in age groups from Chickadees to Teen Adventurers. The camp states it is accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA-accredited) and uses a sliding-scale tuition based on family income.

As published: 2026 sliding-scale weekly tuition of $103 to $515 for most age groups and $113 to $565 for Teen Adventurers, set by family income tier; before camp $17 to $85 and after camp $33 to $165 per week. Camp states 2027 registration is coming soon.

Ages 5–16

Nature day camp at Mass Audubon's Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary in Worcester for children from about 4.5 to 16 years old. Campers spend most days outdoors investigating habitats, ecosystems and wildlife at the sanctuary and beyond, with noncompetitive games, songs and stories. Tuition is set on a sliding scale based on annual household income.

As published: Not published on the camp page (see Programs and Pricing); families register at a tuition rate based on annual gross income

Ages 5–17 · $521–$810/week

Brookline Arts Center offers weeklong, full-day summer art programs for kids and teens ages 5 to 17 at its studio at 86 Monmouth Street. Weekly themes cover drawing, painting, collage, sculpture, comics and a guided ceramics studio, each led by a named instructor. The center says financial aid is available.

As published: 2026 class fees of $521 to $810 per week plus materials fees of $45 to $55, depending on the program; programs run 9:00a to 4:00p or 9:00a to 2:00p

Ages 7–17 · $4,200–$13,200/session

A Jewish boys' overnight camp in Amesbury founded in 1931, notable for explicitly exceeding ACA ratio guidelines with a stated 4:1 camper-to-staff ratio and relatively small bunks (avg. ~11 campers). Camp size is inferred at roughly 200–300+ campers from published bunk capacities; the camp explicitly notes past campers from Europe and Israel.

As published: 2027: Full Session 7 weeks $13,200; Session 1 3.5 weeks $8,300; Mini Camp 2 weeks $4,200

Ages 7–18 · $375–$800/session

Camp Bonnie Brae is an ACA-accredited Girl Scout camp on Big Pond in East Otis, offering themed overnight sessions of three or six nights for girls entering grades 2 through 12, plus a one-week day camp for grades 1 to 3. Activities include a low elements challenge course, an archery range, an art loft and waterfront activities such as swimming, kayaking, canoeing and paddle boarding. The camp describes itself as having more than a century of tradition.

As published: 2026 overnight sessions $375 (three nights), $725 or $800 (six nights); non-members pay an extra $55. Leadership programs: CIT $700, camp intern $300.

Camp Cedar Hill is a historic Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts day camp on 75 acres in Waltham, welcoming girls from kindergarten through grade 12 for traditional day camp and Girl Scout troop camping, with archery, two pools, boating, and high/low ropes courses.

As published: Not published on the camp page (directs visitors to the separate 2026 Camp Guide); extended care add-ons are $10 (7:30–9am) and $15 (4–6pm)

Ages 8–17 · $1,900–$3,700/session

Overnight live-action role-playing camps run by The Story School, where campers complete STEAM lessons to earn abilities and then battle monsters in an ongoing story. Camp Fable serves ages 8 to 16 in two-week sessions and Camp Grimoire is a teen week for ages 14 to 17. The camp states it is fully inclusive of LGBTQIA+ and neurodiverse campers, and the organization has operated since 2013.

As published: 2027 pre-registration prices: Camp Fable $3,700 per two-week session (three sessions), Camp Grimoire $1,900 for one week; pre-registration saves up to $300 per session; camp page states prices range from $1,800 to $3,800 depending on length and type

Camp Frederick Douglass is YMCA Southcoast's New Bedford day camp, part of an organization providing day camp programs for more than 50 years, offering gym and outdoor games, swimming, archery, drama, and enrichment activities, plus projects and museum visits honoring its namesake.

As published: Not published (2026 rates referenced but not displayed on the fetched page)

Ages 3–15

Camp Gordon Clark is the South Shore YMCA's traditional day camp on a 46-acre wooded campus in Hanover, serving ages 3 to 15 in Lower Camp (4 to 7) and Upper Camp (8 to 12) groups. Campers swim daily at the outdoor aquatic center and use an archery range, ropes course, climbing wall, athletic fields and an organic farm. About 75 percent of counselors return each year.

As published: Weekly prices not stated on the page reviewed; $50 non-refundable deposit per camper per week (2026).

Ages 5–15

Arts and science day camp at the Leventhal-Sidman JCC in Newton for campers entering grades K through 9, with a counselor-in-training program for incoming 9th graders. Offerings include staged musicals, visual arts, sports and swimming, STEM, cooking and filmmaking, with Shabbat celebrations built into the week. The camp states it is licensed by the local board of health and follows Massachusetts DPH regulations.

As published: Not published on the camp page ($75 per week deposit at registration; 2027 rates listed as coming soon)

Ages 6–16 · $360–$770/week

Day and overnight camp run by the Worcester County 4-H Center at 92 McCormick Road in Spencer, with a traditional program for ages 6 to 16 and horse camp programs for ages 8 and up. Overnight campers stay in rustic cabins without electricity, and every day includes at least one water activity. The site states the camp was established in 1952 and displays an ACA accreditation logo (ACA-accredited).

As published: 2026 weekly rates: traditional day camp $470, horse day camp $770, traditional overnight (Sunday to Friday) $700, mini overnight $360; extended day adds $75 per week; archery and paintball target shooting $25 per week each; CIT $825 per two-week session

Ages 5–15

Camp Quirk is the South Shore YMCA's traditional summer day camp in Quincy, with a Lower Camp for ages 5 to 7 at the Hale Family YMCA and an Upper Camp for ages 8 to 15 at Quincy High School. Campers are placed in smaller weekly groups within each section, and the camp does not offer extended care. Financial assistance is awarded based on household income or extenuating circumstances.

As published: Not published on the camp page; full payment is due at registration (2026 registration opened January 3 for members, January 10 for returning families and January 17 for the public)

Ages 7–16 · $3,850–$14,650/session

A Conservative Jewish overnight camp in Palmer tracing its roots to the Ramah movement's original 1953 Connecticut camp, operating at this site for "over 60 years." Draws campers regionally from New England, the D.C. area, Virginia, Maryland, and New York; tuition was not published on pages accessed.

As published: 2027: Full Summer $14,650; Mini-Kochavim 2 weeks $3,850

Ages 6–16

A specialized overnight camp for children with type 1 diabetes, dedicated at its North Oxford site in 1932 and grown from 8 girls that first year to a cumulative reach of 2,000+ children and families served over its history. Runs four 2-week sessions per summer with a dedicated Counselor Training Program; current single-summer capacity and tuition were not published.

As published: Not published on pages accessed — site references a separate "Rates & Financial Aid" page not captured directly. 2026 session dates: June 22–Aug 14, four 2-week sessions (per search-indexed site content); $250 non-refundable deposit required. bartoncenter.org (https://www.bartoncenter.org/clara-barton-camp-north-oxford-ma/)

Ages 10–17

Community Boating Inc. runs a Junior Program on the Charles River in Boston for youth ages 10 to 17 who can swim 50 yards, with classes from Beginner Sailing through keelboat, Laser and windsurfing, plus kayaking, paddling, STEM classes, an Instructor-in-Training program and a Race Team. Classes run five or ten weekdays, mornings, afternoons or full days, and are taught by nationally certified instructors. Fees follow a need-based sliding scale that covers membership, classes and boat use.

As published: 2026: all-inclusive need-based sliding scale from $1 to $450, with monthly payment plans available before May 1

Ages 3–15 · $660–$890/week

ACA-accredited day camp on the Concord Academy campus in downtown Concord, with traditional camps for ages 3 through rising 9th graders plus week-long specialty camps and a young writers workshop. Campers get swimming lessons, arts, ceramics, woodshop, sports and river canoeing, and a hot lunch is served daily in the dining hall.

As published: 2026 tuition: Kiddie Camp (half day) $660 per week, Traditional Day Camp $890 per week, Teen Leaders Adventure Camp $1,850 to $2,050 per two-week session; $100 per week nonrefundable deposit; before and after care extra

Ages 7–16 · $4,450–$15,000/session

A Reform Jewish overnight camp on over 100 acres in the Berkshires, run privately from the early 1900s (Ulanoff family from 1955) before the Union for Reform Judaism acquired it in 1998. Accommodates 350 children per session and draws campers regionally from across the Northeast.

As published: 2027 URJ member/non-member: K'tanim 1st session $4,450/$4,750; Full Summer Grades 8-10 $14,700/$15,000

Ages 5–11 · $545/week

DCH Summer Camp is a weekly traditional day camp run by the Dedham Community House in Dedham Square, serving children ages 5 through 11 from Dedham, Boston, Norwood, Westwood, Needham and nearby towns. Each day includes arts and crafts, sports, games, drama and swimming on a campus with a pool, and teens 14 and 15 can join a Counselor-in-Training program.

As published: 2026: $545 per week for every session; before and after care $65 per week each; $50 registration fee per child per season and $100 non-refundable deposit per week

Ages 5–18

Duxbury Bay Maritime School offers summer day programs on Duxbury Bay for ages 5 to 18, including junior sailing, junior rowing, paddlesports and marine science and fishing. Its Maritime Adventures program for ages 6 to 11 combines sailing, kayaking, swimming, fishing, rowing and snorkeling with marine science such as touch tanks and STEM challenges. Classes follow the tides.

As published: Not published on the program pages reviewed.

Ages 5–11 · $250/week

Ten-week full-day summer program run by the East End House neighborhood settlement in Cambridge for children from kindergarten through fifth grade, serving 52 children each day. The day includes weekly field trips, swimming lessons and free swim, sports, art, science and reading. The house also runs a separate summer middle school program.

As published: $250 per week ($50 per day); program hours 7:30am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday; limited financial assistance for families in need, and vouchers from some resource and referral agencies are accepted

Ages 5–12 · $375–$425/week

Weekly themed science and nature day camp at the EcoTarium museum and zoo in Worcester for children ages 5 to 12, grouped by age. Weeks cover topics such as outdoor adventures, creature features, space, engineering and forensic science, with animal ambassador visits and a Counselor in Training program for ages 13 to 15. The camp states it is licensed by the local Board of Health under Massachusetts DPH regulations.

As published: 2026 weekly sessions: $375 for returning campers (until Dec 31), $395 general registration (Jan 1 to June 1), $425 late registration; $75 deposit; Counselor in Training $760 for a four-week session

Ages 4–12 · $275–$525/week

Berkshire Botanical Garden runs a day camp in Stockbridge for ages 4 to 12 where campers plant seedlings, harvest vegetables, collect eggs, care for garden animals and explore the garden on nature walks. Groups are small, with 10 to 12 campers and two educators, and families can register for one or several weeks. The camp states it follows Massachusetts Department of Public Health camp standards.

As published: 2026 tiered weekly tuition by household income: $275 member or $325 non-member (under $60,000), $375 or $425 ($60,000 to $90,999), $475 or $525 (no aid requested). $100 deposit per camper.

Ages 5–14 · $200–$305/week

Franklin County's YMCA in Greenfield runs weekly summer day camps for ages 5 to 14, including Gymnastics, Ninja and Adventure camps at the Y, a Lil' Flippers mini camp for the youngest campers, and Camp Apex on 30-plus acres in Shelburne. Camp Apex offers recreational swimming, an obstacle course, gaga ball and arts and crafts. Free breakfast and lunch are provided through the Greenfield Summer Eats Program on most weeks, and extended care runs 7:00 am to 6:00 pm.

As published: 2026 weekly rates per child: Gymnastics, Ninja, Adventure and Camp Apex $260 for members and $305 for non-members; Lil' Flippers Mini Camp $200 for members and $245 for non-members. $40 non-refundable deposit per week.

Ages 3–14 · $306–$603/week

Holly Hill Farm runs drop-off day camps on a working certified organic farm in Cohasset for ages 3.5 to 14, plus a counselor-in-training program for ages 12 to 15. Campers care for barnyard animals, garden, cook, explore ponds and marshes and learn survival skills across 12 weekly sessions in summer 2026. Tiered pricing lets families choose a reduced rate, and a scholarship is available beyond that.

As published: 2026 weekly tuition by tier: half day from $306 to $425, full day from $434 to $603 depending on program and tier (Tier C is the reduced price); $85 family membership required.

Ages 4–15 · $975–$2,400/session

Hale Day Camp is a traditional day camp run by the nonprofit Hale Education on its 1,200-acre Westwood reservation, starting at age 4 and organized into age-based units from Kindercamp through Teen Camp. Every camper rides a camp bus from stops in Boston neighborhoods and many suburbs. The camp states it is accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA-accredited).

As published: Program tuition listed as $975 to $2,400 per session depending on unit, with most sessions two weeks long (Kindercamp $975 to $1,925; the 4-week Counselor-in-Training program $2,295 to $2,400); nonrefundable down payment of $300 per two-week session

Ages 4–14

Hartsbrook School runs summer day camps on its Hadley campus, with farm camps for the youngest children (Sprouts and Young Farmers), plus Creativity, Cooking and Baking, Theater and Fiddle camps. It also offers a counselor-in-training program for rising 6th to 9th graders. The camp is licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and uses tiered pricing.

As published: Not published (the page describes Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 pricing, with a scholarship for 2026 farm camp, and lists no weekly prices)

Ages 3–15 · $305–$560/week

The Hitchcock Center for the Environment in Amherst runs day camps outdoors: Chickadee Camp for rising kindergartners, Nature Camp for grades 1 to 6 and Leadership Training Camp for grades 7 to 9. Themes include soil creatures, local wildlife, outdoor science and inventing, and the older group adds caving, hikes and overnight camping. Families choose from sliding-scale price tiers, and teens can apply as counselors in training.

As published: 2026 sliding-scale tiers A, B, C. Nature Camp one week $560, $465 or $395, two weeks $1,080, $900 or $765. Chickadee Camp one week $435, $360 or $305. Leadership Training Camp two weeks $1,065, $930 or $810. $150 deposit.

Ages 3–14

Hopkinton Summer Day Camp is the MetroWest YMCA's flagship outdoor day camp on a 122-acre campus, serving ages 3–16 through Junior, Middler, and Senior units with an executive team citing 40+ combined years of camp experience.

As published: $50/week non-refundable deposit per child; optional lunch $30/week; transportation $45 one-way per week; financial assistance available via Y-Assist

Ages 4–15 · $325–$600/week

KidSummer is the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History's morning day program of outdoor nature and science for ages 4 to 15, with age-grouped programs from Wilderness Wanderers to Junior Naturalists, plus two art programs. Weekly topics include insects, mammals, pollinators, weather, reptiles and marine life, with hikes, crafts and experiments. Most programs are limited to 12 students per week.

As published: 2026 per week: ages 4 to 12 $500 members, $600 non-members; ages 13 to 15 $325 members, $375 non-members.

Ages 3–14 · $842–$909/week

Day camp on the Dana Hall campus in Wellesley with junior camps for ages 3 through 1st grade and adventure, arts, general, performing arts, sports and STEAM camps for rising 2nd through 8th graders, plus a counselor-in-training program. Camp states it is licensed by the local board of health and follows Massachusetts DPH regulations. LINX says it has offered discounted or free spots to Greater Boston families in need since 2009.

As published: 2027 weekly camp rate $909 for one week, down to $864 per week for 8 or more weeks by credit card (ACH rates $842 to $886); bus $109 per week, lunch $69 per week; Jr. Fun Bunch and CIT $639 per week; early drop-off $99 per week, extended day $149 per week

Ages 4–15 · $100–$710/week

A nature- and farm-based day camp at Mass Audubon's Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary (sanctuary dates to 1956), offering sliding-scale, income-based pricing across one- and two-week nature, farm, and environmental-leadership programs for ages 4–17.

As published: Day camp, per week/per program, sliding-scale pricing published (varies by household income): one-week programs generally $142–$710 (e.g., Curiosity Club, Nature Builders, Farmyard Frolics, Teen Farm Hands, Rainbow Camp, Environmental Leadership); Farm Trekkers $100–$500; two-week programs (ages 4–13) $285–$1,675 depending on age group. Extended-day add-on $56–$275/week. Programs & Pricing (https://www.massaudubon.org/places-to-explore/wildlife-sanctuaries/drumlin-farm/camp/programs-pricing)

Ages 5–16 · $102–$512/week

Moose Hill Nature Camp is a Mass Audubon day camp at Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary in Sharon for campers ages 4.5 to 16. Weekly themed sessions combine trail exploration, hands-on activities, science, art and free choice time, with a STEAM camp, a Nature Adventure Camp and a Counselor-in-Training program for older campers. The camp states it is accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA-accredited) and uses sliding-scale tuition based on family income.

As published: 2026 sliding-scale weekly tuition of $102 to $512 for Discoverers (ages 5 to 6), set by family income tier; CIT $54 to $270; extended day $12 to $115 per week. Camp states 2027 registration is coming soon.