Spring break is almost upon us, and for those of us of the parenting persuasion that means…summer camp registration time. Yes, already. Many local camps have opened registration or will be doing so shortly, and some camps are already full.
However, we have your back. Here is what’s available at press time in the Corvallis area for preschool and elementary schoolers, along with cost and scholarship opportunities.
Camps for Preschool Age
Options in the 3-5 age group are pretty limited, and kids must be potty independent.
Corvallis Environmental Center offers Caterpillar Camps. These are weeklong, primarily outdoor camps themed around nature and exploring Avery Park. These are half days, from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm, with no pre-camp or post camp care offered. The cost is $225/week. Scholarship opportunities and ERDC accepted. As of publication, many sessions are full, but there are waitlist slots.
Coyle Outdoors offers their Cattail Kids program year-round, including an eleven week summer session. Each day focuses on lightly structure nature play with friends, exploring Willamette Park. Families can choose any combination of weekdays from 8:45 am to 12:30, for the full eleven weeks. The cost is $525/chosen weekday for the 11-week session.
Corvallis Waldorf Summer Camp offers weekly sessions from mid-June to mid-August for children ages 3 to 7 years old, so preschool plus a little older! Weekly themes involve outdoor and nature related topics, like harvest, mud and bugs. Camp runs from 8:30 am to 1 pm, with a weekly cost of $275.
Downtown Dance offers several summer camp options, including an option for 3–5-year-olds, but dates have not yet been announced.
Camps for Elementary Age
Options abound for the elementary school set! Options include general day camps, as well as specialty camps.
General Day Camps
These camps offer sessions that go through most of the summer, offer longer or full day care, and have a focus on more general activities.
Corvallis Environmental Center offers camps from mid-June to late August for K thru 5th graders. Camps focus on nature education, art, active outdoor play, cooking and gardening. Most sessions are 5 days a week from 9 am to 3 pm, with after camp care available on some weeks. Costs run between $330-$355 per week. Scholarship opportunities are available, with scholarship applications due by March 31st. As of publication, the majority of camps offered through CEC are full, but waitlists are maintained.
Kidspirit offers camps from mid-June to late August for K through 5th grade, running from 8:30-4:30. These focus on art, science, sports and of course, fun. Each two-week, full day session is $950. Half day sessions are available. Registration is currently open, and spots are still available in most sessions. Early registration before April 15th saves $50/session, and OSU faculty and staff can save an additional $25/session. Other scholarship opportunities are available for foster children, children attending Head Start, and other circumstances.
Boys and Girls Club of Corvallis offers Summer Camp Club for incoming kindergarten through 8th graders, from mid-June to late August, 8 am to 5 pm. Camp activities are emergent and can include outdoor play, STEAM activities, crafts, gym games, and more. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided, and options are available for dietary needs. Fees are $200/week for kindergarten, and $170 a week for K-8th. Part time is $45/day, up to 3 days per week. Reduced fees are available for full time enrollment, and payment plans are available. Registration is available now, with spaces still open.
Ashbrook Independent School offers weekly camps from mid-June to mid-August, for ages 3 years old through 4th grade, from 8 am to 3 pm. These themed weeks include space, art, and science topics. Weekly cost is $475/week, with aftercare available. Scholarships are available. Registration is available now, with spaces still open.
Corvallis Parks and Recreation offers Camp Corvallis from mid-June to early August for ages 4 through 12. Camps are a mix of themed activities, like magic, travel, and animals, as well as free play, sports, and adventures. Ages 4-6 are eligible for morning or afternoon half day sessions, while older children have full day sessions from 9 am to 4 pm. Lunch is provided. The cost is $175/week. Families can use the Parks and Rec Scholarship, available on the website, to help offset fees. Registration opened March 14th for this popular option, and spots fill up fast. Waitlist spots are available in many sessions.
Though Camp Corvallis ends in the first week of August, Corvallis Parks and Rec also offers Inspire Corvallis for three weeks in August. For ages 6 through 12, these weeks include a space theme, invention theme, and an end of summer theme. The cost is $175/week.
Philomath Youth Activities Club has traditionally offered Fun in the Sun for ages 5-12, running from mid-June to mid-August, but 2026 information is not yet available. These full day sessions include arts and crafts, swimming, science experiments, outdoor play and more.
Specialty Summer Camps
These camps generally don’t offer full day care, have limited sessions, or have a specific activity as their focus.
Chintiminti Wildlife Center offers several sessions in June and July. Each session is 3 days, Tuesday through Thursday, from 9am to 3 pm, focusing on wildlife themes. Weeks are restricted by age, with one offering for ages 6-7 and other weeks focusing on 8-12 year olds. The cost per session is $275/week, with aftercare available.
Valley Rock Gym offers camps from mid-June to mid-August, for ages 6 thru 12. Ages 6-8 attend from 9 am to 12 pm, while older campers attend from 9 am to 2 pm. Camps are focused on rock climbing related skills and are open to climbers of all levels. The cost is $280/week for younger campers and $357/week for older campers. Valley Rock Gym members receive a 15% discount on camp registration.
The Corvallis School District offers STAGES, for 1st through 8th grade students. This 2-week camp in late June/early July runs from 8 am to 1:30 pm. The focus is on theater related skills, culminating in an end of camp showcase where students show off their new skills. The cost is $475 for the full camp. Scholarships are available.
The Arts Center offers Summer Arts Adventures, week-long sessions for ages 6-13 throughout July and August. These half-day camps focus on art techniques, including paper creations, needle felting, painting and ceramics. Costs per week range from $220-$260. Scholarship funds are available.
Corvallis Sports Park offers two soccer related camps: Lil Kickers and the Skills Institute. Lil Kickers is for ages 3.5- 7 and is offered for four weeks throughout the summer. Each week consists of 3 half days with a focus on soccer skills and general play. The Skills institute is also offered for four weeks throughout the summer, but is for ages 5-12 and focuses on developmental soccer skills.
Peak Elite offers camps from June through August for ages 6 thru 12. Daily offerings include gymnastics, nature activities, arts and crafts, parkour, and tumbling. The cost is $350 for full days and $250 for half days. Peak Elite members receive a $25 discount per session.
Deutsche School Corvallis is offering 3 weeks of camp, one each in June, July, August, for ages 6-12. Camp runs from 9 am to 2 pm, with aftercare available. Camp focuses on exploring topics like nature and STEAM thru the German language. German proficiency is not required. Tuition is $350/week, with a 10% discount for registration before May 1st. Registration opened March 1st and spots are still available.
Kidspirit offers several special focus camps in addition to their day camp. Cooking Academy, for 3rd through 8th graders, runs from 8:30 to 1 pm in two-week sessions. Different cooking adventures, like fueling the body for running, exploring farm to table cooking, and top chef competition, are available. Gymnastics is also available for levels 1 and up, featuring 8 morning sessions in two-week blocks, with costs between $205 and $269.
Coyle Outdoors, in partnership with Corvallis Parks and Rec, offers several nature and wilderness skills focused camps, with options such as wilderness survival, bushcraft, mountain biking, and more. Camps are weeklong with pricing between $365 and $508, depending on the offering.
Fern and Feather, out at the Philomath Fairgrounds, offers four weeklong sessions for children ages 6/7 to 12 years old. Camps run from 9 am to 3 pm and are based on forest exploration and provide structured and unstructured play around different nature themes. The cost is $325/week.
Corvallis Parks and Rec, in addition to their general summer day camp offerings, offers a variety of special focus camps throughout the summer, including sports, theater, adventure and more.
Sports offerings include weeklong beginning and intermediate tennis, pickleball, multisport camps and basketball, with prices hovering in the mid $100s.
Theater camp offerings include Bye Bye Birdie for ages 9-15 in July, and Hamlet for ages 12-18 in August. But heads up- auditions for these theater camps occur in April, so plan ahead! Cost for Bye Bye Birdie camp is $605, while Hamlet is $450.
Rock Creek Explorers, Parks and Rec’s outdoor exploration camp in the Corvallis watershed, offers three week long camp options, with a campout offered during one session, for a cost of $210/week. Parks and Rec’s special focus offerings are rounded out with a week of Benton County explorations, martial arts camps and bicycle camp, among others, which hover in the mid $100 to $250 range per offering.
STEM Academy at Oregon State University offers 3 weeks of half day STEM camps for grades 3 through 5 focusing on robotics and engineering topics. Cost per session is $200, with needs-based scholarships are available.
That’s a wrap! Information is accurate as of press time, but offerings and availability are likely to change based on organizational needs and enrollment numbers. Contact your favorite camps directly for the most up to date information.
By Kelly Longway
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