Summer camps near Sunnyvale

With schools ending in the next few days, most people have already found childcare or activities to keep your kids engaged and busy the next few months. However, if plans change and you want more activities for your kids in Summer 2025, here are some resources in Sunnyvale and in the broader DFW area (note: I am not offering my approval of or endorsement to any of these activities, so make sure to do your own research too):

Sunnyvale ISD provides a long list of summer camp activities for school-age children, many of which take place at the school facilities or are provided by current or former SISD teachers: https://www.sunnyvaleisd.com/page/sisd-summer-camps

As always, the Doris Padgett Public Library in Sunnyvale will have plenty of free activities to do all summer for kids of all ages. Beyond the regular library events they hold year round, there will be special Story Times for little ones on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m., Crafts on Thursdays at 2 p.m., and Guest Performers on Fridays at 2 p.m. Every year, library patrons can complete fun reading challenges for a chance to win prizes at the end of the summer, this year’s summer program runs June 3 – July 25th, and you can stop by the library beginning May 28th to pick up an orientation packet and coloring tote bag. During the summer reading program the library will also be holding cool weekly door prize drawings. Our public library is small but mighty, make sure to stop by!

Individual/local providers of summer camps near Sunnyvale:

• Sunnyvale resident Elizabeth Martin Allen¹ is holding a 1-week football summer camp July 21-25 with her dad Coach Martin, for kids ages 7-10 years old. The camp is $200 per kid, it will run 9AM-3PM and include workouts, swimming, football theory, and the football playbook. If you know Elizabeth, you know that her family knows football and they’re great with kids. You can sign up by contacting Elizabeth on Facebook or by phone: 402-613-2732.
• If you have a rising high school junior or senior, Angela Henderson Smith is offering a “college prep camp” to work on writing their college application essay. The camp costs $495, and it will be located at the office suites next to Hope Coffee, with morning sessions from 10-12 and afternoon sessions from 2-4PM.
• If your kid is incoming kindergarten to incoming high school senior and would like to run track this summer, registration through the Sunnyvale Raiders Youth Sport Association (SRYSA) is open until May 23rd. Practices run M/T/TH, 5:30-7PM at Raider stadium, and costs are $105/kid, with an additional $45 for a uniform. Track meets will run on Saturday mornings June-July. For more information, you can contact srysatrack@gmail.com.
• ASI Gymnastics in nearby Mesquite is offering summer camps with two sessions per day (8AM-1PM and 1PM-6PM), for kids 3-14 years old. The cost is $35/session, plus $5 if you register the day-of. Camp workers are high-school and college-age students and have passed background checks.
• Culinary Community Kitchen is offering a Culinary Camp for Kids aged 6 & up with three-day or drop-in sessions available. The classes are two hours (11AM-1PM), and they cost $125/week (3 days) or $42 for a single day drop-in. The first round of camp covers “Culinary School in a Week” and is only recommended for kids 10 & up, the second round starts July 8th and covers “Everything Baking & Pastry”, while the last round starts 7/22 and covers “Global Cuisine.”
• Sunnyvale Dance Academy is offering a lot of different activity options including short one-off dance parties for young kids 2-4 years old, and 6 different day camp options for kids aged 3-15 (even a $200 superhero and hiphop camp for boys). Most camp sessions last about 4 hours Monday-Thursday with weekly costs of $275-325. No prior dance experience is necessary!
• Salt Ranch is a hobby farm in Sunnyvale offering a kids summer camp² July 7-11 for kids aged 6 to 11 years old. It runs 9AM-3PM with before- and after-care available for $10 per additional hour. The camp costs $300 for the week and is offering arts & crafts, hands-on activities with the animals (baby goats, donkeys, chickens, and rabbits) as well as swimming and other outdoor activities. You can sign up or request more information by contacting Andrea Varnai at saltranchdallas@gmail.com or by phone at 214-717-3652.
• If your kid would like to learn about podcasting, video creation, music production, or media in general, Sunnyvale ISD Director of Technology Buck Baskin is holding two audio visual production camps at Sunnyvale Intermediate School this summer. Session 1 runs June 16-18 for kids in grades 4-6, and Session 2 runs July 14-16 for kids in grades 7-9. Each 3-day camp costs $90 and runs from 1PM – 3PM. You can sign up at bit.ly/sisdavcamp or by contacting buck.baskin@sunnyvaleisd.com.

Government/Institutional providers of summer camps near Sunnyvale:

• At our nearby Samuell Farm Park just off US-80, the Dallas Parks and Recreation Department is holding their Outdoor Adventures Camp from June 9th through August 1st, for kids aged 7 to 15 years old. Camp runs 9AM – 5PM, with an early drop-off option at 8:30 AM, and costs $125/week for City of Dallas residents and $150/week for non-residents (see the bottom of this article for their full summer calendar).
• If you’re commuting downtown and want to take your kids on the way, the Dallas Park and Recreation Department offers a number of camps for kids of all ages through their 39 Rec Center locations. The cost is $75/week for Dallas residents and $85/week for non-Dallas residents, and the hours are 7:30AM to 5:30PM Monday-Friday.
• Mesquite is also offering camps for kids aged 5-15, with flexible sign-up commitments: you can choose one day, one week, or all summer. Camp opens at 7AM and closes at 6PM. Kids must have completed kindergarten, and you must register by 9PM the Thursday before the week of camp you’re requesting. If your other plans fall through last-minute and you want just one day of camp, you can also call the Parks and Recreation department or contact Judy Schwartz, Camp Supervisor (Jschwartz@cityofmesquite.com, 972-216-6421) on Monday morning to see if space is available that week. The camps for young kids and pre-teens cost $125 per week for Mesquite residents, $135/week for non-residents. To learn more, you can read their FAQs.
  • Some of their camp options are indoor at a rec center, while others are outdoors like Rorie Galloway Day Camp for kids who have completed Kindergarten to entering 6th grade, offering activities like catch & release fishing, volleyball, basketball, water sprinklers, and other water activities to combat the heat.
• DFW Child website shows a lot of paid classes for all ages at providers across the DFW region, including language classes, overnight camps, special needs camps, and creative studies like film, theater, or orchestra. They also have a calendar with upcoming and recurring events aimed at younger children.
• The Dallas Arboretum offers a series of summer camps for students entering 1st through 6th grade this Fall, with a bit shorter hours (9AM – 3PM) and a higher price than most ($330 for members, $350 for non-members). However, if you love the arboretum, your kids might enjoy the variety of nature, science, and art activities they’re offering in weekly camps.
• The YMCA of Dallas offers indoor and outdoor day camps for kids 4-13 years old, as well as an overnight camp at Camp Grady Spruce for kids 7-16 years old. Day camp hours run 8AM-5PM, with extended care available as much as 7AM-6PM for additional fees. All kids must be bathroom independent, including 4-year olds. YMCA day camp costs range from $150 to $400 per week, depending on the specific camp you select, and the YMCA does offer need-based scholarships to help cover the cost of summer camps (here is the link to apply).
• Bishop Lynch High School near White Rock Lake is offering day camps open to the public for kids entering Kindergarten to 8th grade. They have a wide variety of camp activities including sports, academics, and arts, with morning, afternoon, and all-day options Monday-Thursday from 9AM to 3PM. Prices seem to be $130 to $175 per week, depending on the camp. Lunch is included, but there is no after-care option. You can sign up for one week or all summer.

If you are a camp or activity provider in/near Sunnyvale and you want to be added to this list, please reach out to me at ben@sunnyvalecricket.com and I’ll add you to the list.

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