Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camps for Kids in Grand Forks

The days are getting longer, the grass greener, and the temperatures warmer, which can only mean one thing: SUMMER! As schools close their doors and speakers blast Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out for Summer”, kids across the region are bouncing off the walls while parents and guardians feel a wave of existential dread wash over them. Okay, maybe that’s a bit dramatic. BUT, if you or a loved one is searching for a way to keep the kiddos entertained (and mom or dad sane), here are nine summer camps for kids in Grand Forks.

If your kid’s got an imagination wild enough to fill the Louvre, look no further! The North Dakota Museum of Art, located on the University of North Dakota campus, hosts a number of camps and programs all summer long. The NDMOA has a camp for nearly every form of art. Sculpting, theatre, movement, painting, music, 3D printing – you name it! You can register for 2023 summer camps here.

You know what they say, children are our future! Every summer, UND helps foster bright minds and fuel future scientists through STEM camps. This summer UND is hosting a Youth Science and Engineering Camp. Students entering grades 5-8 can attend morning camp, and students entering grades 1-4 can attend the afternoon session.

Got a mini athlete in your life? Are they ready to become an all-star? Send them to one of UND’s top notch sports camps to perfect their skills, have some fun, and make memories playing on the same court or field as their favorite players!

• Track and Field: Get ready to hurdle, sprint, and jump in the Frederick “Fritz” D. Pollard Jr. Athletic Center. Find day camps or two-day camps for boys and girls entering grades 5-12.
• Football: Got your touchdown dance ready? For the young footballers, UND hosts Youth Camp for kids entering grades 1-8. For high schoolers, there are Team Camps and Flagship Camps.
• Volleyball: Held at the Betty Englestad Sioux Center, volleyball camps are a fan favorite! Check out Pee Wee Camp for Pre-k -5, Junior Hawk Camp for grades 1-8, and Skills camps for grades 7-12.
• Women’s Basketball:  Dribble, shoot, and score this summer! Kids entering grades K-5 can attend Little Hoopers, kids entering grades 6-8 can attend Skills Camp, and the older crowd entering grades 8-12 can get serious at the Elite camps.
• Men’s Basketball: Make this summer a slam dunk! Find camps for all ages, Little Hoopers for grades 1-6, Junior Elite for grades 6-9, and High School Elite for grades 9-12,
•  Soccer: Get your cleats, and head to the field. UND Soccer hosts Youth Camps for kiddos 4 yrs. – 8^th grade.
• Athletic Development Camp: Not sure which sport is right? This summer UND is holding a development camp to help your kid get stronger, faster, and become the best athlete! Kids ages 12 – Grade 12 can enroll.

All the world’s a stage – or at least all Grand Forks. Fire Hall Theatre (also known as the Greater Grand Forks Community Theatre) offers a summer camp for budding actors and actresses. This non-musical focused camp promises to teach theatre skills and friendship. Throughout the camp, your little star will get to experience all sides of a production. Not only will they land a role in the play, but they’ll learn about costuming, what it takes to stage manage, and technical skills like lights and sound. Camp will be held July 10 to August 12 with one camp for grades 2-5 and one camp for grades 6-9. Be the first to know about sign ups by following the Fire Hall Theatre’s Facebook page.

If your little thirsts for adventure and hears the call of the great outdoors, check out Adventure Camp! The Grand Forks YMCA hosts an ongoing camp all summer long for children ages 5-12. The camp explores outdoor areas each day including Turtle River State Park, Red River Valley Recreational Area, and the Larimore Dam. You can enroll on a weekly basis here.

The YMCA also hosts a Wilderness Club which explores parks in Grand Forks. Kids will enjoy the outdoors while making memories and lifelong friends! The club is for children who have completed kindergarten through 12 years of age. You can enroll on a weekly and daily basis here.

Theater, music, and movement is the SPA (Summer Performing Arts) specialty. Students will be immersed in the arts culminating in an unforgettable performance on the last day. The program runs through the Grand Forks Public School system and has a decades-long history of offering art-based education to students of all ages and abilities from PreK-12^th grade. The program is a local favorite and spots fill fast, register here!

Locally known as “Safari”, Summer Arts Stages is a two-week program that exposes kids to the world of musical theatre. For the younglings, kids entering grades 1-3, they’ll learn the fundamentals with an emphasis on fun. Kids entering grades 4-6 will experience the full production process and have an opportunity to perform a show on stage. For the older students entering grades 7-9, the Upper Stages camp explores theatre arts and creates a full production in two weeks, with a grand finale on the East Grand Forks Senior High Stage. Register here!

For the older kids in the bunch who want to become the next Tiger Woods, Grand Forks Parks District serves up some green at this 3-Day King’s Walk Golf Camp. Camp participants will get hands on instruction with small groups and hone in on the fundamentals of life on the fairway. This camp is for youth ages 10-15.

Sometimes life is tough, but finding friends and having support makes it a little bit easier. That’s the premise of Camp Good Mourning, a summer camp run by Altru for children who’ve experienced the loss of a loved one. Campers connect over shared experience and learn coping skills to help with adjustment and emotional development. They’ll use creativity, movement, music, and other avenues to express feelings of loss. Registration closes on May 15, 2023 and the camp is for children ages 5-18.

Keeping kids busy is no easy feat! Hopefully these cool summer camps in Grand Forks region, will help create the coolest summer ever for your kiddo. And of course, help you gain back some time to kick back and relax.