Steve & Kate's Camp - Chicago West Loop

Chicago World Language Academy, 1340 West Harrison St., Chicago, IL 60607

mapChicago World Language Academy, 1340 West Harrison St., Chicago, IL 60607

About

Steve & Kate's Camp - Chicago West Loop offers activities such as coding, sewing, baking, making, sports, filming, lounging, and stop-motion animation. Campers can take part in hand-sewing, machine sewing, robotics, creating 3D worlds with an interactive virtual reality experience, using interactive art apps and 3D pens, tabletop games, building marble mazes, and building forts. The program also includes traditions and events such as Find Chuckie, Friday Pie-Day, Sports & Rec, Slip N Slide, Pickleball Practice, a Kaotic Drumline Performance, water tag, inflatable slip n’ slides, and a giant sprinkler.

• Ages: 4–12 years old
• Schedule: Jun 8–Aug 7, with camp hours from 8:00am to 6:00pm and closed on July 3
• Price: Mentorship Day Pass Rate: $98; Mentorship Day Pass (15+) Rate: $84; Mentorship Summer Pass Rate: $2,520

Steve & Kate’s Camp states that all year long kids are in rigid structure, and that in summer the camp gives them freedom to expand and evolve, with campers choosing which activities they do, whom they do them with, and for how long. The camp describes this experience as both pure joy for kids and a training ground for life where they are empowered, independent, resilient, and responsible for their own decisions. Steve & Kate’s Camp reports that it has been operating in this way since 1980.

The program allows families to buy any number of days and send their child to camp on any chosen day, with drop-off and pick-up allowed at any time within camp hours. The camp lists long camp hours, included meals and snacks, and all-inclusive rates that cover all camp hours from 8:00am to 6:00pm, snacks and lunch, and any activities that interest the child. It also states that there are automatic full refunds for unused Day Passes and partial refunds for underused Summer Passes, as well as weekly specials such as giant inflatables, musical performances, movement workshops, and a popup petting zoo, along with decades-old traditions like Find Chuckie and Friday Pie-Day.

For Summer 2026, this location offers a Mentorship Program for ages 14–15, in which Mentees help facilitate camp activities, engage with campers, and encourage camper connection and participation. The Mentorship Program uses self-directed learning to support Mentees. The camp notes that for Slip N Slide, campers should bring a labeled swimsuit, towel, and water shoes or sandals, and that registered families will receive a virtual camp orientation closer to summer with information on what to bring and not bring.

Testimonials about Steve & Kate’s Camp describe children blossoming and discovering a freedom of identity, and say that kids find their thumbprint at the camp. Other testimonials state that if kids ruled the world it might look like Steve & Kate’s Camp, that many children of people working at Pixar and Industrial Light & Magic attend, and that the camp blends a traditional camp experience with a modern, tech-savvy touch and a laid-back aura with Silicon Valley-inspired approaches to programming and payment. Another testimonial notes that working parents’ worries dissipate as they consider Steve & Kate’s model. The camp lists Amy as the Director for this program.

Last updated April 30, 2026.