Lake Forest Parks and Recreation Summer Camps

Lake Forest Parks and Recreation Summer Camps include a wide range of activities such as original camp game favorites, athletic oriented game play, group tag and camp games, dodgeball oriented games, sports, games, arts and crafts, nature and science activities, creative movement and music, story time, woodworking, crafts, archery, ceramics, painting, drawing, and performing arts of theatre and dance. Campers may take part in board games, bingo, water play, outdoor activities, and daily or weekly trips that can include the Lake Forest High School Pool, Forest Park Beach, Forest Beach, and weekly trips to the beach, as well as multiple field trips throughout the summer. Some camps feature weekly field trips on Wednesdays to attractions such as Green Meadows Farm, America’s Action Territory of Kenosha, WI, and various water parks in the area, and other trips to places such as Lincoln Park Zoo, Lake Forest Beach, various community parks, and Deerpath Golf course; Teen Bike Camp participants travel on their bikes every day along the Des Plaines River Trail Path and the North Shore Bike Path, mapping their adventures and exploring fun locations.

• Ages: 3–15 years old

McCormick Day Camp is the Lake Forest Recreation Department's oldest day camp and features many group activities associated with themed days, along with Friday field trips to local water parks and destinations such as Lincoln Park Zoo and Green Meadows Farm. All Stars & Beyond is described as an athletic oriented camp that offers a wide variety of camp options and activities, including original camp game favorites, and campers there have the flexibility to choose the activities they engage in. Everett Explorers is described as perfect for active 4 to 6 year olds and maintains a low counselor-child ratio to personalize the activities, to ensure safety, and to encourage each child's sense of well-being, with a parent manual available before camp starts. Summer Discovery is described as having a low-key, noncompetitive, yet structured atmosphere geared toward the needs, interests, and skills of the young child, also with a low counselor-child ratio and a parent manual available before camp starts. Twigs campers are immersed in creativity, use a state-of-the-art ceramics facility at Stirling Hall, and end the summer with a TWIGS Art Showcase & Performance for family and friends. Teen Bike Camp is described as a teen summer biking adventure in which participants travel on their bikes every day along specified trails and paths, travel to Lake Forest Beach and various community parks and Deerpath Golf course, and all campers must have bikes, helmets, locks, and backpacks and should bring a snack, sack lunch, water bottle, sunscreen, and spending money if desired. August is Awesome is described as extending camp summer in a whole new way, going through themes and topics suited to the interests of enrolled campers, and includes daily plans for water play and outdoor activities.

Last updated May 25, 2026.