Park Ridge Park District Summer Camps

Park Ridge Park District Summer Camps include games, art, music, sports, nature activities, water play, and swimming. Campers are asked to wear comfortable clothing and athletic shoes that can get dirty and to bring a nut-free lunch and snack, a water bottle, sunscreen, and, for camps with water play or swimming, a swimsuit and towel that stay in their backpack when not in use.

• Ages: 3–14 years old
• Schedule: Full-day camps generally run 9:00am–3:00pm in week-long sessions from June 8–August 21, 2026, with many camps offering optional Before Care (7:00am–9:00am) and After Care (3:00pm–6:00pm)

Since 1914, the Park District of Park Ridge has provided recreation and leisure opportunities for the community, and the Park Ridge Park District states a commitment to providing quality parks and recreation services in a fiscally responsible manner. Each camp is supervised by a qualified, experienced coordinator who oversees counselors, who are a mix of mature and enthusiastic college and high school students. All staff members complete an extensive training program that includes supervision, safety techniques, curriculum development, CPR certification, and basic first aid. In American Camp Association accredited camps, at least 80% of staff are 18 years of age or older, staff are at least two years older than the campers they supervise, and staff-to-camper ratios are at least 6:1 for ages 3–5, 8:1 for ages 6–8, and 10:1 for ages 9–14. Many Park Ridge Park District camps are accredited through the American Camp Association, and the Park Ridge Park District has earned its 43rd consecutive GFOA Award.

The leadership team includes staff assigned to specific camp areas: Meghan O'Neill for Before & After Care, Kaleidoscope Kids Camp, Camp Passport, and Technology Camps; Debbie Majchszak for registration and account questions; Jenny Clauson for Nature Camps; Cara Ruffo for Add-On Nature Camps; Maggie Martin for Early Childhood Nature Camps; Jim Dihu and Megan McKay for Athletic Camps and Athletic Specialty Camps; Julie Greve as Recreation Program Division Manager for general questions; Mat Skorupski for the CIT Program, Camp Rewind, Teen Trail Blazers Camp, Subway Surf'n, Bike Camp, Skateboarding Camp, Theater Camps, and Dance Camp; Brooke Plofsky for Early Childhood Camps; Robin Battaglia for Before & After Care and Camp Wannalottafun; and Sarah Chiupek for Brickton Art Camps.

Many camps offer a Camp Lunch Program with hot and cold lunches delivered directly to camp, including options such as fresh pizza, pastas, and chicken tenders from Spuntino Pizza. The lunch program is available only for certain camps marked with an apple symbol in the brochure, is ordered through the registration software with each day having a separate registration number, and has no lunch service on field trip days. Camp lunches are ordered by week-long sessions for Weeks 1–11 (June 8–August 21, 2026), registration for camp lunches opens May 1 at 8:30am, and orders and changes are due the Wednesday before the first day of each camp session.

The 2026 in-person Open House is scheduled for Wednesday, June 3 from 7:00pm–8:00pm. A Virtual Camp Info Night held on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, covered how to register for camps, the registration virtual waiting room, automated waitlists, refund policy, registration dates, general camp information, and camp options for different age groups. A five-minute grace period is given for late pick up; after that, a charge of $1 per minute is issued, and if a child is more than 15 minutes late being picked up, parents are notified to pick up their child at After Care. The Maine Park front office is the contact for changes to pick-up arrangements.

Last updated May 23, 2026.