Park Ridge Park District Summer Camps

Park Ridge Park District Summer Camps include activities such as games, art, music, sports, nature exploration, water play, and swimming. Campers take part in hands-on activities, and are advised to wear comfortable clothing and athletic shoes that can get dirty. For camps that have water play or swimming, campers bring a swimsuit and towel, and keep their belongings in a backpack when not in use.

• Ages: 3–14 years old
• Schedule: Full-day camps generally run 9:00am–3:00pm, with many camps offering optional Before Care from 7:00am–9:00am and After Care from 3:00pm–6:00pm

Since 1914, the Park District of Park Ridge has provided recreation and leisure opportunities for the community. The Park Ridge Park District states that it is committed to providing quality parks and recreation services to residents in a fiscally responsible manner. Many Park Ridge Park District Camps are accredited through the American Camp Association, whose accreditation standards focus on health, safety, and risk management.

Each camp is supervised by a qualified, experienced coordinator who oversees daily camp operations and counselors. Counselors include college and high school students who complete training in supervision, safety techniques, curriculum development, CPR, and basic first aid. In American Camp Association accredited camps, at least 80% of staff are 18 years of age or older and at least two years older than the campers they supervise. 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 camps offer Before Care and After Care, which are marked in the brochure with a sun icon for Before Care and a moon icon for After Care. Camps that participate in the Camp Lunch Program are marked with an apple symbol in the brochure. Camp lunches are provided by Spuntino Pizza, include hot and cold options, are ordered through the registration software, and are delivered directly to the child’s camp, with no lunch service on field trip days. Registration for camp lunches starts May 1 at 8:30am, and orders and changes are due the Wednesday before the first day of each camp session.

The 2025 Camp Open House is scheduled in person on Thursday, May 29 from 7:00pm–8:00pm. A Virtual Camp Info Night was held on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, covering the registration process, virtual waiting room, automated waitlists, refund policy, registration dates, general camp information, and camp options for different age groups. The program uses ePACT as a private online site for emergency records.

Families are asked to send campers with a nut-free lunch and snack, a water bottle, and sunscreen, with reusable containers and bottles encouraged. There is a five-minute grace period for late pick up; after that, a charge of $1 per minute is issued, and if a pick-up person is more than 15 minutes late, parents are notified to pick up their child at After Care.

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

Last updated January 8, 2026.