St. Charles Park District Youth Camps & Dance Company
Hickory Knolls Discovery Center, 8 North Avenue, St. Charles, IL 60174
About
St. Charles Park District Youth Camps & Dance Company offers a wide range of summer camps and dance opportunities, including summer camps, sports camps, science camps, art camps, theatre camps, dance camps, Flex Camps, and weekly camps. Children can take part in programs such as Kindergarten Camp, Kindergarten Flex Camp, STC Camp at Pottawatomie Community Center and Sportsplex, 5th Grade Camp, Teen Camp, Grades 1-2 Flex Camp, Little Scouts, Bitty Boots Farm Camp, Junior Farm Camp, Wee Wonders Nature Camp, and Nature Discoverers Camp. The Dance Company includes a Competition Team and Performance Team with classes in Ballet/Leaps & Turns Technique, Contemporary Technique, Lyrical Technique, Jazz Technique, Hip Hop Technique, Recital Technique, and community performances.
• Ages: 2–18 years old
• Schedule: Camps and nature programs offer morning and daytime sessions on select weekdays in June, July and August, and Dance Company teams meet weekly from September through May.
• Price: Bitty Boots Farm Camp RES $75/NR $90; Little Scouts RES $112/NR $162; Wee Wonders Nature Camp RES $50/NR $75; Nature Discoverers Camp RES $120/NR $170; Kindergarten Flex Camp and Grades 1-2 Flex Camp RES $85–$179/NR $100–$194 depending on days per week; Junior Farm Camp RES $65/NR $98.
At Bitty Boots Farm Camp, children meet farm animals, help with simple chores, work in the kitchen garden, and join farm games and activities, with parents allowed to stay on site but not required. Little Scouts includes hands-on activities in art and music, exploration, sensory play, playground time, snack time, and group games. Wee Wonders Nature Camp focuses on exploring nature and learning about animals that hop, fly and crawl in the woods and prairie, and adults are free but must wear closed-toe shoes along with children.
Nature Discoverers Camp has weekly sessions where children discover nature in the woods, fields and along the pond edge, make simple crafts, and play educational and fun games, and participants must be age 3 and potty trained with no diapers. Kindergarten Flex Camp and Grades 1-2 Flex Camp run during regular camp hours with options to register for 2, 3, 4 or 5 days per week, and activities can include group games, arts and crafts, circle time, playground adventures, swimming at Swanson Pool, minigolf, walking trips, science experiments, walking field trips, and water activities described as “splashtacular water fun.” Before and After Camp is available for Flex Camps and must match the same days as the all-day camps, and the fee for Grades 1-2 Flex Camp includes walking trip admissions.
Junior Farm Camp includes learning about life on the farm, simple and safe chores, farmyard games, nature walks and exploration, farm-themed activities, and eating a snack grown in the kitchen garden. The Dance Company focuses on developing dance skills and performance abilities through the Competition Team and Performance Team, with dancers performing at Scarecrow Fest, Showcases, local performance and community events, and Recital. Competition Team members must attend Activate Your Artistry Convention and compete at three competitions, and Performance Team has two levels based on age and skill ability, with participants in Competition Team required to be ages 8 and older by September 1.
Camp counselors have experience working with children and are trained in CPR and First Aid, and the program uses ePACT, the District’s secure emergency network, for medical and emergency contact information. Space is limited for summer camps, more camp options are listed in the Summer Activity Guide, and some camps for younger children, sports camps, and specialty camps may meet less than five days per week. The St. Charles Park District states that it is committed to enriching quality of life through excellence in programs, parks, facilities and services and is recognized as an Illinois Distinguished Accredited Agency.
Dancers in the Dance Company participate in community performances and other conventions, and the St. Charles Park District supports fundraising events for community organizations. STC Underground Teen Center, connected with the district, has provided a safe, welcoming space for teens to learn, grow and connect for 25 years. The Dance Company is described as offering a fun opportunity to dance more, be part of a team, and develop self-confidence.
Last updated January 10, 2026.
• Ages: 2–18 years old
• Schedule: Camps and nature programs offer morning and daytime sessions on select weekdays in June, July and August, and Dance Company teams meet weekly from September through May.
• Price: Bitty Boots Farm Camp RES $75/NR $90; Little Scouts RES $112/NR $162; Wee Wonders Nature Camp RES $50/NR $75; Nature Discoverers Camp RES $120/NR $170; Kindergarten Flex Camp and Grades 1-2 Flex Camp RES $85–$179/NR $100–$194 depending on days per week; Junior Farm Camp RES $65/NR $98.
At Bitty Boots Farm Camp, children meet farm animals, help with simple chores, work in the kitchen garden, and join farm games and activities, with parents allowed to stay on site but not required. Little Scouts includes hands-on activities in art and music, exploration, sensory play, playground time, snack time, and group games. Wee Wonders Nature Camp focuses on exploring nature and learning about animals that hop, fly and crawl in the woods and prairie, and adults are free but must wear closed-toe shoes along with children.
Nature Discoverers Camp has weekly sessions where children discover nature in the woods, fields and along the pond edge, make simple crafts, and play educational and fun games, and participants must be age 3 and potty trained with no diapers. Kindergarten Flex Camp and Grades 1-2 Flex Camp run during regular camp hours with options to register for 2, 3, 4 or 5 days per week, and activities can include group games, arts and crafts, circle time, playground adventures, swimming at Swanson Pool, minigolf, walking trips, science experiments, walking field trips, and water activities described as “splashtacular water fun.” Before and After Camp is available for Flex Camps and must match the same days as the all-day camps, and the fee for Grades 1-2 Flex Camp includes walking trip admissions.
Junior Farm Camp includes learning about life on the farm, simple and safe chores, farmyard games, nature walks and exploration, farm-themed activities, and eating a snack grown in the kitchen garden. The Dance Company focuses on developing dance skills and performance abilities through the Competition Team and Performance Team, with dancers performing at Scarecrow Fest, Showcases, local performance and community events, and Recital. Competition Team members must attend Activate Your Artistry Convention and compete at three competitions, and Performance Team has two levels based on age and skill ability, with participants in Competition Team required to be ages 8 and older by September 1.
Camp counselors have experience working with children and are trained in CPR and First Aid, and the program uses ePACT, the District’s secure emergency network, for medical and emergency contact information. Space is limited for summer camps, more camp options are listed in the Summer Activity Guide, and some camps for younger children, sports camps, and specialty camps may meet less than five days per week. The St. Charles Park District states that it is committed to enriching quality of life through excellence in programs, parks, facilities and services and is recognized as an Illinois Distinguished Accredited Agency.
Dancers in the Dance Company participate in community performances and other conventions, and the St. Charles Park District supports fundraising events for community organizations. STC Underground Teen Center, connected with the district, has provided a safe, welcoming space for teens to learn, grow and connect for 25 years. The Dance Company is described as offering a fun opportunity to dance more, be part of a team, and develop self-confidence.
Last updated January 10, 2026.
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