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Parks and Recreation summer camps to open registration

Mark your calendar, Parks and Rec summer camps are coming back— and spots are limited.

Philadelphia Parks and Recreation will have hundreds of camps this year, including day, theme, and overnight camps.
Philadelphia Parks and Recreation will have hundreds of camps this year, including day, theme, and overnight camps.Read moreAVI STEINHARDT

Summer may feel far away, but registration for city camps is around the corner. Save the date: Starting Feb. 27, Philadelphia Parks and Recreation will begin enrollment for the 2023 summer camp season, set to take place between July 5 and Aug. 11.

Although the full list of camps (and information about costs) isn’t available yet, a Parks and Recreation spokesperson said there will be more than 110 options for day camps alone. Traditionally, the city offers four types of summer camps:

  1. Neighborhood day camp: For children 6 to 12 to learn, do crafts, play sports, and go on field trips. These kind of camps take place in parks, recreation centers, and playgrounds.

  2. Themed camps: Aimed for teenagers looking to spend the summer focused on a specific skill. Performing arts, skateboarding, swimming, and rowing camps have been among the options in previous summers.

  3. Camps for people with intellectual and physical disabilities

  4. Camp Philly: Under this program, Parks and Recreation and YMCA offer scholarships for children between 8 and 12 to spend a week at a YMCA Pocono Mountains summer camp that typically costs $900. Rock climbing, soccer, arts, survival skills learning, and swimming are among the activities.

Spots are limited and prices vary depending on the camp. In 2022, the average weekly cost was $100, which adds up for households with more than one child. But there will be low-cost options — last year this meant free or less than $50 per week, making it important to sign up your kid as early as registration opens.

How to register?

Come Feb. 27, go to the Parks and Recreation finder tool and select summer camps. A list for day camps will appear showing whom it is intended for, capacity, costs, and contact information. You can filter options using your address or zip code. Call the camp to confirm its availability, print the Youth Registration and Waivers form, fill it out and return it in person. If you have any questions, call 215-683-3600, Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Themed camps work a little different. You will have to search the term themed camps on the finder tool, and follow the instructions on how to sign up. If the themed summer camp doesn’t provide any specific instructions for signing up, then you can register using the same method as for day camps.

Camp Philly

Kids who go to Camp Philly technically go for free due to the scholarship. But you still have to fill out an application with your recreation leader, and pay a refundable $30 application fee. In 2019, there was space for 200 children; the camp capacity is yet to be announced. However, if they run out of space folks can get their money back. To apply, children must be part of a Parks and Recreation facility program, have a recommendation from a recreation leader, attend all information sessions, have a physical exam before going to camp, and take free swimming lessons at their local YMCA if they don’t know how to swim.