If your child’s already thinking about summer camp, it might be time to start looking into early registration. Some camps accept applications as early as December, so you can take care of the registration process now and have plenty of time to prepare before the summer starts.
Check out these Chesapeake-area camps with early registration in December and January. From classic day camps to specialty camps focused on one area of interest, there’s a lot to explore!
Open for Registration
Adventure Camps at Terrapin Adventures
Savage
Outdoor camps focused on nature education, hiking and climbing
{ Registration currently open }
terrapinadventures.com/adventure-camps
All Sport Kids Academy Summer Camps
Gambrills
Week-long day camps where campers learn and compete in sports, including dodgeball, tennis, kickball and football
{ Registration currently open }
athleticperformanceinc.com/summer-camp
Ballet Chesapeake Summer Dance Camps
Abingdon
Ballet camps aimed at dance newcomers, as well as students continuing their training over the summer
{ Registration currently open }
balletchesapeake.org/summer
Camp Wright
Stevensville
An Episcopalian camp (open to campers of all religions) with day and overnight camp programs. One of its most unique offerings is its “Christmas in July” camp session.
{ Registration currently open }
campwright.com
Naptown Sings and Plays!
Annapolis
Music camps for all ages with a different theme each week; also offers a summer glee club program
{ Registration currently open }
naptownsings.com/summer-camps-and-classes
St. John’s College Summer Academy
Annapolis
College readiness camp for high school students; helps them prepare for college life
{ Registration currently open }
sjc.edu/summer-academy
The Y in Central Maryland Day Camp
Available in multiple locations throughout Maryland
Has indoor and outdoor adventure camps, as well as camps specifically for pre-K students and teens
{ Registration currently open }
ymaryland.org/programs/traditionaldaycamps
Opening in December
SULTANA Camp at the Sultana Education Foundation
Chestertown
A variety of summer camps focused on maritime activities, including boating and learning about the Chesapeake Bay’s wildlife
{ Registration opens early December }
sultanaeducation.org/summer-programs
Opening in January
Bayside Summer Adventure Camp
Annapolis
Day camps for younger campers and specialty camps for older campers. Activities include sports, art, science and nature exploration.
{ Registration opens in January }
baysidesummercamp.com
Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park Summer Camp
Annapolis
Outdoor camp focused on water-based activities, such as boating and nature play
{ Registration opens Jan. 15 }
amaritime.org/education-programs/summer-camp
Opening in February
Anne Arundel County Public Schools Summer Programs
Various locations in Anne Arundel County
Extracurricular summer programs in Anne Arundel County, including art classes, summer school and career readiness courses
{ Registration opens in February }
aacps.org/page/summer-programs
Summer at the Creek at Indian Creek School
Crownsville
Day camp offering a large variety of programs
{ Registration opens in February }
indiancreekschool.org/campus-life/summer-programs-and-camps
More to Explore
As more summer camps announce their registration dates, many will be opening for registration from January through March. Here are just a handful of camps to look out for this winter. For even more options to fuel your camp search, visit chesapeakefamily.com/campdirectory
{ Overnight Camps }
- Echo Hill Camp / Worton
- Easterseals Camp Fairlee / Chestertown
- Pecometh / Centreville
- Camp Wabanna / Edgewater
- Camp Whippoorwill / Lake Shore
{ Specialty Camps }
- River’s Edge Forest Play / West River
(Nature) - Playmakers Summer Theatre Camp at Garfield Center for the Arts / Chestertown
(Performing arts) - Filmsters Academy Film Camp / Annapolis
(Filmmaking) - Thrive Gymnastics Summer Camps / locations in Annapolis and Arnold
(Gymnastics) - Brendan Sailing Camp / Annapolis
(Sailing)
{ New Camp }
Damascus Summer Camps’ Summit Lake Campus / EMMITSBURG
A Catholic organization that hosts youth and adult retreats and summer camps, will be opening a new location in Emmitsburg this summer. The Summit Lake campus is the first Damascus Summer Camp to open on the East Coast, as its other two camps are in Centerburg, Ohio, and Brighton, Michigan.
The Centerburg, Ohio, camp started with 63 campers when it first opened in 2001 but has gone on to welcome thousands of campers each summer. Damascus Summer Camps leadership started looking into expansion opportunities in 2020 and opened a second campus in 2023, with the Emmitsburg property purchased in 2024.
The camp will offer many fun summer activities, such as adventuring on a ropes course and water activities in the campus’s lake, as well as a daily mass and Christian studies. In addition to campers, local clergy are also invited to the camp to help out and work with the children attending.
This summer will consist of eight one-week sessions divided between middle school students in sixth through eighth grades and high school students.
{ Registration is currently open. }
For more information, visit damascus.net.
