December 2024
Subscribe to our newsletter to receive future issues direct to your inbox.
Parents Need a Break
The U.S. surgeon general recently issued an advisory drawing attention to something many of us are painfully aware of: Parenting today is too darn stressful. Can camp be part of the answer?
Read more and judge for yourself.
Meet 10 Bountiful Farm Camps in the Triangle
What could be more idyllic than summer days spent gathering eggs and snuggling baby bunnies? Farm camps are a great way for kids to experience a slower pace of life and connect with nature, friends, and food.
Check out 10 local farm camps for a hopping good time.
Camps Opening for Summer 2025 Registration
Camps in our area open for registration anywhere from September to May. Each month, we highlight a few that are opening soon, recently opened, or offering early-bird discounts to help you plan and prioritize.
Piedmont Wildlife Center
Opening for registration:
- Opening December 16 for general registration. The calendar and registration information is posted on each location page: Durham , Orange County, Wake County.
Summer camp at Piedmont Wildlife Center gets kids from 5 years old up to 17 into nature. They go into the forest to develop and practice naturalist skills, explore creeks, meet wildlife, and play outdoor games.
New Hope Camp and Conference Center
Opening for registration:
- Opening January 1. The calendar and registration information is posted on their Summer Camp page.
New Hope Camp and Conference Center is set in a 165-acre forest owned by the New Hope Presbyterian Church between Chapel Hill and Hillsborough. It offers eight weeks of day camp for rising K-9th grades and three weeks of overnight camp each summer, in addition to afterschool and teacher workday camps throughout the year. Activities include swimming, sports, games, nature and art projects, and outdoor skills development like archery and canoeing.
Schoolhouse of Wonder
Chapel Hill Summer Camps | Durham Summer Camps | Wake Summer Camps
Opening for registration:
- Opening mid-January. Registration opens January 15 for Chapel Hill and Durham County camps and January 16 for Wake County locations. Or, you can register a day early by purchasing an Early Bird Access Pass for $25 starting January 1. (Proceeds from the Early Bird pass benefit the camp’s scholarship fund.)
Schoolhouse of Wonder is a nature-based summer camp with multiple locations across three Triangle-area counties, all offering a variety of outdoor activities for kids from 5-12 years old. Each week has a different theme with forest adventures, games, projects, crafts, water play, animal and insect observation, plant identification, and more. Their “dirty, tired, happy” guarantee even allows for a refund on remaining days if the camp is not a good fit for your camper.
Camp Marbles at Marbles Kids Museum
Opening for registration:
- Opening January 21 for museum members. Details will be posted on their Summer Camp page this month.
Marbles Kids Museum sparks learning through play in its 80,000 square foot museum and IMAX theater located in downtown Raleigh. The museum offers summer day camps with weekly themes, hands-on crafts and games, and plenty of time exploring the museum’s playful interactive exhibits.
MacNair’s Country Acres
Opening for registration:
- Already open and offering early bird discounts through January 1. The calendar and registration form is posted on their Summer Horse Camp Registration page.
MacNair’s Country Acres offers 10 weeks of summer horse camp on its 200-acre grounds in southwest Raleigh. Kids from 6-14 years old participate in daily riding and horsemanship lessons, plus craft activities, swimming, and of course lots of outdoor time. The camp welcomes riders of any experience level, from those who have never ridden to kids who are jumping full courses.
The camp even has a gorgeous printable gift certificate, in case you want to drop a hint to any grandparents still looking for the perfect holiday gift. Read more about camp gifting and other tips in our article: Time to Talk Turkey about Summer Camps.
Old Mill Farm
Opening for registration:
- Already open and offering early bird discounts through January 31. The calendar and registration information is posted on their Camp Weeks and Rates page.
Old Mill Farm offers 10 weeks of summer day camp for kids 5-12 years old on a 14-acre farm in South Durham near Jordan Lake. Campers immerse themselves in farm life with activities such as feeding and caring for the animals, collecting eggs, creating farm crafts, fishing in the pond, tending the garden, and enjoying field games.
Read more about Old Mill Farm in our featured article: Meet 10 Bountiful Farm Camps in the Triangle.
Sun Star Farm
Website | Camp Dates and Rates
Opening for registration:
- Recently opened. Find the calendar and registration information on their Dates and Rates page.
Sun Star Farm, located in northwest Apex near Jordan Lake, offers eight weeks of summer day camp for kids 3-12 years old. Activities include caring for farm animals, getting messy in the garden, making crafts, playing games, singing songs, and venturing out for hikes and creek play. New for 2025, campers in the oldest age group even get a day at Jordan Lake.
Read more about Sun Star Farm in our featured article: Meet 10 Bountiful Farm Camps in the Triangle.
Tinkering School NC
Website | Camp Dates and Rates
Opening for registration:
- Recently opened. Find the calendar and registration information on their Dates and Rates page.
Tinkering School NC is a “sister camp” of Sun Star Farm, also located in northwest Apex near Jordan Lake. Kids ages 9-12 learn to safely use drills, hand saws, clamps, measuring tapes, and more while creating open-ended projects in either the workshop or forest, depending on the camp theme. The partnership with Sun Star Farm Camp provides a single registration and drop off point for both camps.
C’est si Bon
Opening for registration:
- Recently opened. The calendar and registration information is posted on their Kid Chefs website.
C’est si Bon will run 11 consecutive weeks of summer camp starting June 9, 2025. Campers work in groups to master essential kitchen skills—including cleaning up!—and enjoy daily palate games and a sit-down lunch to taste and discuss their creations.
Read more about C’est si Bon in our featured article: Meet 6 Delicious Cooking Camps in the Triangle.
Leave a Reply