As Alice Cooper once said, “Schoolʻs out for summer.” Or, at least, itʻs only a couple of months away! Summer camp program announcements are beginning to trickle in. These Hawaiʻi Island programs will keep our keiki in the sun and learning — stay tuned as more information about Big Island summer camps comes our way!
Looking for more summer information? Learn more about summer food programs and summer reading programs.
Big Island Summer Camps: All-Around Fun
County of Hawai’i Summer Fun Program 2023
Location: Islandwide, various locations
Dates: June 5–16 (Session 1), June 19–30 (Session 2), July 3–14 (Session 3)
Big Islandʻs most popular summer program is almost ready for enrollment! This all-around program has something for every keiki: art projects, indoor and outdoor games, sports, music and dancing, and excursions. (Programs vary by site and age group.)
Cost is $60–160 per participant, depending on the site. Each day, the program begins at 8am and concludes at 2pm, with the exception of 3pm for the Hilo locations. For more information, please visit the flyer for your respective district:
Ceeds of Peace: Girls Talk Back Program
Location: Virtual (Cohort 1), UH Hilo (Cohort 2)
Dates: June 5–29 (Cohort 1), July 3–28 (Cohort 2)
Ceeds of Peace is now taking applications for their Girls Talk Back Program! They’re inviting all girls, statewide, between the ages of 14–18, to apply for their FREE summer program. Learn alongside committed peers and a team of adult mentors who will design an action plan to build peace and bring change to the community. Each student who completes the program will receive a $100 seed funding stipend. Learn more and apply here. Applications due by May 5, 2023.
Kuleana Education Summer Camp
Location: Kuleana Education (74-4820 Mamalahoa Hwy., Holualoa, HI 96725)
Dates: Varies by camp
Kuleana Education is hosting a wide array of summer camps! These 5-day programs are perfect for children kindergarten through 6th grade. Options and program dates include:
- Space Camp: May 29–June 2
- Cooking Camp: June 5–9
- STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) Camp: June 12–16
- Gaming Camp (video games, board games, sports, etc.): June 19–23
- Arts, Crafts, and Nature Camp: June 26–30
- Hawaiian Culture Camp: July 3–7
Pack your keiki lunch and water, and Kuleana Education will take care of the rest! $250 per 5-day program. Learn more.
Gam3Escape’s Summer Gaming Camp
Location: Gam3Escape (5 Wailuku Drive, Suite 7, Hilo, HI, United States, Hawaii)
Dates: May 29–July 6
Gam3Escape is hosting a six week summer gaming camp. View the Monday–Thursday schedule below:
- Monday: Trading card games (TCGs), Magic: the Gathering, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Antics Pizza.
- Tuesday: Board games and chess
- Wednesday: Gaslands (TTRPG)
- Thursday: Card games and Free-For-All
The program runs at $20/week, or $100 for the 6-week duration. Gam3Escape will provide all games, snacks, and drinks. Children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult. Learn more.
Big Island Arts & Culture Summer Camps
Hālau Lamakū Summer Enrichment Program
Location: ʻImiloa Astronomy Center (600 Imiloa Pl, Hilo, HI 96720)
Dates: June 13–16 (Session 1), June 19–23 (Session 2), June 26–30 (Session 3), July 3–7 (Session 4), July 10–14 (Session 5)
ʻImiloa Astronomy Center is offering five unique sessions of Hālau Lamakū this summer. Signifying “light” or “enlightenment”, evoking learning, knowledge, and understanding. Through activities, crafts, games, and outdoor exploration, children will connect with Hawaiian culture, science, and art. Programs are for children K–5 in the 2022–23 school year. Each session is $300 for non-members ($250 for members). Learn more.
Sessions include:
- Session 1 (Superhero Science): June 13–16
- Session 2 (Supervillain Science): June 19–23
- Session 3 (Imagination Station): June 26-30
- Session 4 (Worlds Unseen): July 3–7
- Session 5 (Into the Stars): July 10–14
As of April 20, 2023: All Hālau Lamakū sessions are FULL, but ʻImiloa invites families to sign up for the waitlist here.
LT Ranch Summer Residential Camp
Location: LT Ranch, Kamuela, HI
Dates: June–August, 2023
Liliʻuokalani Trust is seeking ʻōpio aged 13–18 for their Summer Residential Camps. Activities include ceramics, cultural arts, animal interactions, gardening, oli & mele, camping, music, games, and more! If interested, contact [email protected].
Happy Hearts, Healing Arts Youth Camp
Location: Kuleana Education (74-4820 Mamalahoa Hwy., Holualoa, HI 96725)
Dates: April 29–July 1, Saturdays
Humanity Hale presents a 10-week, Saturday-ONLY camp dedicated to healing Big Island youth from trauma. Discover tools for coping with and releasing trauma in a safe environment: group and individual therapy, art therapy, Hawaiian arts, life skill building, and abuse prevention & diversity training. The program is FREE and fully sponsored, and the Saturday program will run into summer. Lunch is provided, and guardians welcome. Learn more.
Youth Art Seriesʻ 6th Annual Summer Art Camp
Location: East Hawaiʻi Cultural Center (141 Kalakaua St, Hilo, HI 96720)
Dates: June 12–16, 2023
The Youth Arts Series (YAS) annual Summer Art Camp is back for its 6th session! Keiki will join our talented local artists for creative adventures. More information coming soon.
Circus Summer Camp
Location: Aerial Arts Hawaiʻi – The Airhouse (108 Kalakaua St, Hilo, HI 96720)
Dates: June 26–30 (Intro), June 19–23 (Intermdiate)
Aerial Arts Hawaiʻi is providing two 5-day summer camps for kids to learn circus arts: aerial slings and fabric, lyra, juggling, flexibility, and more! For ages 8–13, there is an introductory program for those new to the craft, as well as a primary/intermediate program for those with prior experience. Each program costs $300/child. Learn about the beginner program here, and the intermediate program here.
Big Wave Dance Academy’s Summer Dance Classes
Location: Big Wave Dance Academy, Hawaiian Beaches (Pahoa)
Dates: full session – June 5-July 30; session A – June 5-June 28; session B – July 5-July 30
The newly opened Big Wave Dance Academy is offering dance lessons in four and eight-week sessions this summer. Participants can choose from a wide variety of dance styles including ballet, jazz funk, hip-hop, contemporary, and more. The program is open to kids ages 3-15 and the camp runs Monday through Thursday from 9am to 1:30pm. At the end of the summer campers will celebrate with a family performance and pool party. Visit their website to sign up.
Teen Glass Blowing Camp
Location: Hot Glass Hawai’i, 54-3676 Akoni Pule Hwy., Kapa’au
Join Hot Glass Hawai’i for a 4-week, hands-on introduction to glass-making camp for teens! Learn the foundations of glass and explore your creative side during this camp. Sessions will be held every Friday in July from 1:00-3:30pm. Space is limited, if you or someone you know from the Kohala community is interested please email [email protected] or call/text: 808-336-2869. They have a few *free* sponsored slots available for students from Kohala
For more information on Hot Glass Hawai’i’s studio and mission check out their website.
STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math
ʻĀina Explorers
Location: Waikōloa Dry Forest Preserve (Quarry Rd, Waikoloa Village, HI 96738)
Dates: July 11–15 (Geology Rocks), July 24–28 (Elements of Hawaiʻi)
Waikōloa Dry Forest Initiative presents it’s 2023 ʻĀina Explorers Summer Camp is a FREE 5-day program! The programs are based out of the Waikōloa Dry Forest Preserve, but host field trips to various locations around the island to build an enriching narrative of our island’s culture and background. This program is for children entering 4th, 5th, and 6th grade.
- Geology Rocks (Tuesday, July 11 – Saturday, July 15): Dive into the explosive world of rocks and volcanoes! How was Hawaiʻi formed? Who is Tūtū Pele? Through hiking, exploration, and hands-on activities, learn the truth behind the rocks beneath our feet. End the week with an epic camping trip at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park!
- Elements of Hawaiʻi (Monday, July 24 – Friday, July 28): Connect with the four classical elements: earth, water, fire, and air. Learn through storytelling, hiking, and hands-on activities. Explore waterways, forests, lava fields, and more. We’ll end the week with a camping trip in the wild!
Contact Keisha Colon (that’s me!) at [email protected] if you have any questions. Learn more and apply here.
Overnight Camp: Land & Sea
Location: Science Camps of America (Maile St., Pahala, HI 96777)
Dates: July 1–10, 2023
Summer Camps of America’s Land & Sea Camp focus on volcanoes (geology), the ocean (oceanography), and the flora and fauna of Hawai’i Island (botany, zoology). Swim with turtles at a black sand beach, hike through a volcano, explore caverns, and conduct science activities at all these unique locations. The Big Island of Hawai’i is the world’s greatest laboratory for the earth sciences!
This 10-day, overnight camp is open to ages 13–17. Registration is $2,695 with a $375 deposit. This camp is open to nationwide and international students, but offers military and kamaʻāina promo codes. Register here.
- Military discount ($100): US1776
- Kamaʻāina discount ($100): L6489
- Military AND Kamaʻāina discount ($200): QY88
Overnight Camp: Air & Space
Location: Science Camps of America (Maile St., Pahala, HI 96777)
Dates: July 11–20, 2023
Summer Camps of America’s Air & Space Camp immerses students in mountains, forests, beaches, and shorelines of Hawaiʻi while learning about Earth’s atmosphere, about climate, and about astronomy and space exploration. Visit observatories and the centers where astronomers and climate scientists work. Learn how scientists study concentrations of substances in our atmosphere. Practice engineering skills, learn electronics, build and launch model rockets, and more.
This overnight camp is 10 days long. Registration is $2,695 with a $375 deposit. This camp is open to nationwide and international students, but offers military and kamaʻāina promo codes (available under the Land & Sea camp). Register here.
GenCyber Hawaiʻi
Location: Hawaiʻi Science & Technology Museum – Exhibition Hall (64 Keawe St, Hilo, HI 96720)
Dates: July 17–21, 2023
Rising 6–12th graders are invited! Students will learn about basic cybersecurity, computer science, cryptography, and more throughout this week-long camp. The goals of the program are to increase interest in cybersecurity careers and diversity in the cybersecurity workforce of the nation, help all students understand correct and safe online behavior and how they can be good digital citizens. Learn more and register here.
Big Island Summer Camps: Hands-On Outdoors
ʻIke Kai Summer Session
Location: Richardson Ocean Center and Reed’s Bay
Dates: June 5–16 (Session 1), June 19–30 (Session 2), July 3–14 (Session 3)
The ʻIke Kai Summer Session is a hands-on enrichment program that integrates Western and traditional Hawaiian cultural knowledge and practices to promote marine ecosystem health.
There are three 2-week programs, beginning June 5. Each session is limited to 25 participants. The program is $60 per participant, ages 8–12. Each day session is from 8am to 3pm.
Registration opens Tuesday, May 9, 2023. The first day of registration is in-person at the Edith Kanakaʻole Stadium from 8 to 11am and from 1 to 4pm. After that, schedule an appointment with Kalani Kahalioumi, Recreation Specialist, at (808) 238-6566.
Keiki Horse Camp
Location: Waikōloa Stables (68-1936 Waikoloa Rd, Waikoloa Village, HI 96738)
Dates: June 5–9 (Session 1), June 12–16 (Session 2)
4D Quarter Horses is hosting a keiki horse camp at Waikōloa Stables! This program is perfect for beginners who want to learn about horsemanship and riding. Practice groundwork, horse care, tacking, and proper riding technique.
The program runs at $120/day, and a discount is available for pre-purchasing the entire week. Call or text Ikena Nakoa for more information or to enroll at (808)896-2431.
CLOSED – 4-H Grow Camp
Location: Komohana Research & Extension Center (875 Komohana St, Hilo, HI 96720)
Dates: June 6 – July 25, Tuesdays
4-H, University of Hawaiʻi, and Junior Master Gardener are collaborating to provide a summer full of fun! Join this 8-week, Tuesday-only day camp for hands-on learning. Explore plant growth and development, soil, insects, career pathways, and more. Sign-up deadline is May 5, 2023. SIGN UPS ARE CLOSED.
Snorkel, Scuba, and Marine Life Education Camps
Location: Jack’s Diving Locker
Dates: Varies
Jack’s Diving Locker is operating a handful of Big Island summer camps focused around ocean education this summer! Camp counselors are certified PADI Instructors, Divemasters, and rescue divers with CPR training. The following programs are available:
- Keiki Sea Camp (ages 6–7): Campers will learn about marine animals such as dolphins, whales, sharks, reef fish, sea turtles, and coral with the Project AWARE Kids program, snorkeling, pool play, arts & crafts. In the Jack’s pool, students will work on their skills snorkeling and learn the surface only scuba-like system called SASY. Campers will also take shore excursions where they’ll have fun at the beach, explore tide pools, and do some snorkeling over a coral reef. Students also participate in a beach clean up. $350 registration.
- Sea Camp Hawaiʻi (ages 8–12): There is a wide breadth of camps to choose from that focus on different categories of marine life. Available camps include Islands & Coral Reefs, Dophins & Whales, Octopus & Whales, Eels & Reef Fish, Sea Turtles, and Sharks & Rays. $350–450 registration, depending in the program.
- Seal Team Scuba Camp (ages 8–12): This pool based scuba camp is the perfect way for kids to start diving. Campers participate in official PADI Seal Team Aqua Missions including basic scuba skills and building a ‘space station’ underwater! Campers also visit a Hawaii beach and snorkel over a coral reef filled with brightly colored reef fish and other marine life. Upon successful completion of the program, students become members of the PADI Seal Team. $419 registration, including Seal Team Pack.
- Master Seal Team Scuba Camp (ages 8–12): This camp is the second week in a two-part program for kids who want to take on the challenge with more Aqua Missions such as navigating with an underwater compass and diving on a ‘wreck’ at night in the pool! Master Seals will also get a chance to explore the coral reefs of Hawaiʻi with a shallow water dive – that’s right, real scuba dive in the ocean! This camp is so much fun, many campers repeat it. $350 registration, excluding Seal Team Pack cost.
- Scuba Certification Camp (ages 12–18): The Open Water Scuba Camp at Jack’s Diving Locker offers kids the opportunity to discover the beauty of the underwater world while learning new skills and making new friends. Campers earn their Scuba Certification with the PADI Open Water Diver course. The camp includes pool dives, open water dives, and a boat trip with extras such as an introduction to Hawaiian marine life and caring for the ocean with a shoreline clean-up at one of the local Kona beaches. $612 registration, including PADI certification fees.
- Advanced Scuba Certification Camp (ages 12–18): Continue the adventure and education! Teens with the Junior Open Water Diver certification can take the next step in scuba training in the Advanced Scuba Camp at Jack’s Diving Locker. PADI professional scuba instructors will introduce campers to the PADI Adventures in Diving program with the following dives: Underwater Naturalist, Underwater Navigation, Deep, Boat and Night. Campers will also participate in a skill review in the pool. Upon successful completion of this course, students receive the PADI Junior Advanced Open Water certification (ages 12-14) or Advanced Open Water certification (ages 15-18). $612 registration, including PADI certification fees.
- Ocean Guardian Camp: Scuba Divers, snorkelers, and water enthusiasts know all too well the fragility of our marine environment. As underwater explorers, scuba divers have a unique obligation to protect this space to the best of their ability. The Ocean Guardian Dive Camp strives to create conservation-minded divers through education and training. This camp combines the NOAA Ocean Guardian Dive Club program with the PADI Underwater Naturalist and Peak Performance Buoyancy specialties; students gain both a richer understanding of the Hawaiian marine ecosystem and the skills to enjoy it responsibly. Students must be Junior Open Water certified or higher. $415 registration, excluding the cost of materials.
To register, contact Jackʻs Diving Locker a call at (808)329-7585, or visit their website to learn more and check course availability.
Heart Seed Wildschooling Summer Camp
Location: Concharis d’Oro (Horn of Gold), Pāhoa
Dates: July 27–28, 2023
Heart Seed Wildschooling’s mission is a unique take on education. This nature-based learning curriculum centers love and support. The sky is their ceiling, the trees their walls, and the floor is the living Earth. Classes keep children busy foraging, tracking and observing animals, crafting in nature, and more.
The program runs from 9am to 2pm. Registration is $225. For more information, or to reserve your space, contact [email protected].
YMCA Aquatics – Sailing Program
Location: Kawaihae
Dates: Various sessions, beginning June 12
YMCA sailing classes feature formal instruction to teach new sailors the basics of sailing, safety, teamwork, and boat handling. The sailing program is designed to be fun, social and engage young sailors who will learn water and watercraft safety, basic sailing terminology and principles, wind and weather conditions, basic knots, rigging their boats and individual sailboat handling. Each sailor will advance at their own speed.
For children ages 10 – 17. Sailing classes are $250 for the 4 day session. Only one (1) session is needed to complete the class, we offer multiple sessions to accommodate limited class sizes. All sessions start at 9am and end at 2pm. Each session will be limited to 10 participants. All participants will be tested on their ability to swim at least 50 yards on their first day of the program. Learn more and register here.
Beginner’s Sailing
- Session 1: Beginner’s Sailing – June 12-15
- Session 2: Beginner’s Sailing – June 19-22
- Session 3: Beginner’s Sailing – June 26-29
- Session 4: Beginner’s Sailing – July 3, 5, 6, 7
Intermediate Sailing
- Session 1: Intermediate Sailing – July 10-13
- Session 2: Intermediate Sailing – July 17-20
TEENS: Youth Sailing Safe Camp – FULL
Location: Kona Sailing Club, Honokōhau Harbor
Dates: TBA
Big Island Sailing Foundation was founded in 2002 to promote safe youth sailing in Kona. The teens’ (ages 12+) sailing camp will operate out of Honokōhau Harbor, utilizing dinghies and keelboats between 10–22 ft. in length.
Registration for new sailors is $200, and return sailors are $180. Receive an early registration discount of $20. More details to come. Learn more.
KEIKI: Youth Sailing Safe Camp – FULL
Location: Keauhou Bay
Dates: TBA
Big Island Sailing Foundation’s youth sailing camp will operate out of Keauhou Bay. This camp is for children ages 8–11. More information regarding price and dates to come soon. Learn more.
Big Island Climbing Camp
Location: Big Island Climbing, 126 Keawe Street, Hilo
Dates: June 13-July 21 – drop in
Join this adventurous climbing school for ages 6-12. This drop-in program runs Fridays from 2 to 4pm from June 16 through July 21. The camp costs $25 for drop-in and $20 for pre-registration and covers a day pass and shoe rental. Kids can learn the basics of climbing through fun, exciting, and challenging games on and off the wall. They’ll conquer new heights and grow their confidence in a supportive community with an encouraging teacher. Waivers are required, students must wear socks, and should bring their own drinks and snacks. Visit the Big Island Climbing website for more information.
Donʻt see a Summer Camp program you know about listed? Drop a comment below, and weʻll add it to the list!
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