YMCA, Discovery World and more offer day camps this summer

Are you looking for places for your kids to spend their summer days? Here are a few places in and around Milwaukee that offer day camps.

Milwaukee County Zoo summer camps

The Zoological Society of Milwaukee offers a variety of summer day camp options at the Milwaukee County Zoo, from their stroller safaris for babies and their caregivers, to classes for teenagers who are interested in things like cryptozoology and renewable energy. They even have a few classes the whole family can join.

• Ages 2 and under: The hour-long Stroller Safari classes are for little ones and their grownup. Baby-friendly activities like songs and puppets are accompanied by a tour of a specific area of the zoo.
• Ages 2-5: In these 60- to 90-minute classes, 2- and 3-year-olds explore the zoo while doing activities with their grownup. Classes for 4- and 5-year-olds range from just over 2 hours to 3 hours; children have the option of attending on their own or with their grown-up.
• Ages 6-14: These classes last from 9:15 a.m. to 3 p.m. and delve deeper into specific topics — including zoo careers, animal care and conservation — through tours and activities.
• All ages: These classes are for the whole family and engage participants in a project or action focused on conservation efforts. Classes last 2 hours and 15 minutes.

For Zoo Pass holders, prices range from $17 to $330, depending on the class and how often it meets. Non-members will pay between $27 and $380. The summer camp season runs June 1 through Aug. 16.

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Racine Zoo day camps

The Racine Zoo has a preschool day camp for 3- and 4-year-olds as well as camps for every grade level through 7th grade. Campers do daily crafts, meet animals and learn from zookeepers, all centered around themes like animal adaptations, conservation and animal care.

The preschool camps are from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., and camps for older children run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For zoo members, a week of camp costs $95 for the half-day option and $175 for full days. For non-members, the prices are $110 and $200. The summer camp season is June 12 through Aug. 18.

Discovery World's weeklong day camps

Discovery World has weeklong summer day camps for first through eighth grades. Campers learn about different scientific topics and get to do their own hands-on experiments and projects. Topics include amusement park science, "icky" science, video game design and even a "learn to sail" camp in partnership with the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center.

Camp days last from 9:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Friday. Camps run from three to five days depending on the week and theme, and range in price from $260 to $400 for members and from $288 to $400 for non-members. The summer camp season is June 12 through Aug. 25.

Milwaukee Art Museum summer camps

The Milwaukee Art Museum has two levels of summer day camps — one for ages 6-10 and one for ages 11-15. Campers go on guided tours of the art collections then make their own art, centered around themes like narrative art and comics, photography and Scandinavian design.

The two-hour classes meet Monday through Thursday, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for younger kids and from 2-4 p.m for the older group. The cost is $115 for members and $165 for non-members. The summer camp season is June 19 through Aug. 17.

Summer Theater Academy at First Stage

The First Stage children's theater summer academy has classes for children in grades K4 through 12. The younger students' classes focus on activities centered around specific stories, while older students learn about what goes into theater production and dive deeper into acting classes and musical theater.

One-week camps with half-day sessions each day are available for students in grades K4-2 and cost $175. For grades 3-4, there are camps that meet for either one week or two weeks, with full-day sessions. These cost $300 for the one-week camps and $435 for two-week camps. Students in grades 5-12 can go to either two-week, three-week or four-week camps, with full-day sessions. The two-week camps cost $525; three-week camps cost $650; four-week camps cost $750. The summer camp season is June 19 through Aug. 11.

Summer day camp at the YMCA

Several YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee locations hold daily summer camp for ages 4-13. The typical schedule includes group activities, outings to different places, swimming and relaxation times. When the weather permits, most time is spent outdoors.

Camp days last from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Families can sign up for one or more weeks. If campers prefer to go to 3 days rather than the full week, the cost for 5- to 13-year-olds is $165 for members and $185 for non-members. The full week for that age group is $219 for members and $246 for non-members. For 4-year-olds, a 3-day week costs $195 for members and $215 for non-members. A full week for 4-year-olds costs $244 for members and $256 for non-members. The summer camp season is from June 12 through Aug. 25.

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