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Summer camp remains an important piece of family life. As a trusted resource for Chicago families, NPN introduces you to summer camps across the city and country through our Virtual Summer Camp Fair! The fair is free for NPN members, $25 donations recommended. Donate here. Not a member of NPN? Join now for just $35 using promo code Summer2022. Does not apply to membership reactivation. Attend the fair and win three ways! 1) ⭐⭐Win an entire free summer of camp from Steve & Kate's Camp! You are entered into the raffle automatically when you register! ⭐⭐ 2) Win free sessions of camp by visiting every summer camp in our directory and completing their raffle form. You can win multiple sessions from a variety of camps! 3) Win a prize from NPN by leaving your contact information for the most camps! Register now to: 1) Access to NPN's online Summer Camp Directory, complete with videos, file uploads, and more. 2) Win a free summer of camp and other raffle prizes. 3) Learn about the participating camps and chat with camp representatives in live, virtual Q&A sessions on Friday, February 4, 2022 (see the list of participating camps here). The fair will run from February 4 to February 6, 2022. Schedule: Friday 2/4/22: Summer Camp Directory opens, raffles open, live chats open Saturday 2/5/22: Summer Camp Directory and raffles continue Sunday 2/6/22 : Summer Camp Directory and raffles continue until midnight At midnight on Sunday 2/6, the raffles close and the fair ends. Registration required > FREE for NPN members, $25 donation recommended. Donate here. > Not a member of NPN? Join now for just $35 using promo code Summer2022. Does not apply to membership reactivation. Questions? Email Events Manager Elizabeth Gourio at egourio@npnparents.org. By registering for this event, you agree that NPN may share your name and email address with our presenting sponsors. NPN is a 501(c)(3) organization. We rely on the support of our members, partners, supporters, and sponsors to bring exceptional programming like this to parents. We would like to thank our Summer Camp Fair sponsors for their support:

NPN's Summer Camp Fair reopens today! Register now to find summer camps still accepting campers! Our summer camp fair custom website opens at 9:00 am on Monday, May 3rd and closes at 5:00 pm on Friday, May 28th. >> Camp options for kids age 2 - 18 years old >> Search for camps based on theme, location, before and after care, virtual or in-person >> Access each camp's registration form with one click >> Watch short and informative video presentations from each camp director You must register here for access to the custom website. Parents who registered for NPN's Summer Camp Fair in February do not need to re-register. We will send you your login credentials to the custom website on May 3rd. Members: Free Non-members: $15 Includes an NPN membership which will be activated within 4 weeks of registration date Thank you to our sponsors, Kids' Work and Bennett Day Camp

Believe it or not, now’s the time to start thinking about summer camps. Many have already opened up registration with early-bird discounts, while others don’t offer placement till spring...only to sell out in hours. We’ve pooled advice and information from our members and staff to help get you started. [Related: Preparing for your child's first overnight summer camp] How old does my child have to be to go to camp? Most camps cater to kids aged kindergarten and up, though there are many camps for preschoolers. The majority market to elementary and middle schoolers, with some reserved for high schoolers and college prep. What kinds of camps are out there? If you can imagine it, it probably exists. From sewing to STEM, cooking to circus arts, Chicago really does have it all — and they’re all over town. When are they? Most summer camps start the week after CPS lets out — for 2020, that’s June 22. Several camps around town — including Chicago Park District’s Day Camp — have multiple sessions throughout the summer. Camps are typically offered in week-long sessions, though some offer drop-in days (or even half-days), or a full-summer commitment. How much are they? The range is wide. Chicago Park District’s famously affordable Day Camp costs as little as a few dollars per hour, while others charge thousands. We know of a handful of camps that offer sliding-scale tuition, too. On average, though, most weeklong day camps fall in the $500 range. [Related: How to tell if a summer camp is a good fit for your child] Summer Camp 2019 parent reviews NPN members on our forum discuss which camps their kids liked (or didn't). Steve & Kate’s Camp “I have no idea WTH goes on in there, but she had fun even though she didn’t know anyone.” RetroActive Sports Camp, Menomonee Club “Seems very basic and takes place in a gym all day, so I don’t really get it, but the kids are wild for it.” Dream Big Performing Arts Camp “Their ‘performances’ are really cute — if a little chaotic.” Summer at Latin, Latin School of Chicago “Kids did all 7 weeks and loved it as always.” East Bank Club Summer Camp “Daily swimming, tons of gym time and specialty classes like tennis and soccer.” Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum Summer Camp “Between the family open houses and the email communication, I actually felt like I had a good idea what was going on.” Game On! Sports 4 Girls Camp “Learned a ton of sports and gained major self-confidence.” The Laboratory Collective Summer Camps “AMAZING! I’ve never heard my daughter talk about a camp so much.” Sew Crafty Studio Summer Camp “I’m always so impressed how they can learn in such little time." Read more summer camp parent reviews on our discussion forum.