Our 2021 Summer Break Camp Guide is here!
Looking for something fun for the kiddos to do this summer? Check out this list of summer camps and programs, (in-person and virtual) around Albuquerque! Email us at advance@unm.edu if you want to add to our list.
Virtual camps and classes
Please note: participants should have access to a wifi-enabled device with a camera for virtual camps.
This summer, Explora is hosting a variety of virtual, week-long STEM-based camps for kids in grades K-6th. Registration is now open. According to their website: “Explora virtual summer camp programs are designed for your students to have an in-depth “camp” experience without leaving your home. All camps have associated materials kits that will be available for pick-up curbside at Explora ahead of the program. Virtual Summer Camps will be led by Explora educators on Zoom.”
The Native American Community Academy (NACA) will be hosting a summer chess camp with a local chess club for about 40 students ages 7 to 12. According to the website, there will be lots of fun chess activities planned including: puzzle solving competitions, free play, rated games, playing against the coaches and bughouse!
The UNM Music Prep School offers a wide variety of affordable music classes for Albuquerque-area students, birth through adult, according to their website. Highly qualified music educators, many of them UNM graduates, teach the classes. The summer programs vary from six- to eight-week classes. Register here.
The Harwood Art Center is offering a variety of engaging art classes for kids ages 6 -14. Classes include paper fashion fun, animation exploration, creative map making and much more! Register now.
Along with hosting a number of in-person programs, the Albuquerque Museum is hosting a stop motion movie-making workshop,“Let’s Make a Movie! Sharing Our Stories in the Digital Age”, as a virtual program for kids ages 11-14. The class takes place from July 26 -30.
The Public Library of Albuquerque-Bernalillo County will be hosting a virtual summer reading program called Tails & Tales that will run from June 5 – July 31. According to their website, “participants will keep track of their progress on their own reading log, and can turn in their completed reading log at any of our branch locations (except Special Collections) for a chance at a grand prize. Nearly every day of the Summer Reading Program, we’ll host special online events that you can enjoy from the comfort and safety of your own home!”
In-person registration opens Saturday, June 5, at any of the branch locations (except Special Collections) and online registration is now open.
UNM’s Maxwell Museum is offering virtual summer camp sessions for children ages 6 – 12 to learn about anthropology and archaeology. According to their website, the camps run June 21-25 and repeats July 12-16, from 1 to 4 p.m. each day. The price is $25 per child per session or $100 per child for one week. Scholarships are available. See the flyer for more information.
To register, call 277-2924 or email Amy Grochowski (amygro@unm.edu) curator of education. You can also download and complete this form and mail it in with payment. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about joining the camp.
Have a child in high schooler interested in engineering? The UNM Engineering Student Success Center is hosting two virtual summer programs including The Engineering Summer Academy and UNM Summer Transportation Institute. Applications are due by May 28th, 2021. Learn more and apply here.
In-person camps and classes
Explora is hosting a large variety of STEM-focused in-person summer camps that welcome kids from grades K-12! According to their website, “In-person classes will meet all CDC and CYFD guidelines, with modified group size. Only half-day options are available. All campers and staff must wear masks and pass a daily COVID-19 screening.” Register online today!
Explora is also offering two off-site summer programs including The Art and Science of Ballooning in New Mexico (held at Anderson Abruzzo International Balloon Museum) and in person Farm Camps held at The Larry P. Abraham Agri-Nature Center in Los Ranchos. Registrations for both of these events can be found here.
The Balloon Museum camp welcomes kids from grades K-5 with sessions from June 14 – June 18 and again July 19 – July 23.
The Farm Camps will be week-long programs each catering to a different age group. Topics include horticulture habitats, pollinators, and farming of the future. Find out which weekly program is right for your child and register here.
Registration is also open currently for Albuquerque Museum’s summer art camps. The Adventures in Art program is open to kids ages 4 – 6 and offers classes to create miniature shelters using traditional techniques such as adobe, cob and clay plaster as well as creating miniature garden villages for fairies! Their youth studio summer program welcomes kids ages 6-10 and 11-14 and features a total of 7 exciting classes to choose from! Register here.
The ABQ BioPark is hosting Camp BioPark this summer which is for children grades K-9. According to their website, they will learn science through hands-on activities, games and art to explore the fascinating world of plants and animals! Learn more about the programs offered and how to register here.
The City of Albuquerque will be offering a summer playground program, which provides summer recreation programs for children 6 through 11 at various elementary schools. Registration begins May 24th. Learn more about this program here.
Along with this, the city will also be offering therapeutic recreation programs that according to their website, “are fully inclusive, and are offered throughout the city for persons with and without disabilities, age 6 through high school, and some adult programs. A variety of services are offered including art, leisure education, performing arts, gross motor activities, and games.” Learn more and register here.
Are you and the whole family looking to enjoy healthy outdoor activities together this summer? If so, check out the Family Nature Clubs hosted by the city of Albuquerque. According to the program description, you will “join an Open Space Educator on a family-friendly hike and engage in hands-on learning, listen to natural history fun facts, enjoy storytelling, and seek out wildlife.” Registration begins June 1st!
Also this summer, UNM film program graduates are teaching for a film camp for kids grades 1-8. According to the description, “kids will gather to write, pitch, film, and edit their own original short films. Kids will play the role of cast or crew and get hands-on learning from industry professionals as they work to create and produce an original short film. These short films will air on Candice Neu’s talk show, The Neu Agenda on Comcast Local Channel 27!” Learn more and register here. Classes will be throughout June and July.
Does your child like to rock out? Check out Albuquerque’s Rock 101 summer sessions! 2021 summer registration is now open and has programs for kids ages 6-11 and 12-18. Learn more and register here.
The Albuquerque Police Department, in collaboration with Albuquerque Fire and Rescue, the New Mexico National Guard, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration are hosting a summer leadership camp called Camp Fearless. According to their website, “the camp focuses on building positive relationships and self-image with youth, engaging with positive role models, leadership, physical fitness, and team building, so participants are equipped with skills to develop successful and healthy lifestyles.” The classes are seeking kids ages 8 -13. Learn more and register here!
The Jewish Community Center of Albuquerque is also holding an in-person summer camp. Learn more here.
UNM School of Architecture + Planning is launching a summer academy for high school juniors and seniors. According to the description, “it will give students the opportunity to explore design, architecture, preservation and planning. ADSA sessions offer teens the chance to learn from UNM faculty and renowned professionals from around the country, while creating a portfolio to support their future applications to architecture and planning schools.”
The program in Albuquerque will begin in June and the Santa Fe program will begin in July. Learn more in this UNM Newsroom article and register here.