Seattle summer camps fill fast as prices soar
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Many Seattle summer camps still have spots, but they're filling up fast. Photo: Courtesy of City of Seattle
With the school year coming to an end, Seattle-area parents are scrambling to lock in summer camps and grappling with a price tag that can run into the thousands per child.
Why it matters: Summer camp is more than just a fun break — it's critical child care for many working families, Kyle Bywater, a Seattle Parks and Recreation manager, told Axios.
- The city works to keep its prices low, but the cost still forces some parents to make tough financial trade-offs or forgo camp altogether, he said.
State of play: City-run day camps typically serve ages 5–12, while other programs offer preschool options or teen-focused tracks.
- Seattle Parks still has spots at most of its 14 licensed day camp sites — which run from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. — but they're filling quickly, said Bywater, who oversees summer camp programs for the city.
Between the lines: While there are spaces, the city has depleted its scholarship funds, said Bywater.
- Low-income households may be eligible for subsidies through the state Department of Children, Youth and Families or Best Starts for Kids Child Care Subsidy - BrightSpark, Bywater said.
- Families can contact the DCYF client help line at 844-626-8687.
What they're saying: "Finding something that's not going to bore my kids or break my pocket is a real struggle," Senika Smith, a Seattle-area mother of five, told Axios.
- Smith said she's spent hours digging through websites, calling around, and hoping things will line up.
- Her advice for next year: Start looking in December. But now?
- "Get them on every waiting list you can."
By the numbers: In the Seattle area, the cost of summer camps varies dramatically based on the type and duration of the program.
- City-run day camps, such as those sponsored by Seattle Parks and Recreation and ARC Seattle, can run around $390 to $470 a week, depending on the program and location.
- Specialty STEAM camps, such as iD Tech at the University of Washington, run from around $1,000 for a one-week coding camp to nearly $6,000 for a two-week robotics camp.
- Some organizations have lower-cost options, including the Salvation Army, which is running camps throughout August at a cost of $115 a week and $50 for every additional child.
- Camp Aurora at Aurora Community Church in Shoreline offers three- and five-day camps throughout summer at $150 to $225 per week.
Plus: Many churches offer one-week vacation Bible schools for nominal fees that can be used for enrichment or to fill child care gaps.
- Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Parish in West Seattle is hosting a five-day camp June 23-27 with a $75 fee for the first child and $35 for each additional child.
- Bethany Community Church offers a four-day camp in July for $40 a kid or $100 for three or more.
Thought bubble: As an extremely broke, single working mother of three, there were a few years where migrating from Bible school to Bible school was the core of my summer child care strategy.
- It wasn't perfect, but it got us through.