Summer camps in New England offer children a unique opportunity to experience the region’s beauty and connect with nature. With various scenic locations ranging from coastal beaches to mountain ranges, you get breathtaking views and serene settings.
Overnight and day camps provide kids with opportunities to develop their social skills, learn how to work as a team, and learn all types of new things. Here, your kids can bond and create fantastic memories with others in the beautiful landscapes of New England.
In the list below, we featured camps from various states like Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and more. These are some of the best New England summer camps for kids and teens.
Camp Cody
Camp Cody provides summer programs for boys and girls ages 7-17 in Freedom, New Hampshire. They’ve been operating in the state for over 90 years now. The camp directors and counselors strive to create an enriching environment and are fully dedicated to providing an unforgettable camping experience.
Camp activities include water sports in Ossipee Lake, team sports, creative arts, performing arts, yoga, and outdoor activities like mountain biking, skateboarding, and laser tag. There are also add-ons you can add, like horseback riding, scuba diving, and tennis lessons.
At Camp Cody, campers can expect opportunities for emotional and social growth, as well as developing teamwork and group dynamics. Staff members emphasize the importance of good character, modeling integrity, empathy, and respect.
Camp Cody offers two and four-week sessions to accommodate different schedules and needs.
Camp Robin Hood
Camp Robin Hood is a traditional, coed camp that’s been operating since 1927. It’s found near New Hampshire’s White Mountain National Forest, just two hours north of Boston. The camp is situated on a mile-long stretch of pristine lakefront.
It treads the perfect fine line between old and new, with its historic main lodge and renovated camper bunks, bathrooms, dining hall, and theater.
Activities at the camp range from traditional options like arts and crafts, hiking, and swimming to innovative offerings like ice hockey and spin classes. There’s plenty of opportunity for kids ages 7-16 to do what they love or try something new.
The Camp Robin Hood philosophy is all about fostering independence. Campers are discouraged from using technology for their four- and seven-week sessions, so they can truly enjoy the moment.
It’s an amazing place to make lifelong friends and become part of a community. Many of the Robin Hood counselors were once campers themselves, so that tells you a lot about the home away from home that your kids can become a part of.
Camp North Star
Camp North Star is a sleepaway summer camp located just outside Portland. The camp offers children a nurtured and safe opportunity to learn life skills and experience the beautiful Maine outdoors.
Campers ages 7-17 can participate in various art, athletic, outdoor, and waterfront activities like water skiing, sailing, and kayaking. The camp sessions last anywhere from 2 to 7 weeks and feature the same fun activities, including rock climbing and archery. The camp emphasizes real-world skills like critical thinking and encourages personal growth through challenges.
As it’s a technology-free zone, kids can enjoy an active lifestyle away from phones and spend time building social skills and friendships instead. One thing that sets Camp North apart from the rest of New England’s summer camps is their devotion to teaching campers to be leaders.
Leadership is a fundamental principle of Camp North Star, and its summer programs are set up to help kids develop leadership skills as well as confidence.Â
Camp Quinebarge
Camp Quinebarge in New Hampshire is a boys and girls camp that offers a lot of flexibility in its 2-, 4-, 6-, and 8-week sessions. Its quaint location amongst the pines along the shore of Lake Kanasatka is the perfect spot to explore the natural beauty of New England. Kids can disconnect from technology and live in the moment.
The activities on offer are similarly more on the traditional side, geared towards getting your kids outside in the fresh air and building a sense of community. All campers participate in swim lessons and also have the option of participating in boating, fencing, archery, horseback riding, hiking, ropes courses, arts and crafts, drama, and more.
Their camp counselors are thoroughly trained to ensure that all kids feel welcomed and happy at camp. Campers can look forward to sing-alongs around the campfire, carnivals, trips, new friends, and more.
Camp Farwell
Camp Farwell is located on Halls Lake, Vermont, in the picturesque Connecticut River Valley, three hours from Boston. This girls-only summer camp focuses on empowerment and allows your daughter to see women in leadership roles.
There are plenty of activities for your daughter to choose from. Popular choices include horseback riding, gymnastics, photography, sailing, and culinary arts, but there are plenty of other electives. Camp Farwell allows plenty of flexibility in length, with 2 to 7-week summer programs.
If your child is nervous about going away for the first time, check out their Rookie Week, designed for girls ages 5-11. This one-week session, where everyone is new to the camp, is the perfect place for them to make new friends and feel more at ease. Enrollment is limited so that it’s not overwhelming for the girls, and there’s a much lower counselor-to-camper ratio to give girls plenty of personalized attention.
Camp Kingswood
Camp Kingswood campus offers some of the best landscapes in Maine, with the White Mountains and Woods Pond. This Jewish overnight summer camp designed for children ages 7-17 can be found in Bridgton. With a maximum capacity of 250 campers, the intimate community encourages children to be themselves and make lasting connections with fellow campers.
Campers are encouraged to be adventurous while discovering new interests and skills through various activities. Their outdoor adventures include exploring the hiking trails in the mountains, rafting down the Saco River, and much more.
The compassionate and dedicated staff at Camp Kingswood is passionate about the camp’s mission, striving for the best in every aspect of the summer camp experience, from the gourmet food to the high-caliber programming.
At Camp Kingswood, kids can get away from social media and technology and retreat into nature, all while experiencing Shabbat and a nurturing Jewish community.
Camp Walt Whitman
Camp Walt takes place each summer in the gorgeous White Mountains of New Hampshire. They offer a variety of coed summer camps for children. You can also sign up the entire family for their wonderful five day family camp, where everyone can participate in activities like sailing, water skiing, archery, tennis, and more.
Programming features arts and theatre activities, water sports, ropes courses, and athletics, covering every major sport. Younger kids can choose their one-week Pioneer Camp, which is the perfect way to introduce them to summer camp in a comforting setting.
They have half summer and full summer programs depending on the student’s grade, with a limited number of older campers allowed for the half summer option since the seven week program is their specialty.
Their supportive staff, vast camp facilities, and well-rounded amount of activities make it one of the premier New England overnight camps for kids ages 7-17.
Camp Cobbossee
Camp Cobbossee, located in Monmouth, Maine, is a traditional all-boys summer camp that has been operating for 100+ years. Tried and true to the principles of Brotherhood, this camp offers two to three-week camps, providing an incredible outdoor experience for boys to grow and develop as athletes and individuals.
The overnight camp offers top-notch sports instruction, focusing on teaching the boys how to be humble in defeat and victory. Sports available include baseball, basketball, volleyball, and swimming.
In addition to sports, the boys also go on exciting adventures in the Maine wilderness, learning skills like camping, sailing, mountain biking, canoeing, climbing, and fishing. Camp Cobbossee has a reputation for having top-notch food, thanks to Chef Louis, who has been serving scratch-made meals for over 30+ years.
The camp’s goal is to provide an immersive journey that allows boys to improve their athletic abilities, grow closer to each other, and become better people. Campers stay in warm cabins with around 10 other peers.
Camp Greylock
You can’t pick a more scenic camp location than Camp Greylock in the Berkshire Mountains. The camp is spread along the shore of Center Lake, where campers can participate in everything from swimming and archery to sailing and woodworking.
The traditional camp facilities include tennis courts, sports fields, an inline hockey rink, golf cages, climbing walls, ropes courses, and more. If you have an active kiddo, they’ll be spoiled for choice here.
Camp Greylock is geared towards boys ages 6-16, and the big focus is on sportsmanship, friendship, and learning new skills rather than competition. Their main program lasts seven weeks, but they sometimes allow shorter terms for new campers.
In this Western Massachusetts camp, young boys will have the chance to build up their self-confidence and self-esteem under the mentorship of the camp staff.
Camp Mah-Kee-Nac
The scenic Camp Mah-Kee-Nac (MKN) is another all-boys camp for ages 6-16, with miles of prime lakefront to take advantage of and a huge swimming pool. Children have plenty of options for getting into the water.
Camp MKN offers one of the most extensive lists of activities for your camper to choose from, with everything from archery to zip-lining and everything in between. There are also educational classes like digital photography, web design, woodshop, and model rocketry. Campers get to pick what to enroll in when filling out their schedules.
Camp MKN’s core value is community. Their goal is to expose your kids to new activities that they might not have time to do in their day-to-day life back home. For those involved in sports, they foster inclusivity and healthy, age-appropriate levels of competition.
With their 3-, 4-, and 7-week-long camps in Lennox, Massachusetts, and bus connections from Philadelphia, Boston, New York City, and other locations, getting your child to summer camp has never been easier.