Albuquerque Summer Camps | Alison hatch Photo

As the scorching sun embraces the rugged landscape of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the school year comes to a close, parents across the city are on the lookout for enriching and exciting activities to keep their children engaged during the summer break. Fortunately, Albuquerque is brimming with an array of summer camps catering to diverse interests, from outdoor adventures to creative workshops igniting young imaginations. Whether your child dreams of exploring nature, mastering a new skill, or making lifelong friendships, Albuquerque's summer camps offer boundless opportunities for growth, discovery, and unforgettable experiences.

For the Artist

New Mexico Young Actors

Does your kid love being in the spotlight? Do they thrive off of attention? Are they animated, spirited, and just a lot of fun? New Mexico Young Actors is the place for them. Whether your child loves to act and/or sing and dance, NMYA has summer programs for them. For Summer 2024 they are offering Acting Techniques, Advanced Improv, Costume and Prop design, Drama 1, Musical Theater Intensive, and Summer Shakespeare. Every class and camp has an end of session performance for parents and friends to attend.

Check out their camps HERE

Music On the Westside

Music on the Westside’s goal is to foster a lifelong love of music and make a positive impact on our community by providing inclusive learning opportunities that promote connectivity, creativity, personal growth through shared musical experiences. They envision there community as a hub for connection, self-expression, and fun, where people can come to unwind, relax, and be themselves. Offering many different instruments to work with, these camps are perfect for kiddos who would like to try something out before committing to classes. They are also offering group classes through out the summer as well as private lessons. Check out the info for summer camp HERE.

Cardboard Playhouse

Cardboard Playhouse Theatre Company, created by Doug Montoya and Kristin Berg in December 2004, prides itself on being one of the only children's theatre companies in Albuquerque that casts children on their ability to perform, not on their ability to pay. CPTC keeps itself viable by generating revenue through ticket sales and grants. CPTC was formed by a love of both improv and children, and fosters self expression, self confidence, and creativity through the use of an improv-based theatrical program. CPTC asks children to think for themselves and to take a sence of ownership in the show. To date Cardboard Playhouse has produced almost 100 productions casting over a thousand local adult and child actors. For the 2024 summer they are doing Seussical the Musical, Willy Wonka, and Sketch Comedy Spectacular. All the info is right HERE.

Hummingbird Music Camp

Nestled by the Jemez River in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico, Hummingbird Music Camp gives every child an opportunity to grow as an individual, a team player and as a fine musician under the guidance of a talented and nurturing staff. This safe and lovingly structured social environment provides a home away from home for children to express themselves and their talents. This is accomplished through hard work, practice, and bonding with new friends. Offering Music, Art, and Chess camp this summer. HERE is the information about their camps.

For the Scientist

Explora

Families and people of all ages can learn together through Explora’s over 250 exhibit activities in science, technology and art. For adults, we offer events like Adult Night that come with your very own Explora at home kit! In the community, they also provide semester long, seasonal camps, and fun educational programs such as Family Science Nights and our Youth Intern Program. Teachers are also encouraged to join their educator workshops and take advantage of their professional development opportunities. This summer’s camps in Old Town Albuquerque include Ballooning, Cooking, Robotics, Space Exploration, Photography, and more. Discover all the summer camps available HERE.

Electric Playhouse

Opening their doors in 2020 (we know) in a former Staples building in West Albuquerque, New Mexico. Their mission is to provide the space where anyone can escape the every day and find their play. Our 20,000-square-foot facility offers everything from immersive gaming, dining, art experiences, food and drinks, specialty drinks and bar space, interactive party spaces for private and corporate events, and some of the biggest shows and performances in the Southwest. Summer camps for children of all ages can be found on their homepage HERE.

New Mexico Museum of Natural History

This long-standing museum in the heart of Old Town offers young paleontologists, astronomers, and budding scientists the opportunity to further their passion and grow their minds. Summer camps can be found on their home page HERE.

R4Creating

At R4Creating’ mission is to provide support for those organizations making valuable contributions to increase the number of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) opportunities for students 

While there nonprofit status was only established in 2016, organization volunteers have been supporting STEM in our community and across the country since 2005.  At that time, R4Robotics, a community based robotics team of approximately 40 students ages 10-18 was founded. Since that day, they have engaged youth in building their STEM knowledge through competitions, leadership opportunities and entrepreneurial endeavors.  Through local, regional and national initiatives they build a stronger world by harnessing the natural energy and curiosity of youth, allowing them to do extraordinary things while unlocking their potential! Offering Robotics, 3D Printing, Enterpinerial, and Engineering Summer camps this year in Albuquerque and programs in Rio Rancho. Find information HERE.

For the Sports Enthusiast

Sports and Wellness

This family gym has locations all over Albuquerque allowing for more flexibility with your daily schedule. This summer they are doing Blast Camp, offering members and nonmembers blasting into a world of imagination. Including Racket sports, Swimming, and Weight Lifting your child will burn off a ton of energy attending these camps. Note, that specific locations offer different camps, not all exercise-focused. Visit their website HERE or visit a location near you for more information.

G-Force Gymnastics & Sandia Acrobatics

If you have a kiddo who loves to do cartwheels, flips, and handstands they need a gymnastics-based summer camp to keep them busy and happy. The Westside G-Force has camps for all levels and ages that will suit your budding Olympian. For the Eastside Sandia Acrobatics offers summer camps of varying skills and focus.

Rio Rancho High School

If you are looking for a low-cost camp for your child who loves sports Rio Rancho Athletics puts on a good one. Offering camps in baseball, basketball, football, cheer, tennis, and volleyball there is a camp for every young athlete. Sign up for their Summer camps HERE.

Just for Fun

Bricks 4 Kidz

Beat the summer blues with a Bricks 4 Kidz LEGO® Building Camp! Kids between the ages of 5 and 13 can spend their vacation time learning about the worlds of engineering, animated movie-making and architecture through hands-on building fun.

Under the guidance of experienced teachers, our LEGO®-based engineering summer camps give kids the chance to apply real-world STEM concepts as they build their own creations. For bonus fun, projects are often tied to popular themes like robotics, space and amusement parks. Every kid loves Lego, and these camps are for boys and girls alike. Find out more HERE.

Outschool

If you have a shy child who prefers to stay home, this online option is perfect. Outschool is an innovative education platform that offers a variety of engaging, small-group classes online. Unlike traditional classes, Outschool classes give kids the unique opportunity to explore their interests in-depth via interactive, live video by experienced, independent educators.

When Outschool was founded in 2015, homeschoolers were the first to discover our classes, but it wasn’t long before kids in conventional schools began supplementing their education with fun and unique, interest-based classes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Outschool became vital to families who wanted to keep kids learning, social, and pursuing their passions.

Today, Outschool offers more than 140,000 live online classes to more than 1,000,000 learners in 183 countries worldwide. My kids have done Coding, Dungeons and Dragons, Finance for Teens, and Literature on Film and have loved every class! No matter what your child is interested in, this summer camp option has something for them. Use THIS LINK to get $20 off any class.

As the sun sets on our exploration of summer camps in Albuquerque, it's clear that the city offers an array of enriching experiences for children of all ages. Whether they're delving into nature, honing their artistic talents, or embracing adventure, Albuquerque's summer camps provide the perfect blend of fun and learning. With memories made, friendships formed, and skills sharpened, these camps not only create lasting summer experiences but also nurture the growth and development of our young ones. So, as you plan for the upcoming season, consider the vibrant options our city has to offer, ensuring a summer filled with joy, discovery, and endless possibilities for your child.

Alison Hatch is an analog film photographer, educator, podcast host, and artist. Alison offers her Albuquerque and San Diego clients a stress-free and memorable experience getting photos taken. She has been featured in Shoot It With Film and published in the Front Steps Project Book. Alison splits her time between New Mexico and Southern California with her husband and three boys.