Best Summer Camps in Rhode Island 2026 for Kids

Finding the Right Summer Camp in Rhode Island

Rhode Island packs an unusual variety of camps into a small state — salt-pond sailing camps, forest nature programs, zoo camps, and arts intensives are all within a 45-minute drive of Providence. The catch: the best-known programs open registration in winter and fill their popular weeks by early spring. Here's a guide to the standouts for summer 2026 and how to budget for them.

Overnight and Waterfront Camps

YMCA Camp Fuller (Wakefield) — One of the oldest camps in New England, sitting on Point Judith Pond. Overnight campers sail, kayak, paddleboard, and swim off the camp's own waterfront. Day camp options exist for local families. Overnight weeks are the biggest investment — typically over $1,000 per week — but financial aid is available through the YMCA.

Camp JORI (Wakefield) — A Jewish overnight camp on Worden Pond welcoming campers of all backgrounds, with traditional camp activities, swimming, and boating.

Camp Yawgoog (Rockville, Hopkinton) — The legendary Scout reservation, operating since 1916 on 1,800 acres. For registered Scouts, it remains one of the most affordable overnight weeks in the region.

Nature and Science Camps

Audubon Society of Rhode Island (Bristol) — Nature day camps at the Environmental Education Center on Narragansett Bay, with sessions organized by age from preschool through middle school. Weeks emphasize hiking, wildlife, and hands-on science.

Save The Bay Camps (Providence and coastal sites) — Marine science day camps where kids seine for fish, explore salt marshes, and get on the water. BayCamp sessions run at multiple shoreline locations around Narragansett Bay.

Roger Williams Park Zoo ZooCamp (Providence) — Weekly themed sessions with animal encounters and behind-the-scenes access. Among the most popular day camps in the state — register when winter enrollment opens.

W. Alton Jones Campus programs (West Greenwich) — URI''s forest campus has historically hosted environmental camps; check current 2026 offerings.

Arts, Sports, and Specialty Camps

• RISD Continuing Education (Providence) — Art and design programs for kids and teens, including the well-known pre-college intensives for high schoolers.
• Trinity Repertory Company (Providence) — Young Actors Summer Institute and theater camps.
• College sports camps — URI, Providence College, Brown, and Bryant all run week-long clinics in basketball, soccer, hockey, and more; these are a strong option for middle and high schoolers.
• Town recreation camps — Nearly every RI city and town runs an affordable rec camp (often $100–$200 per week for residents). Warwick, Cranston, and South Kingstown programs are consistently well run and are the best budget option.

Costs, Aid, and Registration Timeline

• Day camps: roughly $250–$500 per week at private and nonprofit camps; town rec camps less.
• Overnight camps: roughly $1,000–$1,600 per week.
• Financial help: Rhode Island''s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) can cover licensed summer programs for income-eligible families — apply through DHS well before summer. Y camps, Audubon, and Save The Bay all offer sliding-scale scholarships.
• Timeline: registration for most major camps opens January–February; popular weeks (late June, mid-July) fill by March. Waitlists move, so join them.

FAQ

Sources

• YMCA of Greater Providence / Camp Fuller — gpymca.org
• Audubon Society of Rhode Island — asri.org
• Save The Bay — savebay.org
• Roger Williams Park Zoo — rwpzoo.org
• RI Department of Human Services (CCAP) — dhs.ri.gov