Creative Camps offer the perfect opportunity to keep your little one's creativity going all throughout the summer months! From visual arts and music to theater and dance, the best creative summer camps in Chicago provide a nurturing environment for children to explore their passions, develop new skills, and make lasting memories.

Summer's best Creative Camps offer exciting and engaging activities that make learning fun and memorable, and offer opportunities for kids to connect with other kids who share similar interests, fostering friendships and social connections. The benefits of an inspiring summer camp can last a lifetime!

Our Camp Guide is packed with incredible Creative Camps, and here we've rounded up some of this summer's best options. You can find a full range of options in our Summer Camp Guide, including creative camps for art, dance, music and theater.

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Featured Creative Camps:



Summer Art Adventures at the Paintbrush
ARTsy kids ages 4-10 will love spending their summer weeks immersed in ART at The Paintbrush. Kids learn by doing. Explore ART through a variety of approaches including drawing, painting, ARTist-inspired projects,, [DELETE THE SECOND COMMA] weekly tie-dye day and slime day, games, outdoor (onsite; weather permitting) ART and playtime, end-of-week celebration and more! New projects and fan faves! Brand new t-shirt design (t-shirt included in weekly registration).
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A Chicago Summer Camp Where Kids Soar
CircEsteem's Summer Circus Camp is a fun, safe, and supportive environment where kids build confidence, strength, and teamwork through the power of circus arts. Led by teaching artists, campers explore a variety of skills including aerials, acrobatics, juggling, balance, and creative movement. Each week features a unique theme, games, and hands-on activities that keep campers engaged and excited to learn. Campers grow physically and socially while developing resilience, self expression, and collaboration. Every session ends with a joyful Show Off performance where campers share their progress with family and friends and celebrate everything they have accomplished.
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Porchlight Music Theatre's Summer Camp
Porchlight Summer Camps are back and bigger than ever for ages 4 -17! Join us at our new location - Lincoln Elementary School - for foundation classes - Mini Musicals, Broadway Basics, and Intermediate Ensemble - to grow skills in acting, singing and dancing and then apply them in Porchlight Youth Presents: Willy Wonka, JR. Back again this summer for ages 14 - 17 we're excited to offer PMTeens - a one of a kind opportunity for 16 performers to receive professional theatre training, exclusive masterclasses and headshots. Chicago Kids families can use the code CHIKIDS at checkout for $50 off their summer camp purchase!
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Lookingglass Theatre Camps: Make Summer Magic!
Through drama and creative play, Summergglass campers make new plays exploring the inventive visual storytelling that makes this Tony Award-winning theatre so special. Using fairy tales, puppets, movement, and lots of magic, campers will build their own original stories, learn new skills, and create their own dream roles. Make something special this summer with Summerglass camps!
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Merit School of Music Summer Camps
Turn up the music while school is out with Merit School of Music's summer line-up! With options for all ages, instruments and experience levels, summer at Merit is a great way for kids to stay social and creative while school is out. Your child will have the chance to study with some of the best music educators in the region while having fun and making friends with young music lovers from across Chicagoland.
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Imagine Performing Arts
Imagine Performing Arts offers 1-week theatre camps for ages 4-13 all summer long. Our camps focus on teaching basic theatre concepts and building performance skills. Each session features a specific theme on which campers will devise their own play. Along with a professional teaching artist, our campers work together with their peers to play age-appropriate drama games designed to stimulate their imaginations, encourage being in the moment, and build a strong theatrical foundation. Our campers collaborate to devise an original story, develop unique characters, learn musical numbers to popular Broadway songs, and perform in an informal presentation for parents at the end of the week.
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Adventures Across Time at Lifeline Theatre
Children explore their imaginations and hone their natural performing abilities while gaining sound theatre training in a fun-filled atmosphere. Our camps not only teach kids how to embody characters and act out stories, they also help them to gain confidence, express themselves, and work patiently and respectfully with each other.
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School of the Art Institute of Chicago Summer Camps
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago's (SAIC) Middle School Program (MSP) for children ages 10-13 offers a rigorous and fun investigation into art and design materials, techniques, and ideas. Whether students are interested in drawing, painting, fashion, digital design, animation, architecture, or sculpture, our courses are designed to broaden students' education so they can be successful creative thinkers, innovators, and problem solvers in high school and beyond.
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Facets Film Camp
At FACETS Film Camps, kids ages 8–14 learn how to tell their stories through film and animation. To make sure all campers stay safe and healthy, we've used our 30 + years of experience in film and media education to develop new virtual and in person camps with live, interactive instruction.
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Filament Theatre Camps
This summer, participants will grow their skills in creative problem solving, teamwork, confident public speaking, analysis of text, speaking directly to the audience, community engagement, and more - all while creating something fun that makes them proud! All camps culminate in a final performance for family and friends
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Music Theater Works’ YouthREACH
This summer, participants will grow their skills in creative problem solving, teamwork, confident public speaking, analysis of text, speaking directly to the audience, community engagement, and more - all while creating something fun that makes them proud! All camps culminate in a final performance for family and friends
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Find more options in our 2026 Summer Camp Guide.