summer camp

Full Days | 8:30am – 3:30pm | $450/week

Half Days | 8:30am – 12:00pm | $375/week

What to Bring

Full Day Campers - Snack & Lunch: please pack a healthy snack and lunch for your child and water bottle filled with water.

Half Day Campers - Snack: please pack a healthy snack for your child and water bottle filled with water.

A sun hat, extra clothing, extra sunscreen and rain gear. We will be playing outside even if it rains.

Please make sure to put sunscreen on your child(ren).

Rest Time

Full Day campers will rest during the day. Your child does not have to nap but may lay down quietly and rest on their cot. As part of healthy development of the young child who is 3-6 years old daily rest time allows the brain and whole body restored after play.

Additional Information

There will be no camp on 6/19 or 7/4. Fees are pro-rated.

Early Childhood campers must be potty-trained in order to attend.

We will also mold beeswax or another craft once a week.

Weather permitting there may be a sprinkler-play day. Campers may be asked to bring wet-proof clothing and a towel.

Come spend the summer with us in a world of imagination, active outdoor play and nature-based activities!

Each week the Chicago Waldorf summer camp will immerse students in a theme that features special projects. Regardless of the theme there will always be storytelling, games (jump rope, string games, tag) and nature-based crafts (origami, cardboard construction, handwork). We are outside most of the time rain or shine. Weekly themes will also be explored through cooking, construction and outdoor play. Come for a week, or come for the whole summer!

Our goal is to embrace campers and affirm all their identities so that every child is comfortable as they learn new skills and make new friends. Join us to learn, thrive and grow!

Snack and lunch provided from home.

Full Days | 8:30am – 3:30pm | $475/week

Camp Weeks

WK 1 June 17-21

WK 2 June 24-28

WK 3 July 1-5

WK 4 July 8-12

WK 5 July 15-19

WK 6 July 22-26

WK 7 July 29-Aug 2

WK 8 Aug 5-9

WK 9 Aug 12-16

WK 10 Aug 19-23

What to Bring

Snack & Lunch: please pack a healthy snack and lunch for your child and water bottle filled with water.

A sun hat, extra clothing, extra sunscreen and rain gear. We will be playing outside even if it rains.

Please make sure to put sunscreen on your child(ren).

Additional Information

There will be no camp on 6/19 or 7/4. Fees are pro-rated.

Weather permitting there may be a sprinkler-play day. Campers may be asked to bring wet-proof clothing and a towel.

Registration is open! Check out the exciting opportunities below and mark your calendars!

Welcome to our Middle School Specialty Arts and Sports Camps!

Come join us this summer to hone your skills on the court or explore storytelling on the stage and in the art room!

Each camp is centered around exploring and learning a particular skillset and led by a camp instructor with expertise in that area! These camps are designed for ages 12-15, although rising 6th graders who have not yet turned 12 may apply. To better accommodate a middle schooler’s busy summer schedule and allow for more in depth focus in a particular area, these camps are shorter than our full day grade school camps and range from 1.5-5 hours long. See the schedule and camp descriptions below for specific details.

Schedule

Week 1 - 6/17-6/21: Volleyball (6/19 off)

Week 2 - 6/24-6/28: Volleyball

Week 3- 7/1-7/5: TBD (7/4 off)

Week 4 - 7/8-7/12: Basketball

Week 5 - 7/15-7/19: Basketball or Stop Motion Animation

Week 6 - 7/22-7/26: Improv and Performance Skills

Week 7 - 7/29-8/2: Strength and Conditioning or Puppetry

Week 8 - 8/5-8/9: Strength and Conditioning or Stage Combat

Week 9 - 8/12-8/16: Stage Combat

Camp Descriptions

Volleyball

In this all-levels, middle-school,volleyball camp, we will focus on a strong foundation of passing, setting, attacking and serving. As the week progresses, we will put these skills together in increasingly complex ways, introducing systems of offense and defense.

Lead Instructor Emily Iverson, a setter with Division II All-American accolades, has been coaching volleyball for 14 years. Her coaching experience varies and includes summer camps, private lessons and teams at the middle school and varsity levels.

Camp is 3 hours a day for one week. 11:30am-2:30pm Monday-Friday.

Sessions available Week 1 (06/17-06/21) and Week 2 (06/24-06/28)

There will be no camp on 6/19. Fees are pro-rated.

Sudents should bring their own snack. Athletic clothing and shoes required.

Basketball

Join us for two fun weeks of basketball with Waldorf alumni and former point guard, Coach Elijah. You’ll learn how to play team-oriented basketball, both on offense and defense, and expand your athletic capabilities through fun drills, games and scrimmages, all while developing valuable life lessons and interpersonal communication! Come fine tune your individual skills, learn team concepts, and practice healthy competitive play using the core fundamentals and philosophy of basketball.

Lead Instructor Elijah Marder went to Chicago Waldorf School in Rogers Park from K through 12th, graduating in 2017. He currently coaches with Play Hard Hoops while finishing up a Master’s degree in Public Health at UIC. He’s passionate about physical activity and sports, community building, and health equity for everyone! Elijah describes his basketball playing style as scrappy, a pest defensively, and vertically challenged. He says his love for the game informs his world view, overcoming challenges in the game as a metaphor for life!

Camp is 3 hours a day for one week. 9am-12pm Monday-Friday.

Sessions available Week 4 (07/08-07/12) and Week 5 (07/15-07/19)

Students should bring their own snack. Athletic clothing and shoes required.

Stop-Motion Animation Camp

Learn how to bring things to life by the art of Stop-Motion Animation. Using state of the art technology, a little patience and guidance, tell a story of a toy adventure, a dinosaur chase, or even a clay blob bouncing. Anything is possible! Just bring a toy(s) or object(s) of your choosing and we can make it come to life.

Lead instructor Nicholas Spreitzer taught himself stop-motion animation skills as a child, which inspired him to go on to study filmmaking and animation at Columbia College Chicago and Savannah College of Art and Design. He also taught animation at the Winnetka Public Schools summer camp program. Nick enthusiastically represents almost every aspect of the CWS community as an alumni, parent and employee!

Camp is 3 hours a day for one week. 2pm-5pm Monday-Friday.

Session available Week 5 (07/15-07/19)

Students should bring their own snack and will be asked to bring a small number of objects or toys from home to be the subject of their animations.

Improv and Performance Skills Camp

Join us this summer for a week of fun and games, improv style!

In this camp we will use the art and skills of improvised theater/comedy to develop skills in listening, team-work, self-confidence, public speaking, imaginative storytelling and play. Participants will learn classic, collaborative improv games; the basic building blocks of creating a scene or story; as well as warm-ups and exercises support the development of an embodied voice and confidently taking up space on a stage of any kind. Lots of laughs will be had.

Lead instructor Charlotte Markle received her MFA in Acting from The Theatre School at DePaul. She has received additional improvisation and sketch comedy training from The Second City Training Center where she completed the Conservatory and Grad Revue program. In addition to her work as an adjunct instructor of Voice & Speech at DePaul University and Roosevelt University, Charlotte has been teaching at various theater arts summer camps for over 10 years. A proud graduate of Waldorf education, she has also worked for three years at the Chicago Waldorf School.

Camp is 3 hours a day for one week. 9am-12pm Monday-Friday.

Session available Week 6 (07/22-07/26)

Students should bring their own snack and come in clothes that they can easily move in.

Puppetry Camp

Calling all Jr. Puppeteers! Join our young artists as they create an original story, build amazing puppets and perform in a culminating event for their family and friends. Lead by Master Puppeteer, Cynthia Von Orthal.

Camp is 3 hours a day for one week. 9am-12pm Monday-Friday.

Session available Week 7 (07/29-08/02)

Students should bring their own snack.

Youth Strength and Conditioning

The Youth Strength and Conditioning Camp is designed to empower middle school and high school students with the physical skills and mental toughness they need to excel in their chosen sports and lead healthier lives. This camp offers a comprehensive program tailored specifically to the needs and abilities of young athletes. Through a combination of dynamic workouts, skill-building drills, and educational sessions, participants will develop strength, agility, endurance, and resilience while learning the importance of proper injury prevention techniques.

Lead Instructor Joshua Collins is a Certified Functional Strength Coach and Personal Trainer with over 12 years of experience in the field. His passion for fitness and athletics has led him to work with a diverse range of clients, spanning from enthusiastic beginners as young as 6 years old to seasoned veterans at 78. With a degree in Exercise Science and Wellness, a background in collegiate soccer and experience in semi-professional leagues, Joshua brings a unique understanding of athletic performance to his coaching approach.

Throughout his career, Joshua has had the privilege of coaching professional athletes across multiple disciplines, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, and MLS. His expertise in functional strength training, combined with a holistic approach to wellness, has earned him a reputation for delivering results and empowering individuals to reach their full potential.

Camp is 1.5 hours a day for one week. 9am-10:30am Monday-Friday.

Sessions available Week 7 (07/29-08/02) and Week 8 (08/05-08/09)

Students should bring their own snack. Athletic clothing and shoes required.

Stage Combat Camp

Slaps and battles and falling, oh my!

Come join us for a week of learning how to safely pretend to slap your friends, perform a thrilling quarterstaff fight (like the famous Robin Hood!), and tumble to the ground without hurting yourself.

Through this exciting camp for middle school aged children, participants will develop listening/sharing skills, confidence in working with a team, hand-eye coordination and safe performance techniques while working with staged moments of unarmed and quarterstaff combat.

This workshop in theatrical combat is a safe container to explore some of the most exciting and pivotal moments of a play. We will utilize techniques from the Dueling Arts International theatrical combat organization, mime, and martial arts to build a compelling physical narrative centered around a scene containing theatrical violence. Additionally, we will learn proper falling techniques, gain skills in differentiating the play world from reality, and practice self-advocacy and respecting others’ boundaries.

Lead instructor Michael Dias has over 12 years experience teaching martial arts to all ages, and he teaches movement at DePaul University and theatrical combat at College of DuPage. He has earned an MFA in Acting from Ohio University and has completed the Social Emotional Arts certification program through UCLArts and Healing.

Assistant instructor Charlotte Markle received her MFA in Acting from DePaul University, where she also received certification as an Actor Combatant from the Society of American Fight Directors. A proud graduate of Waldorf education, she has also worked for three years at the Chicago Waldorf School in the Early Childhood Program.

Camp is 5 hours a day for one week: 9am-2pm Monday-Friday.

Sessions available Week 8 (08/5-08/09) and Week 9 (08/12-08/16)

Students should bring their own snack and lunch and come in clothes that they can easily move in. Full-fingered gloves and close-toed sneakers or athletic shoes required.