Registration for Forest Preserve Summer Camps Opens Feb. 15 for DuPage Residents

Outdoor camps provide great opportunities for kids to connect to nature

The Forest Preserve District’s popular lineup of summer camps will return for the summer of 2023, and registration will open for DuPage County residents on Feb. 15 and for nonresidents on March 1.

Kids entering first through eighth grades can connect to nature with more than a dozen camps, many focusing on science, technology, engineering, and math. With plenty of time for team building, exploration, and play, kids might not realize they're firing up new neurons as they're making new friends.

“Our summer camps provide exciting opportunities for kids to make meaningful connections with nature, each other, and their communities,” said Anamari Dorgan, Forest Preserve District Director of Community Engagement Services. “Research shows that exposure to nature improves young people’s concentration and motor coordination and leads to reduced stress and improved social skills.”

Depending on which camp they choose, kids can explore a variety of habitats and critters; try their hand at kayaking or horseback riding; and learn about conservation and stewardship through outdoor activities such as hiking and fishing. History-loving kids can experience life and chores on the early Illinois prairie or an 1890s farm. A complete list of the popular camps is available at dupageforest.org/camps.

Most camps are five days, Monday – Friday and run from 9 a.m. to noon or 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Half-day camps are $150 for DuPage residents and $175 for nonresidents, and full-day camps are $250 for DuPage residents and $290 for nonresidents.