The DC parks and rec camps are cheap but you must register within the first 5 minutes the registration opens for the better locations. Make sure you look through what you will need to register. I would not do that all summer, but it is a cost effective option to pepper in throughout the summer.

We budget $300/kid per week for day camps and $800/kid per week for sleep away. They each get a total of 5 weeks of camps: 2 sleep away, 2 sports and 1 academic. The rest is vacation, grandparents, etc.

I budget about $500/week including after care. My minimum criterion is daily swimming, which is hard to find for less $.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in NW DC - for a camp like headfirst or sidwell with before and aftercare it is ~500 - 700 per child per week.

Find camps NOW that take 3 year olds - not all do - so that you are in position as soon as registration opens up to sign up your 3 YO.

I agree about researching camps now. It is the only way to accurately estimate costs. My DC is going for 9 weeks of camp in MD for $3200. It includes before and after care, because I signed up early. A lot of camps give incentives for early sign up.

It sounds ridiculous but NOW is the perfect time to research camps. The best part is that if you want to you have the opportunity to visit and see the camps in action.

Anonymous wrote:We live in NW DC - for a camp like headfirst or sidwell with before and aftercare it is ~500 - 700 per child per week.

Find camps NOW that take 3 year olds - not all do - so that you are in position as soon as registration opens up to sign up your 3 YO.

I agree about researching camps now. It is the only way to accurately estimate costs. My DC is going for 9 weeks of camp in MD for $3200. It includes before and after care, because I signed up early. A lot of camps give incentives for early sign up.

Anonymous wrote:Seeing these $$$ amounts gives me a headache. The next question that comes to mind is what do kids whose parents can't afford these ridiculous prices do during the summer? How are they enriched during long and lazy summer days?

They go to DC summer school - programing at the library - DC Parks and rec camps - programing at Rock Creek Park through NPS.

We live in NW DC - for a camp like headfirst or sidwell with before and aftercare it is ~500 - 700 per child per week.

Find camps NOW that take 3 year olds - not all do - so that you are in position as soon as registration opens up to sign up your 3 YO.

Anonymous wrote:Seeing these $$$ amounts gives me a headache. The next question that comes to mind is what do kids whose parents can't afford these ridiculous prices do during the summer? How are they enriched during long and lazy summer days?

The cheapest camps are about $200 per week full day. Most parents who can't afford these camps don't work, so they don't have to worry about them.

About $300-$400 per week full day 8-6.

Anonymous wrote:I usually budget 3k per kid.

Me too. And, I don't do a lot of specialty camps - just childcare.

Seeing these $$$ amounts gives me a headache. The next question that comes to mind is what do kids whose parents can't afford these ridiculous prices do during the summer? How are they enriched during long and lazy summer days?

I'm in Alexandria and I'm at $300-350/kid per week just for 9-3 camp with a lunch i pack.

I usually budget 3k per kid.

Thank you, that is helpful!

There's a huge range. Day care like camps are cheaper and have longer hours. Private school camps are more expensive and aftercare always costs more. And everything in between.

Here's one camp that's more daycare-like: $2,400 a kid per summer.

http://steveandkatescamp.com/fees/

Will have 3yo and 7yo and need extended day camps, in Capitol Hill area. How much am I going to spend?