Summer Camp Round-Up! 10 Summer Camps for Kids in the Arlington Area

Looking for Summer Camps in the Arlington Area? Everything Arlington has you covered!

I grew up going to a sleep-away camp in East Troy, Wisconsin. I started there when I was 8 and didn't know anyone. I was a fairly shy kid, so, I must have loved it to ask my mom to send me every year. But I went back every summer, and, at 14, I became an LIT (Leader in Training). During high school I was an ACL (assistant cabin leader) and then a CL (cabin leader). Some of my best friends in high school I met at summer camp. To this day, I can't hear "These are the Days" by 10,000 Maniacs without being transported back to Camp Edwards in the late 1990s. Those really were the days!

My kids take after me and love summer camp. They have attended Camp Thurman each year since they've been old enough and started at Sky Ranch in Van, Texas, after they each completed first grade. They talk about Sky Ranch all year long and have been counting down to Summer 2021 and their week at Sky Ranch since I picked them up last year. There is nothing like sleep-away camp to give you your first taste of true away-from-your-parents freedom!

Sleep away camp isn't for everyone, though, and it isn't always super affordable. Luckily the Arlington area has lots of awesome camps for kids with tons of different interests. If you are looking for fun activities for your kids this summer that are close to home, read on!

And, if you are looking for some fun toys to add to your summer rotation to keep your kids happy and playing in your own backyard this summer, click here to read the article I did for Zulily about must-have kids toys for summer!

Get ready for a fun summer with these awesome summer camps for kids in the Arlington area. 

Top Summer Camps for Kids in the Arlington Area

1. Summer 2021 Skate Camp

    If your kiddos want to learn how to skateboard like Tony Hawk (is my age showing?), check out this fun skate camp in Grand Prairie! Kids can learn the basics and maybe even pick up a few tricks. 

2. River Legacy Summer Camp 

    Does your child love critters and being outside? Look no further than summer programming at River Legacy! They even have Girl Scout and Boy Scout programming that will help the kids earn badges.

3. Lindsay's Art Cart Summer Camps

    Get your child's creative juices flowing with summer art camps from Lindsay's Art Cart. Camps take place at Legal Draft in downtown Arlington and there is a sibling discount available!

4. Viridian Sailing Camp

    I have absolutely no idea how to sail a boat- but wouldn't it be cool if I did? What a neat summer skill for kids to learn for a few hours a day right here in Arlington!

5. Spirals Edventure Camp

    This adventure camp in Mansfield allows kids to pack a lot of fun into a week! Kids play games, learn about horses, rock climb and more at this day-long camp.

6. Theatre Arlington Summer Camp 

    Have a drama queen or king in the family? Yeah, us either. Put your child's flare for the dramatic to good use at summer camp with Theatre Arlington.

7. Bricks4Kidz Summer Camp 

    Have a Lego lover at home? Send your little builder to Lego Camp this summer and let your child put their building skills to the test. Each week has a fun new theme to keep your child entertained. 

8. Code Ninjas Summer Camp

    Let your child play while they learn this summer at a coding camp at Code Ninjas in Mansfield. Whether your child wants to learn to design an app or wants to learn coding secrets for Roblox, there is a camp for everyone at Code Ninjas. 

9. La Puerta Spanish Center Camps

    If your is interested in learning Spanish, check out the in-person camps in Arlington this summer from La Puerta Spanish Center. This particular spot comes highly recommended by scores of Arlington mamas. 

10. Mansfield Music Mentors Summer Camp

    Let your child unleash their inner rock star with summer music camp. These music camps meet in Mansfield and run all week, and then Friday night your child gets to impress you with a live performance! How cool. 

Kids can learn new skills at these fun summer camps in Arlington!

Kids & Chlorine: The Best Swim Shampoos for Summer!

Last summer we got a pool. 

I now have endless reasons to buy all the pool toys, beach towels, swimsuits and any other pool accessory you can think of. Because I needed more reasons to shop. 

Check out my Zulily article here for must-have items for fun pool games for the summer! These games are fun in your pool, a hotel pool, a city pool, wherever.

This girl loves pool time! I just don't love the chlorine smell in her hair...

Back to shopping, though. One of the items forever on my list of items to get from the store is swim shampoo.

My middle daughter joined swim team about a year ago, and the three-times-a-week swim sessions, combined with dips in our pool, are wreaking havoc on her hair. Her hair is naturally super blond, and she likes it long. 

I've spent the past year purchasing every swim shampoo I can get my hands on, trying to find something that will keep it from turning green (because that isn't just an urban myth, it totally happens!), keep it from smelling like chlorine 24/7 and keep it from thinning out any more than it already has.

So I've made a list. Because if you have a swimmer in the family, you need an anti-chlorine shampoo in your beauty product arsenal. Here are my five favorite products I've discovered to date. If I've missed any that you love, please, please send them my way!

Five Must-Have Swim Shampoos for Kids

Best Inexpensive Swim Shampoo: L'Oreal Kids Gentle 2-in-1 Swim & Sport Shampoo

This product costs less than $5 and is available at most stores in the area. It smells dreamy and works well for a quick rinse after a jaunt in the pool. 

Best Natural Swim Shampoo for Toddlers/Young Kids: Babo Botanicals Swim & Sport Shampoo & Wash

We use this as an all-over rinse after we've been in the pool. It worked really well for me when my kids were little and their hair was baby-fine- the no harsh chemicals really sold me on it! Now we use it as an extra rinse after we shampoo to make sure we combat chlorine build up. It's a great body wash, too, for adults and kids! 

Best Natural Swim Shampoo for Kids & Tweens: Fairy Tales Sun & Swim Lifeguard Daily Clarifying Shampoo

We use this shampoo daily during the summer and it really helps strip my daughter's hair of all the unwanted junk that builds up. It smells super yummy and makes her hair feel clean to the touch. We sometimes pair it with the conditioner.

Babo Botanicals Swim & Sport: one of my favorite products for kids who love the water!

Best Swim Shampoo for the Family: Malibu C Swimmer's Wellness Shampoo

I have to ration this stuff in my household because my kids (and my husband!) tend to slop this stuff into their palms and it's not cheap enough for excessive use! But this has been my favorite find to-date. It actually came recommended by more than, say, 20 people on a Facebook post about swim shampoos. I love it for my hair and my girls' hair. It's been a game changer! I just have to keep it put away or it will disappear... 

Best Shampoo for the Serious Athlete: Ultra Swim Chlorine Removal Shampoo

This stuff brings me back to my own days of swimming on my high school's swim team. I was a butterfly master! My mom would buy this stuff by the truckload. I don't much care for the smell (simply because I smelled it daily for years and it makes me think of my high school's locker room), but, if you have a kiddo in the pool almost daily, this bottle of liquid gold will do the trick and mitigate the chlorine smell. 

Tried & True Tips to Keep Kids' Hair Clean When They Love to Swim!

- Have your child wear a plastic swim cap. Yes, it takes some getting used to. But it helps! I coat my daughter's hair in conditioner, braid it, and tuck it in a cap for swim practice. This has helped restore her gorgeous locks!

- Wet your child's hair before she jumps in the water. Spray it with a leave-in conditioner to help combat chlorine. 

- If possible, wash your child's hair as soon as you can after exiting the water. This will combat the green tones blondes sometimes get.