Welcome to Camp Kinhaven Camp Kinhaven is an extension of Kinhaven School, a parent-governed independent program located in the heart of Arlington’s Ballston-Virginia Square neighborhood, combining the staff, environment, and philosophy of Kinhaven School with a healthy dose of good old-fashioned summertime fun and friendship! Each session at Camp Kinhaven features a theme around which age-appropriate experiences are planned, both outdoors and in the various learning centers of the classrooms. Camp Kinhaven 2025 will be held exclusively at our Ballston location.
Preschoolers Ages 2 - 5 with no kindergarten experience Preschoolers and their teachers explore broad topics, incorporating the philosophy of Kinhaven School with the whimsy and joy of summer. Camp Kinhaven fosters connections between the classroom and wider world through authentic, hands-on experiences. School Age Explorers Ages 5-8, entering grades 1-3 Designed for the unique needs of young elementary students, School-age Explorers offers children an opportunity to reconnect with the joy of play and collaboration in deep investigations within an intimate cohort. Kinhaven's summer day camp serves children ages 2 - 8 years, June 9- August 15, 2025. Our core program runs 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, with an option to extend until 3pm. The program is held Monday through Friday each week.
2025 Sessions Eric Carle’s Animals Session I; June 9-June 27 (No camp June 19) Your budding naturalist or young artist will go crazy for Carle this session. Eric Carle’s animal-themed picture books provide inspiration for science experiences, games indoors and out, art connections, and a love of literature. Carle’s characters come to life in the classroom as a hungry caterpillar, grouchy ladybug, and mixed up chameleon take up residence at Kinhaven this summer. Invite family and friends to an exhibition of your illustrations on the last day of camp.
School Age Explorers 1 Week Camp: June 23-27 Eric Carle’s classic animal-themed picture books provide inspiration for a week-long exploration of process art. Campers will bring their ideas to life through a variety of art mediums, to be displayed at the Kinhaven Art Exhibit on June 27th.
Lights, Camera, Action Session II; June 30- July 18 (No camp on July 4) Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be on stage? As directors, producers, cast, and crew, each class will write a script; build sets, costumes or props; and ultimately perform for fellow campers. Skits, videos, musicals, and puppetry are all production possibilities. Performance and audience etiquette are emphasized as children prepare sets, props, and tickets for our summer showcase.
Construction Junction Session III, July 21- August 8 Put on your hard hat to enter the construction zone. With traditional building materials, re-use supplies, and confectionery creations, campers will design marshmallow buildings, gumdrop domes, paper tube castles and towering skyscrapers. Older campers will use the woodworking table to take their structures from concept to reality.
Play Ball Bonus Week: August 11-15 Throwing, striking, and kicking are just the beginning of this adventure of sport. From learning about America’s favorite pastime to games played by children around the world, our Play Ball session combines physical education, global awareness, and fun from the four corners of the earth.
Afternoon Adventures Children can add an extra dose of fun, extending each day until 3:00pm. Summer Afternoon Adventures offer a mini-theme packed with hands-on activities and play indoors and out, led by our in-house and visiting teachers. An opportunity to rest and recharge is offered.
Daily Activities Class Meetings: provide the framework for the day as children and teachers greet one another- often in song, discuss the topic of the day, and choose a primary area of work for the morning. Work Time: encompasses a protracted period of play including individual and small group play devised by children as well as thematically relevant experiences designed by the teachers for small groups of children.
Meals: Children and teachers share a morning snack provided by Kinhaven. Each child brings a lunch from home. (Please be aware that refrigeration of lunches is not generally available.)
Outdoor Time: Each class will spend at least 60 minutes per day outdoors, weather permitting. Utilizing local resources, nearly every classroom experience can be conducted outdoors. Playground play, group games, connections to nature, painting, building, gardening, and bubbles are among the limitless possibilities. In case of inclement weather, gross motor activities will be conducted in the multi-purpose room. Children and teachers will walk to and from local parks and resources without notice in additional to daily play in our on-site playground.
Resource Teachers: Kinhaven’s Support Teacher visits each classroom each day during work time to provide valuable support to the teaching team and children by decreasing the student-teacher ratio through small group activities and enrichment experiences. Specialists Classroom experiences are augmented by Specialists including PE coaches, visual and performing artists, and technologists, who share their content area expertise.
Registration A registration fee and $250/session non-refundable deposit must be paid at the time of registration. The balance is due no later than May 1.For children new to Kinhaven, an original birth certificate or passport must be presented at the Kinhaven office prior to the first day of attendance. Children must be two years old by June 1.
Tuition Under three years old: $1,875.00 single session; $5,425.00 for all three sessions Ages 3-5 years: $1,700.00 single session; $4,900.00 for all three sessions School-agers: $1,400.00 single session #2 or 3; $460 single session #1; $3,200 for all three sessions . Bonus Week Tuition (August 11- 15): under three years old $650; ages 3-5 $600; school-agers $475