Summer Camps in the Des Moines Metro: A 2026 Guide for Families
Summer is almost here, and if your kids are anything like mine, the words "I'm bored" are already lurking right around the corner.
Whether you have a teenager who needs something intentional to do with their time (and not just scroll their phone all day) or younger kids who just want to run around with other kids and eat snacks, the Des Moines metro has some genuinely great options this summer.
I pulled together a mix of camps here: several geared toward high schoolers (including a few at Drake University that are worth a close look), a nod to our Des Moines Christian School community, and some options for the younger crowd, including a couple of local VBS programs and creative arts camps.
If you're in Waukee, Ankeny, Johnston, Urbandale, Grimes, or anywhere in the greater Des Moines area, there's something on this list for your family.
Let's get into it!
Quick Summary: Des Moines Metro Summer Camps 2026
This guide covers verified 2026 summer camps in the greater Des Moines, Iowa area, including camps at Drake University (voice, journalism, healthcare, and architecture), Des Moines Christian School enrichment and sports camps, creative arts programs at the Des Moines Art Center and Des Moines Community Playhouse, and Vacation Bible School options from Saylorville Church and New City Church in Ankeny. Camps are listed with dates, costs, age ranges, and registration links. Last updated May 2026.
FOR TEENS AND HIGH SCHOOLERS
Drake University Voice Intensive (DUVI)
Dates: June 8–12, 2026
Ages: 14 and up
Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. daily
If you have a singer in your house, this one is worth getting on their radar!
The Drake University Voice Intensive is a week-long day camp where students work directly with Drake's voice faculty in tracks including opera, a cappella/jazz choir, show choir, and musical theatre. The week wraps up with a final showcase that friends and family are invited to attend, which sounds like a pretty great early summer evening to me!
Optional one-on-one voice or piano lessons with faculty can be added on for an additional $35. For a teen who is serious about performing arts, getting real face time with college faculty on an actual college campus is a harder experience to find than you might think, and it’s right here in the metro!
Register at drake.edu, search "Voice Intensive" or DUVI.
Adventures in Architecture Day Camp
Dates: June 22–26, 2026
Ages: Students entering 7th and 8th grade
Cost: $250 (lunches included; need-based scholarships available)
Format: Day camp, Drake University campus
Perfect for your middle schooler, this one is a gem for the kid who is always sketching floor plans or reorganizing the living room furniture (you know the type!).
The Iowa Architectural Foundation's Adventures in Architecture camp is held right on the Drake campus and led by working architects and designers. Students tackle hands-on projects, learn tools like 3D printing, virtual reality, and computer modeling, and take field trips to real architecture studios and project sites throughout the week. No time to be bored here!
The final day includes an early release and a reception where students show off their projects to family, so clear your afternoon on June 26. At $250 with lunches included, this is solid value for a highly specialized, professionally-led experience.
More info and registration at iowaarchfoundation.org
Media Now Journalism Camp at Drake University
Dates: July 7–10, 2026
Ages: Students entering 9th grade through graduating 12th grade
Cost: $575 (through June 10) | $650 (after June 11)
Format: Four-day overnight camp, Drake campus
This one is for the student who has ever thought about media, journalism, communication, or storytelling in any form.
Media Now is a four-day overnight camp on the Drake campus with track options including design, editorial leadership, motion graphics, photography, sports broadcasting, and video storytelling.
Students stay in the dorms (how fun!), work on real projects throughout the week, and wrap up with a campus-wide awards ceremony. Class sizes are kept intentionally small so students get actual attention from instructors, not a lecture-hall experience. Scholarships are available for students who demonstrate financial need and a genuine interest in the field, which I think is truly amazing.
If your high schooler is anywhere near the Des Moines or Waukee area and has any pull toward media or communication, this is worth a look!
Register at medianow.press
BullD.O.G.S. in Healthcare at Drake University
Dates: July 9–11, 2026
Ages: 9th–12th graders (2026/2027 school year) and 2025/2026 graduates
Cost: $200 (financial assistance available)
Format: Overnight, two nights on campus
Heads up: Registration for this one closes June 1, so if you're reading this in time, check quickly! If you've missed the window, put it on your list for next summer.
This overnight program introduces high schoolers to health professions (nursing, occupational therapy, and pharmacy specifically) through hands-on lab experiences and an off-campus field trip to a local health organization. Cost covers lodging and meals on campus. For a student even remotely curious about a healthcare career, this is a remarkably affordable way to get real exposure.
As a former RN myself, I wish this opportunity existed back in the 80’s!
More info at drake.edu/cphs
Des Moines Christian School Summer Camps
Registration for 2026 has closed unfortunately, but I still wanted to include it here so that you can put it on your “check this out for next year” list since these camps fill FAST every year and often have a wait list, so it’s worth it to check into it right away!
As a DMC family, our school community already knows that the Lions run a full lineup of summer enrichment and sports camps for incoming K–12th graders each year, everything from sports and theater to STEM and enrichment, and my sister-in-law’s cooking classes!
Registration typically opens in late January and closes in early May, so if you missed this summer's window, set a reminder now for next January!
For current DMC families looking for specific details on this summer's offerings, the parent portal at dmcs.org has the most up-to-date information. And for families in the Urbandale, Waukee, or Johnston area who might not know about DMC's camps, they're genuinely worth looking into for next year. You do NOT need to be a DMC family to register for the summer camps!
FOR CREATIVE KIDS
Des Moines Art Center Summer Camps
Dates: June through mid-August, 2026
Ages: 5–14
Format: Week-long sessions with themed tracks
The Des Moines Art Center runs week-long summer camps all summer long, covering drawing, painting, clay, and digital art, with weekly themes that keep it fresh for kids who come back year after year. Extended care before and after camp is available for an additional fee, which makes this a workable option for Des Moines-area parents who need more than a half-day drop-off. Scholarships are available.
More info and registration at desmoinesartcenter.org
Des Moines Community Playhouse
Ages: Pre-K through high school
Format: Summer theatre classes and performance programs
The Playhouse offers close to 50 summer theatre classes for kids from pre-K all the way through high school: creative drama, musical theatre, and performance intensives that are especially popular with middle and high school students who want a real stage experience. If you have a kid in the Johnston, Ankeny, or north Des Moines area who has been bitten by the theatre bug, this one is worth exploring!
Check desmoinesplayhouse.org for current 2026 session details.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL FOR YOUNGER KIDS
If you have elementary-aged kids and you're looking for a meaningful, community-filled week this summer, VBS is hard to beat!
It's high-energy, it's faith-filled, and your kids will come home with crafts you'll be finding in couch cushions for months. (I say that with complete affection!) Here are a couple of options in the metro:
Illumination Station VBS — Saylorville Church
Dates: May 31 – June 4, 2026 (Sunday through Thursday)
Hours: 6:00–8:30 p.m.
Ages: Kindergarten through 5th grade (completed)
Cost: Free!
Saylorville Church kicks off the summer VBS season earlier than most with Illumination Station, a week-long program centered on shining a light on who Jesus really is. Kids get the full VBS experience: Bible stories, songs, games, crafts, and snacks every night. Friends and neighbors are welcome, so this is a great one to share with families in the area who might be looking for something fun to do with their kids over that first week of June.
Parents are invited to come on the final night (June 4) to see what their kids worked on all week and enjoy free ice cream together. That detail alone will motivate approximately every child in attendance to actually try at crafts.
Full disclosure - we are members of Saylorville Church and our boys attended VBS every year through 5th grade and had the absolute BEST time! And parents…definitely come on the final night to see what your kids have been up to all week! The skits are legit hilarious yet tie in to the Gospel message and who Jesus truly is. You won’t want to miss it!
Register and learn more at saylorvillechurch.com
Oh Snap! VBS — New City Church, Ankeny
Dates: July 12–15, 2026
Hours: 6:30–8:00 p.m.
Cost: Free!
New City Church in Ankeny is hosting their summer VBS July 12–15, and at a free evening format, it's one of the more family-friendly options on this list for working parents in the north metro. 90 minutes, no cost, and home in time for bedtime. Worth a look if you're in the Ankeny area!
More info at newcityankeny.com
Also Worth Watching
If you're still searching for the right fit, a few other Des Moines-area organizations regularly offer summer programming worth checking as 2026 details get finalized: the Science Center of Iowa, Blank Park Zoo, Living History Farms, and the YMCA of Greater Des Moines all have strong reputations for summer camps. Details and availability vary by year, so check their websites directly for current listings.
One More Thing Before You Go
Summer in the Des Moines metro goes fast, and if you have an incoming high school senior, you already know that senior year has a way of filling up before you see it coming. Sports, activities, college visits, homecoming, AP exams: suddenly it's spring and pictures didn't happen.
The families I work with across Waukee, Ankeny, Johnston, Urbandale, and the greater Des Moines area who are happiest with their experience are almost always the ones who planned ahead. Summer and early fall sessions are still available, and the process is designed to be completely guided from start to finish. Nothing for you or your teen to figure out on your own.
If you're curious about what a senior session looks like, I'd love to tell you about it!
And if you have a family who has been meaning to update your photos and keep finding reasons to put it off, summer is actually one of the best times to finally make it happen. The kids are home, everyone is in the same zip code for once, and the light in the Des Moines area during golden hour in June and July is genuinely hard to beat!
You don't need a special occasion. You just need a Tuesday evening (or whatever day works for you) and a willingness to coordinate outfits. I can help with both. Learn more about family sessions here.
Know of a great Des Moines area camp that should be on this list? Send me a note. I'm always happy to update this resource for our community!
