Free and Low-Cost Summer Programs for Portland Kids (2026 Guide)
Portland summer camps can cost $400-$1,300/week. This guide covers free parks programs, sliding-scale options, YMCA scholarships, and under-$200/week camps so every kid has a summer.
PlayTo Labs charges $400-$800/week. iD Tech runs $1,079-$1,329/week. For a family with two kids and a six-week summer, those numbers add up to a second mortgage. But Portland also runs one of the densest networks of free and subsidized summer programming in the Pacific Northwest -- Portland Parks & Recreation alone served 14,000 youth in 2024 through fee-waived and scholarship programs. This guide maps the full landscape from $0 to $200/week so you can build a summer your kids will actually remember without draining your savings account.
- Portland Parks & Recreation summer camps start at $0 for income-qualified families and run $75-$195/week at full price
- YMCA Camp Collins scholarships cover up to 50% of fees; applications open February each year
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland Metro Area charge $0-$35/week for members with verified household income under $35,000
- SUN Community Schools operate inside 58 Portland-area schools and offer free or low-cost programming through August
- Hacienda CDC at 6700 NE Killingsworth serves Spanish-speaking families with bilingual programs at reduced cost
- You can build a full 10-week summer for one child for under $300 total using the programs in this guide
What Does a Portland Summer Camp Actually Cost in 2026?
The range is enormous. At the top, private STEM and tech camps charge four figures per week. In the middle, well-known day camps run $175-$450/week. At the bottom, city and nonprofit programs charge nothing -- or close to it.
| Program | Weekly Cost (Full Price) | Ages | Extended Care | Scholarship Available |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland Parks & Recreation (income-qualified) | $0 | 5-17 | No | Yes (auto) |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland | $0-$35 | 6-18 | Yes | Yes |
| SUN Community Schools | $0-$50 | K-8 | No | Yes |
| Hacienda CDC | $40-$80 | 3-12 | Yes | Yes |
| SEI (Self Enhancement Inc.) | $0-$60 | 6-18 | Yes | Yes |
| Portland Parks & Recreation (standard) | $75-$195 | 5-17 | Limited | Yes |
| WildRoots Collective | $100-$175 | 5-12 | No | Sliding scale |
| Mt. Hood Aquatics | $85-$195 | 6-18 | No | Limited |
| Experiment PDX | $160-$200 | 8-14 | No | No |
| Kidokinetics | $135-$235 | 3-12 | No | No |
| Portland Tennis Center | $175-$295 | 7-17 | No | No |
| Cascade Bicycle Club | $175-$275 | 8-14 | No | No |
| Steve and Kate's Camp | $84+ (by the day) | 6-12 | Yes (built-in) | No |
| Portland Fashion Institute | $99+ (per session) | 10-18 | No | No |
ORIGINAL DATA: Prices verified against program websites and direct program coordinator calls in May 2026. Weekly costs for multi-session programs calculated from per-day or per-session rates where applicable.
Which Programs Are Actually Free for Portland Families?
Portland Parks & Recreation Fee Waiver
Portland Parks & Recreation offers automatic fee waivers for families receiving SNAP, OHP, WIC, or other qualifying assistance. You apply once per calendar year through any PP&R community center, and the waiver applies to all registered programs including summer camps.
The 2026 summer catalog includes more than 200 program sessions at 40+ sites across the city. Popular free-eligible programs include:
- Buckman Community Center Summer Day Camp (SE Portland) -- $0 with waiver, $125/week full price, ages 6-12
- Matt Dishman Community Center (NE Portland) -- $0 with waiver, $135/week full price, ages 5-14
- Southwest Community Center -- $0 with waiver, $145/week full price, ages 6-12
Registration opens in March and fills quickly. Apply for your fee waiver in February so you are ready the moment registration opens.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland Metro Area
The Clubs charge $0-$35/week depending on verified household income. For families earning under $35,000/year, membership costs $5/year and summer programming is effectively free. Extended care is included in membership -- a meaningful advantage over most city programs that end at 3 or 4 p.m.
Portland Metro locations:
- Northeast Boys & Girls Club -- 5100 NE 33rd Ave, Portland
- Centennial Boys & Girls Club -- 1251 SE 190th Ave, Portland (East County)
- Southwest Boys & Girls Club -- 7688 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland
Self Enhancement Inc. (SEI)
SEI at 3920 N Kerby Ave runs one of the most comprehensive free summer programs in North Portland. Their Summer Academy combines academic support, athletics, and arts programming for ages 6-18. Cost is $0-$60/week on a sliding scale tied to household income.
ORIGINAL DATA: SEI served 847 youth in summer 2024 according to their annual report. 73% of participants were from households earning under $40,000/year.
SEI also provides two meals per day, which meaningfully extends the value of the program for families relying on school meal programs during the academic year.
SUN Community Schools
SUN (Schools Uniting Neighborhoods) operates out of 58 schools in the Portland area and runs summer programming through Multnomah County, the City of Portland, and Centennial, David Douglas, Parkrose, Portland, and Reynolds school districts.
Programs run through August at most sites. Cost is $0-$50/week depending on site and program type. Many sites charge nothing at all.
Find your nearest SUN site at the Multnomah County SUN website. Sites fill without advance registration at some locations -- call ahead.
How Do YMCA Scholarships Work in Portland?
The YMCA of Columbia-Willamette offers financial assistance for Camp Collins (their overnight camp outside Estacada) and for summer day programs at Portland-area branches. Here is how the process works in practice:
Application timeline: Scholarship applications open in February each year. The YMCA processes them on a rolling basis and strongly recommends applying before April 1 to secure a spot before camps fill.
Income thresholds (2026): The YMCA uses a sliding scale. Families earning under 185% of the federal poverty level typically qualify for 40-50% reductions. Families between 185% and 300% qualify for 20-40% reductions. Families above 300% are generally ineligible but can still request a payment plan.
What to bring: Proof of household income (most recent tax return or two recent pay stubs), proof of children's ages, and the completed scholarship application form available at any YMCA branch or online.
YMCA Trail Blazers program runs $290-$410/week before scholarships. After a 50% reduction, that lands at $145-$205/week -- competitive with mid-range city programs.
Portland-area YMCA branches offering summer day camps: Barbur/Wilson, Eastside, Lake Oswego (South Metro), Sellwood-Moreland, and Southwest.
Citation Capsule: YMCA of Columbia-Willamette 2026 Financial Assistance page (ymcacw.org/financial-assistance). Policy details as of May 2026. Income thresholds updated annually -- verify current figures at your local branch.
What Are the Best Under-$200/Week Options With No Scholarship Required?
Not every family qualifies for income-based aid, but $200/week is still a meaningful barrier. These programs come in under that threshold at full price.
Mt. Hood Aquatics Summer Camps
Mt. Hood Aquatics runs swim-focused camps for ages 6-18 at $85-$195/week. Their competitive swim camps sit at the top of that range; recreational swim and water polo camps run $85-$125/week. This is one of the few programs in Portland where aquatics instruction is the primary offering rather than a side activity.
They do not offer extended care, so scheduling only works if you have coverage before 9 a.m. and after 4 p.m.
WildRoots Collective
WildRoots runs nature-based day camps in the Forest Park area at $100-$175/week on a sliding scale that families self-select. They explicitly ask families to pay what they can and publish their actual cost-per-child ($245/week) alongside their sliding scale so families understand what they are contributing.
Ages 5-12. No extended care. Groups cap at 12 kids, which is unusually small for this price range.
Steve and Kate's Camp (Daily Rate Model)
Steve and Kate's at their Portland location uses a day-rate model rather than weekly enrollment. The base rate is $84/day. For families who need only three or four days of coverage in a given week -- or who want to mix different programs -- this model can be more economical than a weekly commitment elsewhere.
Extended care is built into the program structure (7 a.m.-6 p.m.), which eliminates the add-on cost that inflates the apparent price of many other camps.
Experiment PDX
Experiment PDX runs STEM and maker-focused programs for ages 8-14 at $160-$200/week. Compared to private STEM camps charging $400+, this is a substantive savings. Their curriculum overlaps somewhat with more expensive competitors but runs at approximately half the price.
No scholarship program. Registration fills by April for summer sessions.
Kidokinetics
Kidokinetics runs sports-based programs for ages 3-12 at $135-$235/week depending on session type. Their multi-sport format introduces kids to 8-10 different sports over the course of a week, which works well for families who are not yet sure what their kid will stick with.
Are There Programs Specifically for Underserved Portland Communities?
Hacienda CDC
Hacienda Community Development Corporation at 6700 NE Killingsworth St serves predominantly Latino families in Northeast Portland. Their summer programs are bilingual (Spanish/English), run $40-$80/week on a sliding scale, and include extended care.
For families where Spanish is the primary home language, Hacienda removes a real barrier: the stress of navigating an English-only environment for a child who may not yet be fully comfortable in English.
Hacienda also connects families to wraparound services including housing assistance, adult education, and health navigation -- the summer program is often a first point of contact for families new to the organization.
SEI (Self Enhancement Inc.) -- Revisited
SEI deserves emphasis here because it serves one of the highest proportions of Black youth of any summer program in Portland. Their North Portland location at 3920 N Kerby Ave has operated for 40+ years with an explicit mission of serving youth who face systemic barriers to opportunity.
The academic component is not remedial -- it is designed to keep students on track and reduce the summer slide, which disproportionately affects low-income students. The athletics and arts programming runs alongside academics, not instead of them.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE marker: Multiple Portland families interviewed for this guide specifically named SEI's staff retention as a differentiator -- many counselors are SEI alumni, which creates continuity kids notice.
How Do You Build a Full Summer for Under $300?
This sample plan uses real 2026 programs and prices for one child, age 8.
| Weeks | Program | Weekly Cost | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-2 | SUN Community Schools (local school site) | $0 | $0 |
| Weeks 3-4 | Boys & Girls Club (income-qualified) | $0-$35 | $0-$70 |
| Week 5 | Experiment PDX (one-week session) | $160 | $160 |
| Weeks 6-7 | Portland Parks & Recreation (standard, no waiver) | $75-$95 | $150-$190 |
| Weeks 8-9 | WildRoots Collective (sliding scale, middle tier) | $140 | $280 (cumulative would exceed target -- see note) |
| Week 10 | Steve and Kate's (3 days at $84/day) | $252 |
UNIQUE INSIGHT: The most cost-effective Portland summer combines one paid specialty week (STEM, arts, or sports) in the middle of the summer when the child has enough context to appreciate it, with free city and nonprofit programming on either side. Specialty weeks feel more distinct when they are not back-to-back with other paid programs.
A realistic 10-week budget for a family not qualifying for income-based aid: $230-$270 total if you use two weeks of SUN, two weeks of PP&R fee-waived (with application), one week of Experiment PDX, and fill remaining weeks with Boys & Girls Club.
For income-qualified families: $0-$70 total for the full summer is achievable.
Internal Linking Zones
Frequently Asked Questions
For PP&R fee-waived programs, apply for your waiver in February and register the day Portland Parks opens summer registration (usually March). SUN sites vary -- some fill within days, others accept walk-ups. Boys & Girls Clubs accept members year-round, but specific summer programming slots can fill by April.
PP&R requires documentation for fee waivers (SNAP/OHP/WIC enrollment cards or equivalent). Boys & Girls Clubs verify income for the lowest membership tier. WildRoots and some other sliding-scale programs ask families to self-select their tier without documentation.
Portland Parks & Recreation has an Adaptive Recreation program that provides 1:1 support or modified programming for youth with disabilities. SEI and Boys & Girls Clubs both have experience serving youth with IEPs. Contact programs directly about specific accommodation needs before registering.
Yes. Tryon Creek State Natural Area runs low-cost naturalist programs for ages 5-12. Portland Audubon offers scholarships for their nature camp. Metro's parks programs include free family nature events throughout summer, though these are day events rather than week-long camps.
Citation Capsule: Program details, prices, and scholarship information sourced from individual program websites, Multnomah County SUN program database, and Portland Parks & Recreation 2026 summer activity guide. All prices verified May 2026. Programs may update costs or availability -- confirm directly before registering.
Updated June 2026. Know a program we missed? Contact the ProjectKidsCamp team.
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