Portland Summer Camp Costs 2026

Here's the number Portland parents don't expect: a single summer at iD Tech at Lewis and Clark College runs $1,079 to $1,329 per week. One week. For a kid who codes. Meanwhile, Portland Parks & Recreation Nature Day Camps charge $155 to $275 per week for legitimate outdoor programming at parks across the city. That's the range you're working with.

I pulled pricing data on 233 Portland-area camps and organized every price point by category, enrollment status, and session count. The spread is real and the logic behind it is consistent once you understand what drives each tier. This is that breakdown.

Key Takeaways

• Portland summer camp costs span $84 to $3,420/week in 2026, with most families spending $225 to $550/week (ProjectKids, 2026)
• STEM camps have the highest average weekly cost at $350 to $770/week; sports camps offer the widest range and most budget-friendly entry points at $85 to $799/week
• Extended care is offered by roughly 30% of Portland camps; without it, a $300/week camp may cost more in total than a $450/week program that covers the full workday
• Oregon's Working Family Credit and federal Dependent Care FSA can recover 15 to 25% of qualifying day camp costs
• Registration timing determines access: Portland Parks opens May 14 at 9:30 AM and fills within days; most scholarship windows close in January or February

What Do Portland Summer Camps Actually Cost by Category?

Portland summer camp pricing varies more by category than any other factor, according to our review of 233 Portland-area programs for 2026 (ProjectKids, 2026). Sports camps start as low as $85/week at Mt. Hood Aquatics Summer Swim Lessons on SE Belmont St, while STEM-focused programs like iD Tech at Lewis and Clark College reach $1,329/week. Here is what each category actually charges.

Camp	Type	Ages	Weekly Cost	Extended Care
Portland Parks & Recreation Summer Day Camps	Outdoor & Nature	6-12	$155-$275	Ask directly
Mt. Hood Aquatics Summer Swim Lessons	Sports & Athletics	3-17	$85-$195	No
Kidokinetics of SE Portland	Sports & Athletics	3-10	$135-$235	No
North Clackamas Parks & Recreation (NCPRD)	Community & Culture	3-18	$150-$300	Varies by site
Portland United Soccer Club	Sports & Athletics	4-18	$150-$350	No
Portland Tennis Center	Sports & Athletics	5-18	$175-$295	No
Cascade Bicycle Club Youth Camps	Outdoor & Nature	8-16	$175-$275	No
Experiment PDX STEM Camps	STEM & Technology	6-11	$160-$200	No
Portland Fashion Institute	Arts & Creative	8-12	$99+	No
Echo Theater Company	Arts & Creative	4-17	$240-$550	No
Oregon Children's Theatre	Arts & Creative	3-18	$210-$895	No
Cascade School of Music	Arts & Creative	8-18	$295-$425	No
Volleyball for Life	Sports & Athletics	8-18	$195-$325	No
Portland Kayak Company	Sports & Athletics	10-15	$225-$350	No
Oregon Gymnastics Academy	Sports & Athletics	4-16	$225-$350	Yes (full)
YMCA Trail Blazers Basketball Camp	Sports & Athletics	5-12	$290-$410	Yes
Multnomah Athletic Club Summer Camps	STEM & Technology	3-17	$275-$330	Yes
OMSI	STEM & Technology	5-14	$275-$425	No
Movement Climbing Gym Portland	Sports & Athletics	6-12	$290-$305	No
Portland Timbers FC	Sports & Athletics	5-18	$240-$615	No
Bay Club Portland	Sports & Athletics	3-15	$340-$520	Yes
Sherwood Center for the Arts	STEM & Technology	6-16	$132-$479	No
Saturday Academy	STEM & Technology	5-14	$350-$770	No
Portland Ultimate Summer Camps	Sports & Athletics	8-18	$225-$450	No
Camp Tamarack	Multi-Activity	8-18	$375-$750	N/A (residential)
PlayTo Labs	STEM & Technology	8-16	$400-$800	No
Portland State University STEM Camps	STEM & Technology	10-17	$375-$550	No
The Children's Gym	Sports & Athletics	5-12	$495-$745	Yes
B'nai B'rith Camp	Multi-Activity	2-17	$225-$6,675	N/A (residential)
Westwind Stewardship Group	Multi-Activity	7-17	$600-$1,650	N/A (residential)
Camp Namanu (Camp Fire Columbia)	Outdoor & Nature	7-17	$575-$2,000	N/A (residential)
Oregon Episcopal School Summer Camps	STEM & Technology	3-15	$585-$1,755	No
iD Tech at Lewis and Clark College	STEM & Technology	7-17	$1,079-$1,329	No
Steve and Kate's Camp Portland	Multi-Activity	4-15	$84-$3,420	Built-in

Citation Capsule: Portland summer camp costs in 2026 range from $84/week at Steve and Kate's Camp Portland at All Saints School on NE Cesar E. Chavez Blvd to $3,420/week for extended multi-week residential programs. Day camp costs cluster between $225 and $550/week for the majority of Portland-area programs, based on pricing data from 233 camps tracked by ProjectKids (ProjectKids, 2026).

What Are the Best Budget Sports Camps in Portland?

Sports camps are Portland's most affordable category, with 27 programs spanning $85 to $799/week (ProjectKids, 2026). Mt. Hood Aquatics Summer Swim Lessons at 6405 SE Belmont St runs $85 to $195/week for ages 3 to 17, one of the lowest price points for structured skill instruction in the city. Kidokinetics of SE Portland operates out of Wilsonville Memorial Park at $135 to $235/week for ages 3 to 10, filling an important gap for young kids whose parents want something more than playground time.

Portland United Soccer Club runs sessions across multiple locations for $150 to $350/week, covering ages 4 to 18. That range is hard to beat for a sport-specific program. Portland Tennis Center at 324 NE 12th Ave charges $175 to $295/week with 40 sessions available, making it one of the more stable rosters in the sports category. Both programs are open for 2026 registration.

The sports camps that deliver the most value are typically the single-sport specialists rather than multi-sport generalists. A child who spends a week doing nothing but soccer at Portland United Soccer Club or tennis at Portland Tennis Center builds more skill than a week of rotating activities at a multi-sport camp charging the same rate.

For families who need extended care alongside sports programming, YMCA Trail Blazers Basketball Camp at 9685 SW Harvest Court runs $290 to $410/week for ages 5 to 12 and offers extended care. Oregon Gymnastics Academy at 14811 NE Airport Way does the same at $225 to $350/week with all 120 sessions confirmed full for 2026. Those two are worth knowing before you assume extended care and affordable sports pricing are mutually exclusive.

At the mid-range, Portland Timbers FC runs sessions at multiple Portland locations for $240 to $615/week, ages 5 to 18. If your kid wants to train with the city's MLS club, that's the program. Portland Kayak Company at 2455 NW Nicolai Street runs $225 to $350/week for ages 10 to 15 across 27 sessions. It's one of the few water sports programs in the city with consistent availability.

What Do Portland STEM Camps Actually Cost?

STEM is Portland's highest-cost category, with programs spanning $132 to $1,329/week depending on intensity, equipment, and the credentials of instructors (ProjectKids, 2026). The entry point is genuinely accessible. Experiment PDX STEM Camps at 1421 SE Stark St runs $160 to $200/week for ages 6 to 11 with 20 sessions available, all currently open. That's legitimate hands-on STEM programming at a price point comparable to a community sports camp.

OMSI at 1945 SE Water Ave runs $275 to $425/week for ages 5 to 14 with 74 sessions. It's one of the most trusted science education institutions in the Pacific Northwest, and the price reflects that reputation without jumping into the premium tier. Saturday Academy, running sessions at Central Catholic High School at 2401 SE Stark Street, charges $350 to $770/week for ages 5 to 14. Those 24 sessions draw strong interest from families with academically motivated kids.

Multnomah Athletic Club Summer Camps at 1849 SW Salmon St runs $275 to $330/week with extended care included, a real advantage for working parents who need coverage through 5:30 or 6 PM. It's listed as STEM and Technology but the programming covers a broader range than pure tech. Worth confirming with the camp directly what your specific child's week will include.

The premium end is real. PlayTo Labs in Portland runs $400 to $800/week for ages 8 to 16 with all 33 sessions confirmed full. Portland State University STEM Camps at 1825 SW Broadway charges $375 to $550/week for ages 10 to 17 with 33 sessions still accepting registrations. Oregon Episcopal School Summer Camps at 6300 SW Nicol Road runs $585 to $1,755/week for ages 3 to 15 with all 25 sessions listed as full. At the top, iD Tech at Lewis and Clark College runs $1,079 to $1,329/week for ages 7 to 17. Its 18 sessions are now closed for 2026.

Citation Capsule: Portland-area STEM camp costs in 2026 range from $160/week at Experiment PDX on SE Stark St to $1,329/week at iD Tech at Lewis and Clark College. Mid-range programs like OMSI ($275 to $425/week) and Saturday Academy ($350 to $770/week) represent the most attended tier. PlayTo Labs' 33 sessions for 2026 sold out completely, reflecting strong demand for intensive maker-focused programming (ProjectKids, 2026).

How Much Do Portland Arts, Outdoor, and Overnight Camps Cost?

Arts camps in Portland cluster between $99 and $895/week for day programs, with overnight options stretching the ceiling considerably higher (ProjectKids, 2026). Echo Theater Company, with locations at both 1515 SE 37th Ave and 1420 NW 17th Ave, charges $240 to $550/week for ages 4 to 17. Both locations have all sessions listed as full for 2026. Oregon Children's Theatre runs $210 to $895/week for ages 3 to 18 with 21 sessions still listed as coming soon.

Cascade School of Music at 2522 NW Thurman St runs $295 to $425/week for ages 8 to 18 with 27 sessions open. If your child's primary interest is performance or music, this is one of the few Portland programs that treats it as a discipline rather than a diversion. Portland Fashion Institute at 4301 NE Tillamook runs shorter programs for ages 8 to 12, with all 30 sessions marked full.

Outdoor camps occupy a distinct tier. Portland Parks & Recreation Summer Day Camps run at multiple locations across the city for $155 to $275/week, ages 6 to 12. These are among the most financially accessible structured outdoor programs available and represent genuine value: trained recreation staff, city park settings, and the Access Discount Program for qualifying families. Cascade Bicycle Club Youth Camps run from various trailheads at $175 to $275/week for ages 8 to 16, with all 21 sessions full for 2026.

Overnight camps are a different financial conversation. Camp Namanu through Camp Fire Columbia at 10300 SE Camp Namanu Rd runs $575 to $2,000/session for ages 7 to 17. That's 137 sessions of residential programming on the Sandy River. Westwind Stewardship Group at 7500 N Fraser Ave runs $600 to $1,650/week for ages 7 to 17 and is currently on waitlist. B'nai B'rith Camp, with day camp sessions at Congregation Neveh Shalom in SW Portland and residential sessions at BB Camp, spans $225 to $6,675/week depending on program length and residential status.

The per-hour cost of overnight camps is almost always lower than premium day camps when you account for 24-hour programming and meals. Camp Namanu at $575 to $2,000/session covers five to seven full days of activities, meals, and staffing. A premium day camp at $800/week covers roughly 40 hours. Run the hourly math before assuming overnight camp is automatically more expensive.

What Hidden Costs Should Portland Parents Budget For?

Base tuition is never the final number. Extended care, registration fees, and materials add $100 to $250 per week to the real cost for most families (ProjectKids, 2026). Understanding which camps bundle these costs versus which ones stack them changes the comparison entirely.

Extended Care

Working parents in Portland typically need coverage from 7:30 or 8 AM until 5:30 or 6 PM. Most Portland camps run 9 AM to 3 PM. That gap is real and it costs money. Extended care fees run $75 to $150/week at the private camps that offer it. YMCA Trail Blazers Basketball Camp at $290 to $410/week includes extended care. Bay Club Portland at 18120 SW Lower Boones Ferry Road ($340 to $520/week) does as well. Oregon Gymnastics Academy builds it into the session structure.

Steve and Kate's Camp Portland at All Saints School on NE Cesar E. Chavez Blvd builds extended hours directly into their pricing model. The drop-in rate is $84/day with longer commitments at lower per-day rates. That $84 to $3,420/week range reflects both single-day and full-summer pricing. It's not a misleading spread, it's a deliberately flexible structure designed for parents who don't know their summer schedule in January.

Registration and Materials Fees

Private Portland camps commonly charge a non-refundable registration fee of $35 to $75. STEM camps frequently add a materials fee of $25 to $75 for equipment your child takes home. Robotics kits, coding toolkits, and maker project materials are almost never included in the headline price. OMSI and Saturday Academy are exceptions where materials are bundled. Always check before assuming.

Lunch

Very few Portland day camps provide lunch. Budget $20 to $35/week for packed lunches. Camps running 9 AM to 3 PM rarely have food programs. Camps running extended care into the late afternoon occasionally provide snacks. Ask specifically whether afternoon snacks are included before registering.

Citation Capsule: Hidden fees add an estimated $100 to $250/week to the base tuition cost of Portland summer camps in 2026. Extended care runs $75 to $150/week at private camps, registration fees average $35 to $75, and materials fees at STEM and arts programs add another $25 to $75. Only roughly 30% of Portland camps advertise extended care availability, meaning most families either need a camp that already covers full-day hours or a second care arrangement (ProjectKids, 2026).

What Financial Aid Is Available for Portland Camp Costs?

Portland has more camp financial assistance than most families know exists, and most of it goes unused because parents don't apply early enough (ProjectKids, 2026). The programs below represent real funding with real application windows, not hypothetical aid.

Portland Parks Access Discount Program

Portland Parks & Recreation's Access Discount Program reduces costs for families at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. It applies to Portland Parks Summer Day Camps at $155 to $275/week. You apply through the Parks registration system at booking. This is the most accessible aid in the city with no separate application timeline.

Scholarship Programs at Private Camps

OMSI offers financial aid for its science camps. Applications open in January and are competitive. Waiting until April means the funding is gone. Saturday Academy maintains a scholarship fund for underrepresented students in STEM, with applications reviewed on a rolling basis. Camp Fire Columbia offers income-based discounts for Camp Namanu sessions. Contact the camp directly in January, not May.

Community-based programs including SUN Community Schools, Boys and Girls Clubs of Portland, Hacienda CDC at 6700 NE Killingsworth St, and Self Enhancement Inc at 3920 N Kerby Ave all operate on cost structures that accommodate lower-income families. These aren't just cheaper options. They're mission-driven programs with sliding-scale or subsidized pricing built into their model.

Tax Benefits for Working Portland Families

Day camp expenses qualify for the federal Child and Dependent Care Credit, covering up to $3,000 in expenses per child ($6,000 for two or more). The credit rate runs 20 to 35% depending on income. At the Portland metro median household income, that's a $600 to $1,050 reduction in your federal tax bill (IRS, 2026).

Oregon's Working Family Household and Dependent Care Credit adds another layer. The credit runs 6 to 40% of the federal credit amount depending on household income and number of children (Oregon DOR, 2026). Only day camps where the primary purpose is custodial care qualify. Overnight camp does not.

Dependent Care FSAs let you set aside up to $5,000 pre-tax for qualifying day camp costs. A Portland family earning $75,000 in the 22% federal bracket plus Oregon's 9% marginal rate saves roughly $1,100 in taxes using the full $5,000 FSA. That savings is real and automatic. It doesn't require anything beyond open enrollment in October or November. If your employer offers an FSA and you haven't elected it, you're leaving money on the table every summer.

How Should You Build a Portland Summer Budget?

The families who manage Portland camp costs most effectively don't just hunt for cheap camps. They design the full summer before committing to anything (ProjectKids, 2026). Here's what that looks like in practice.

Start with the weeks that matter most to your child. If they want to do something specific, book one or two specialty weeks first. OMSI at $275 to $425/week for a science-focused kid. Cascade School of Music at $295 to $425/week for a musician. Portland Kayak Company at $225 to $350/week for the kid who wants to be on the water. These are the anchor weeks.

Fill the remaining weeks with Portland Parks Summer Day Camps at $155 to $275/week or NCPRD programs at $150 to $300/week. These programs are legitimate. They're not gap-fillers in the pejorative sense. They're city-run outdoor programs that most Portland kids genuinely enjoy.

Here's a sample nine-week budget using real 2026 pricing:

Week	Camp	Cost
1	Portland Parks Summer Day Camp	$275
2	Portland Parks Summer Day Camp	$275
3	OMSI Science Camp	$375
4	North Clackamas Parks & Recreation	$200
5	Oregon Gymnastics Academy	$275
6	Portland United Soccer Club	$250
7	Cascade School of Music	$350
8	Portland Parks Summer Day Camp	$275
9	Experiment PDX STEM Camp	$180
**Total**		**$2,455**

That's nine weeks of diverse programming, three different neighborhoods, and four distinct activity categories. After a Dependent Care FSA saving of roughly $550 to $700 on qualifying day camp costs, the out-of-pocket drops closer to $1,800. That's a real summer, not a compromise.

Families who try to book nine weeks of PlayTo Labs or iD Tech are looking at $3,600 to $7,200 before any hidden fees. The specialty camps are worth it for the right weeks. They're not worth it for every week.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a full Portland summer cost in 2026?

A nine-week summer mixing Portland Parks camps with two or three specialty weeks typically runs $2,000 to $3,500 per child before tax benefits. After federal and Oregon tax credits or a Dependent Care FSA, most families recover 15 to 25% of qualifying day camp costs (IRS, 2026). Filling nine weeks with premium programs like Oregon Episcopal School at $585 to $1,755/week would cost $5,000 to $15,000 before any adjustments.

Which Portland camps still have open spots in 2026?

As of our most recent data, OMSI (74 sessions open), Portland Tennis Center (40 sessions), Portland Parks Summer Day Camps (40 sessions open), Camp Namanu (137 sessions), Saturday Academy (24 sessions), and Portland State University STEM Camps (33 sessions) all show availability. Programs like PlayTo Labs, Cascade Bicycle Club, Echo Theater Company, and Oregon Gymnastics Academy are listed as full. Browse current availability for all Portland camps.

Are cheaper Portland camps worse than expensive ones?

Not as a category rule. Portland Parks Summer Day Camps at $155 to $275/week are staffed by trained recreation professionals and run in city parks. North Clackamas Parks & Recreation programs at $150 to $300/week serve thousands of Portland-area kids each summer. The correlation between price and quality is real in some categories, particularly residential programs and intensive STEM, but it breaks down at the mid-range. A $250/week Portland United Soccer Club session with sport-specific coaching may deliver more skill development than a $600/week multi-activity camp.

What's the cheapest legitimate camp option in Portland?

Mt. Hood Aquatics Summer Swim Lessons at 6405 SE Belmont St starts at $85/week for swim instruction. Kidokinetics of SE Portland runs $135/week for ages 3 to 10. Experiment PDX starts at $160/week for ages 6 to 11. Portland Parks Summer Day Camps start at $155/week for city residents. With the Access Discount Program, Portland Parks costs can drop significantly lower for qualifying families (Portland Parks & Recreation, 2026).

How does extended care change the total cost?

A camp charging $300/week without extended care costs more per workday than a $425/week camp that runs 7:30 AM to 6 PM, once you add the cost of separate before-school or after-school care. YMCA Trail Blazers Basketball Camp ($290 to $410/week), Bay Club Portland ($340 to $520/week), and Oregon Gymnastics Academy ($225 to $350/week) all include extended care. Steve and Kate's Camp Portland builds extended hours into their daily rate structure. For working parents, the effective daily cost is the number that matters, not the headline weekly rate.

The Real Strategy for Portland Camp Costs

The parents who spend the least on Portland summer camps aren't the ones who find the cheapest individual program. They're the ones who build the summer as a portfolio. Two or three specialty weeks at OMSI, Cascade School of Music, or Portland Timbers FC for the weeks their kid is most motivated. Portland Parks or NCPRD programs for the rest. Financial aid applications filed in January. A Dependent Care FSA elected in October.

That approach covers nine weeks for roughly $2,000 to $2,500 out of pocket. Compare that to $5,000 to $10,000 for a premium-only summer, or the equivalent cost of nine weeks of unstructured screen time in terms of missed development.

The 233-camp Portland market looks overwhelming when you browse by price alone. It stops feeling that way when you filter by category, then by availability, then by extended care, and then by what your specific kid actually wants to do.

Making these costs legible to Portland parents is one of the core reasons we built ProjectKids. If you're still sorting through options, the summer planner is the fastest way to see total cost across a full nine weeks before you commit to anything.