summer camp

noun

plural summer camps

1

: a camp (see camp entry 1 sense 1d) for children or adolescents that operates during the summer and that often provides lodging for stays of days or weeks

… traditional summer camps—where your child rides a horse, paddles a canoe, reads a compass, and roasts s'mores around a campfire …

—David Lansing

… summer camp is about campfires, trail hikes and goofy skits. It's a chance to meet kids from different cities and to learn to sleep through the snores of cabin mates.

—Emily Seftel

also : such a camp that provides instruction of a specified kind

went to an arts summer camp

compare day camp

2

: an online usually educational program for children or adolescents offered during the summer

… a virtual summer camp offering free classes in everything from slime-making to dinosaurs to make-your-own Lego movies. Kids aged five through 18 can create their own schedule, with hour-long classes five days a week for each session.

—Lisa Milbrand

Examples of summer camp in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In one case, three Boy Scouts attending summer camp reported seeing a silent, silver object moving faster than a conventional jet while hiking on the island June 25, 1952. — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026

Crystal Lake is a Friday the 13th prequel series set at a summer camp. — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 19 Oct. 2026

The site, named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019 alongside seven other buildings designed by Wright offers several types of public tours and hosts events ranging from children’s summer camps to sunset happy hours. — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 19 Oct. 2026

But the first boy was in summer camp, and his parents were reluctant to talk. — Story Hinckley, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1882, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for summer camp

• firedamp
• amp
• champ
• clamp
• cramp
• damp
• gamp
• lamp
• ramp
• samp
• scamp
• stamp