Adventure Play Summer Camp 2026 Registration Opens January 11 at 8am and often fills within hours. Review our registration request process in detail below.
Adventure Play Summer Camp is an immersive, engaging, child- directed day camp based at University Primary School since 2016. In an environment grounded in care, each child can have their own, individualized version of the “best camp ever!” where trained adult playworkers support and respect children while prioritizing play.
Imagine a place full of interesting materials where children have ample time, space, permission, and support to bring their play to life… Some children may want to build forts, roll tires down a hill or create elaborate costumes for theater productions on the prairie. Other children want to run, splash in water, or create big, physical games with lots of friends. Still other children might play in the mud, find a quiet place to read, start a business with found objects and leaves as currency.
Now imagine all of that happening at once under big shade trees and an open prairie!
This is Adventure Play!
Grounded in agreements of care and with a sole purpose of play, this magical camp holds space for authentic expression of self through play almost 100% outside as weather allows. Using loose parts, children transform the site daily using materials that change according to their use and imagination projected onto said material. The space is filled to the brim with play, excitement, and options for everyone!
Research shows that play is infinitely important for cognitive, social, physical, and emotional development, as well as a main form of communication for children. Knowing play is so impactful for children, trained playworkers invest lots of effort into creating welcoming environments, full of interesting materials that are ripe for all play types with children’s needs in mind. Playworkers serve as play researchers, co-regulators, mediators, building helpers, safety inspectors and caring, authentic, invested witnesses to children’s worlds as shown in their play.
Playworkers work to gently support children’s play, create and hold inviting environments where kids feel freedom, permission & support to play with a foundation of felt safety. Playworkers hold a deep respect for children and childhood and see that play is not an “extra” for children, but a profound experience of being and making sense of one’s place in the world. Playworkers believe the best in children, view children as competent, capable, and trustworthy, and prioritize child-directed play, free from adult agenda.
You won’t find a daily adult-led activity at this camp– these camps are structured by the children and their play, which means each day and each week is fresh and new and customizable based on the child’s interests! Settings that prioritize time, space and permission to play are exceedingly rare for children today and Adventure Play at University Primary School is honored to hold space for children to be their truest selves through play.
Request registration now to give kids a summer of self-directed play!
Please note, this camp is wildly popular and always fills to capacity in mere hours. Because of this, we our enrollment is a process and by request, and we as you to read the process before registering for understanding. Thank you for helping us offer such magic to children!
Camp Details 2026:
Camp Dates 2026:
- Week 1: June 8-12
- Week 2: June 15 – 18* (no camp F 6/19- Juneteenth)
- Week 3: June 22 – 26
- Week 4: July 6 – 10
- Week 5: July 13 – 17
- Week 6: July 20 – 24
Older Camp:
- Ages 6/7 – 12/13
- Full Day hours: 8:30am – 3pm ($270/week)
- Extended Camp option: 3 – 5pm ($85/week)
- Extended Camp can only be added upon initial registration, not later.
- REGISTER HERE on January 11!
Younger Camp:
- Ages 4-6
- Bathroom independence required
- Half-Day only: 8:30am – 12:30pm ($175/week)
- Registration is sometimes a slower pace for Younger camp. If you’re considering enrolling, please continue to reach out until early March. After March 1, you should email Kelsey before enrolling: KLangley@illinois.edu
- REGISTER HERE on January 11!
Registration Process 2026:
- January 11: Registration period opens. While it often fills quickly, we do utilize our waitlist at times, so continue to register after this day if you wish! Families requesting tuition waivers are to use the forms located on the Uni Primary website.
- January 19: Families receive offerings via email from Kelsey and are asked to confirm and commit to payment for camps.
- January 23: Families must reply to offerings by this time in order to receive invoices. If no response is received, spots are released and we move down the waitlist. Changes received after this time are strenuous and will incur a $25 fee added to camper’s invoice.
- February 6: Families who have confirmed their spots will receive a link to pay their invoice online. Changes received after this time are strenuous and will incur a $25 fee added to camper’s invoice.
- February 15: Invoices due.
- February 16- March 1: Waitlist additions.
Optional Step: Complete Optional Summer Camp Financial Assistance Application
Families must submit tax documentation to affirm consideration for reduced camp fees; camp fees are typically reduced for families who qualify for free/reduced lunch but this is not guaranteed. Families may choose to submit tax documentation in person by visiting the school office or electronically. Families who choose to submit tax documentation electronically, using the secure box folder found on the link below should not email their tax form. Social Security Numbers are on tax forms. We will temporarily collect a tax form electronically for affirmation of information and then electronically dispose of the form. Families have the option to black out a SSN on their tax form, when submitting electronically or in person. After submitting a tax form via the secure box folder, remember to remove the tax form from your own computer/recycle bin, etc. if no longer needed!