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Jan. 15 is the Priority Application Deadline for Interlochen Arts Camp and Arts Academy. Programs fill quickly—submit your app today!
Day Camp : Interlochen Arts Discovery
Why Arts Discovery
Are you searching for a summer arts "day camp near me"? Then join us at Arts Discovery! Designed for students ages 7-12, this week-by-week Interlochen and Traverse City area day camp offers students a chance to experience some of the magic of an Interlochen summer at a reduced cost while remaining flexible to family summer schedules.
The arts-forward day camp is held at the Interlochen Community School building. Each week will feature a unique theme with arts activities and enrichment, and utilize Interlochen’s sprawling 1200-acre campus, allowing students to explore the outdoors with environmental exploration workshops.
Program Snapshot
- Age range: 7-12 (current 2024-2025 1st graders through 6th graders)
- Program length: 1-week sessions, Monday through Friday, offered over 7 weeks. Beginning Monday, June 16 to Friday, Aug. 1
- Cost: $400 per week, $100 deposit due at registration
- Location: Interlochen Community School Building
Interested in sleep away camp for students in grades 3-12? Learn more about Interlochen Arts Camp.
Weekly Themes
Summer 2025
Camp 2025 will offer 7 weeks of diverse programming, each with its own theme and activities that change every week. We encourage students to enroll in multiple sessions to enjoy a variety of unique experiences!
June 16-20: Make Your Garden Grow - Sustainability
June 23-27: Fairy Realms - Theatre and Visual Arts
June 30-July 4: Be Well - Music, Movement, and Wellness
July 7-11: Down by the Seashore - Music, Dance, and Visual Arts
July 14-18: Travel the World - Music and Dance
July 21-25: Storytelling Across the Arts - Interdisciplinary
July 28-August 1: Magic All Around Us - Theatre and Music
Special Activity Days
- Tuesdays: Tie-dye Day (bring a white t-shirt from home to tie-dye!)
- Tuesdays and Thursdays: Lake day at Stone Waterfront (bring a swimsuit and towel)
- Friday: Group photo day and showcase! Families are invited to join us for a showcase each week so we can show you what we have been working on.
Included in the registration fee
- Light continental breakfast daily
- Lunch daily in one of our campus cafeterias
- Afternoon nutritious snack daily
- Interlochen T-shirt and lanyard (1 per student per summer)
- Ice cream each week from the Melody Freeze
Transportation Option
For students who require transportation from Traverse City to Interlochen, we offer a morning and afternoon bus with pickup and drop-off at the TCAPS Montessori school parking lot (4053 Franke Road). The bus, offered for a small fee to families, will pick up students at 8:05 a.m., and drop them off in the afternoon at 4:25.
Make Your Garden Grow: Get your hands dirty! Explore the exciting world of growing food. We will dig into the Earth and learn about the importance of soil health. Investigate how plants use photosynthesis to grow tall and healthy. Campers will discover pollinators and learn about species conservation. Join us as we integrate art and science to help make our garden grow! Campers will also participate in recreational activities including swimming in the lake, tie-dye, camp songs, and more!
Fairy Realms: Build your own fairy house to add to Interlochen's fairy trail. Create your own magical world and bring your ideas to life in workshops with our Theatre Arts staff. We'll enjoy a field trip to Historic Barns Park to explore the fairy gardens! Campers will also participate in recreational activities including swimming in the lake, tie-dye, camp songs, and more!
Be Well: During our Be Well week, we will focus on mindfulness and wellness, with yoga and meditation. We'll also create calming soundscapes with our own homemade instruments. Campers will also participate in recreational activities including swimming in the lake, tie-dye, camp songs, and more!
Down by the Seashore: We will learn about music and dance inspired by bodies of water, and create art using found objects from the lake. We'll explore ocean sustainability and the importance of water conservation. We will also learn about various water-inspired musical styles and experience the beauty of our natural environment with recreational activities including swimming in the lake, tie-dye, camp songs, and more!
Travel the World: Take a tour around the world through music and dance! Each day, campers will learn about songs, dances, and instruments from various regions around the world. Campers will also participate in recreational activities including swimming in the lake, tie-dye, camp songs, and more!
Storytelling Across the Arts: Do you love to tell stories? We will hear how to communicate our ideas and stories through poetry, music, dance, visual arts, comics, and more! Campers will learn how to write songs from Interlochen's songwriting faculty. The week will culminate in a fun showcase where students will share their work. Campers will also participate in recreational activities including swimming in the lake, tie-dye, camp songs, and more!
Magic all Around Us: Spend a week exploring the magic we see and hear in the world around us — in nature and in music. Attend magical coursework with your group: build "magic wands" from objects found in nature, sing in a "frog" choir, create magical characters, brew healthy potions, study healing plants, and more! Campers will share all they've learned at our Friday showcase. Campers will also participate in recreational activities including swimming in the lake, tie-dye, camp songs, and more!
Sample Daily Schedule
- 8:05 a.m. - Bus pickup at TCAPS Montessori school parking lot (optional)
- 8:45 a.m. - 9 a.m. - Student Drop off at Community School
- 9 a.m. - 11:20 a.m. - Activities at Community School
- 11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. - Lunch at Lochaven Cafeteria (Interlochen’s Main Campus)
- 12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m. - Activities on Interlochen’s Main Campus / Field Trip
- 2 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. - Travel back to Community School
- 2:15 - 3:30 p.m. Snack and Activities at Community School
- 3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. - End of day “Campfire”
- 4:00 - 4:15 p.m. - Student Pick up at Community School
- 4:25-4:35 p.m. - Bus drop off at TCAPS Montessori
Packing List
Students should bring with them each day:
- Water bottle
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Backpack
- Closed-toed shoes
- Jacket, sweatshirt, or rain jacket
- Bug spray
- Bathing suit, towel (Tuesdays & Thursdays only)
- White T-shirt to Tie-Dye (Tuesdays, for campers returning multiple weeks)
Cancellations and Session Changes
The $100 registration deposit is non-refundable. Cancellations submitted prior to June 1 will receive a tuition refund minus the deposit. No refunds are available after June 1. Session changes are discouraged, and must be approved by our Dean of Admission for Camp, as space allows.