Although the coronavirus pandemic has altered summer plans for many in the Bay Area, some local summer camp options are still available. Armand Bayou Nature Center and Bay Area Arts Conservatory are offering their outdoor activities and arts education classes in person, using revised guidelines based on public health information. Conservation nonprofit Galveston Bay Foundation, on the other hand, has gone virtual this summer.

Here are three area camps with available options for Bay Area families.

Armand Bayou Nature Center

At Armand Bayou Nature Center’s EcoCamp, students ages 4-13 will learn about nature through a variety of events and activities with weekly themes. Campers will investigate vertebrates, learn about trees and their ecosystem, study moths and butterflies and more. Guidelines, including social distancing and mask requirements, have been put into place.

Location: 8500 Bay Area Blvd., Pasadena

Cost: $145-$310 per week

Next available session: June 15-19. Visit the website or call 713-274-2668 for more details.

Bay Area Arts Conservatory

The three- to four-week camps are junior Broadway musical theater productions, where students ages 6-18 audition, rehearse and then perform the show. Guidelines including social distancing and mask requirements have been put into place, and parents are required to sign a COVID-19 disclosure for each student prior to starting class.


Location: 400 Hobbs Road, Ste. 202, League City

Cost: $599 for three-week camp, $699 for four-week class

Next full session: June 22-July 19. Visit the website or call 281-938-1444 for more details.

Galveston Bay Foundation

The Galveston Bay Foundation is going virtual with summer camp this year through four-day Camp at Home sessions and hourlong virtual experiences for parents with children ages 5-8. The programs offer an exclusive view into the Texas coastline, featuring small virtual classes that are only available to students in the Greater Houston-Galveston area, according to a media release. Classes are divided into ages 9-12 and 13-18, and the Wonders of the Wetlands virtual experiences are available for younger students at $5 per camper.

Location: The Camp at Home sessions run virtually throughout June and July.


Cost: $100, including the $50 camper kit

Next available session: June 22-26. Visit the website for more details.