Complete Guide to Summer Camps on the Main Line 2025

Finding the right summer camp on the Main Line is genuinely overwhelming. Between township day camps, YMCA programs, independent day camps, private school summer programs, specialty camps in STEM, arts, and sports, and nature programs, there are dozens of options within 20 minutes of any Main Line address. The registration windows for the best programs open in January or February. Popular camps fill weeks within days of opening.

This guide organizes the landscape by camp type so you can find the right category first, then evaluate specific programs.

Township Recreation Day Camps

Municipal day camps are the most affordable option and the most convenient for families who don't want to deal with carpool logistics. Quality varies by township, but the best ones are genuinely excellent.

Lower Merion Recreation Summer Day Camp (Bala Cynwyd) is the flagship township camp on the Lower Main Line. It runs for multiple weeks through the summer at Belmont Hills and other township facilities, with activities spanning sports, arts, swimming, and general enrichment. Lower Merion's recreation department is one of the best-funded in the region, and it shows.

Tredyffrin Township Recreation Summer Day Camp runs at the Tredyffrin Township Recreation Center in Berwyn. This is the go-to option for families in Berwyn, Devon, Wayne, and the Tredyffrin-Easttown corridor who want an affordable, well-run camp without the carpool to a private facility. The program is flexible: you can register for specific weeks rather than the full summer.

YMCA Camps: The Biggest Options on the Main Line

Camp UMLY (Berwyn) is the flagship YMCA day camp for the western Main Line. It runs on a 54-acre campus with six pools, nature trails, a nature center, sports fields, a ropes course, and multiple specialty camp tracks. Camp UMLY runs by age group from age 3 through high school. The nature center, with goats, reptiles, and chickens that campers care for, is a genuine differentiator. UMLY is also one of the few camps in the area with a solid program for 3- and 4-year-olds who aren't quite ready for traditional camp.

Independent Day Camps

Shipley Day Camp (Bryn Mawr) runs at The Shipley School campus and is one of the most complete independent day camps in the area. The full Shipley campus, with athletic fields, pools, and performing arts spaces, is the backdrop for a traditional camp experience with strong sports, arts, and enrichment programming. Well-regarded by Bryn Mawr and Lower Merion families who want more structure than a township camp.

Hill Top Summer Adventures (Bryn Mawr) is an independent day camp with a reputation for a nurturing, non-competitive environment. Smaller than Shipley, which means more individualized attention. Good fit for kids who do well in smaller settings.

Specialty Camps

Arts

Tredyffrin Creative Arts Summer Workshop (Berwyn) is one of the best arts-focused camp programs on the Main Line: a week-long intensive in visual arts, music, theater, and movement for elementary-age kids. The program pulls from local arts educators and has a performance and exhibition at the end of the week.

Film

Bryn Mawr Film Institute's Summer Filmmaking Workshop gives kids and teens hands-on experience writing, shooting, and editing a short film. The BMFI is a legitimate arts institution with deep ties to the film community, and the summer program benefits from that infrastructure. One of the more distinctive specialty camp options on the Main Line.

STEM

Emagination STEM Camps at Rosemont College (Bryn Mawr) brings a nationally recognized STEM camp operation to the Main Line. Week-long sessions cover coding, game design, robotics, and digital arts, with overnight options available for older kids. The Rosemont campus is a beautiful setting. Registration fills fast: open in early winter.

Private School Summer Programs

Several private schools on the Main Line open their campuses to non-enrolled students for summer programming.

Summer at AIS (The Agnes Irwin School, Bryn Mawr) offers a wide range of programs across sports, arts, STEM, and academic enrichment. Agnes Irwin's campus and facilities are exceptional, and the pricing is competitive with comparable independent programs.

Summer at Baldwin (The Baldwin School, Bryn Mawr) similarly opens Baldwin's campus for summer programs. Strong offerings in STEM and arts, with programming from elementary through high school age.

Nature Camps

Riverbend Environmental Education Center (Gladwyne) runs the gold standard nature summer camp on the Main Line. Riverbend's 30-acre preserve becomes a full-day immersive nature camp from June through August, with sessions starting at age 4. Hiking, habitat exploration, bug and animal identification, stream ecology, and hands-on science. All outdoors, all day. One of the most distinctive and beloved summer programs in the area.

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Planning Tips

• Register early. Shipley Day Camp, Camp UMLY, and Riverbend all have registration windows that open in January and fill within days or weeks. If you wait until spring, you're playing waitlist roulette.
• Check financial assistance options. YMCA programs, Main Line Art Center camps, and some township programs offer scholarship assistance. Never assume a program is out of budget without checking.
• Week-by-week vs. full-summer. Most programs now allow week-by-week registration. Mix and match: two weeks of sports camp, one week of arts, one week of nature.
• Camp tours matter. Most independent programs offer spring open houses. See the facility, meet the staff, and watch how kids interact with the counselors before registering.

Browse all summer camp programs on the Main Line.