At Kaleidoscope, our focus in on accessible, fun, and budget-friendly, events for kids! Mostly, we do that through our regular TCK Clubs (which you should absolutely join), but we also put on a yearly online TCK Summer Camp!
However, we also know that, due to different schedules, not everyone can make it to our camp. While that’s unfortunate, there are a ton of other summer camp options out there for cross cultural kids!
Here's a (non-exhaustive) list for those who are interested!
KALEIDOSCOPE'S TCK CAMP (ONLINE - AGES 7-16)
This is our camp, and I think it's one of the best options out there. It's completely online so you can join from anywhere in the world, and it has a focus specifically on TCK life.
When is it? July 30-31 from 6am - 10 pm
How much is it? $55, or free for Club Members!
Last day to register? Register by July 19
FANTASY FOREST ONLINE SUMMER ART CAMP
(ONLINE - ALL AGES!)
This is another great online option that includes 5 live art classes, and a community that you can share your art with!
My family has used the Glitter Bombers art lessons for years at this point and have always enjoyed them, so I can confidently say that this will be worth the price of entry.
When is it? Camp starts July 29th!
How much is it? Only $5 for the whole family, or free for Glitter Bombers members.
The first two camps are online, which translates into them being extremely convenient and budget-friendly, but most summer camps prefer to lean into the community building that comes from in-person events.
The benefit here is that kids get to spend a lot more time together face-to-face. But that connection comes at a significantly higher price which isn't always feasible for families.
Nevertheless, if you can afford it, there's a lot of good that comes out of international summer camps.
Here are a few that are hosting events this year.
ALTITUDE SUMMER CAMP
(ADVENTURES AND LANGUAGE LEARNING)
For those who are living in Europe, or who can get there for the summer, Altitude Summer Camp offers a pretty interesting looking camp!
Located in Switzerland, Altitude is a bi-lingual summer camp that offers both residential and day camp options. That means that if you have kids who want the camp experience but who would prefer to spend their evenings with their families, you can do that.
Altitude offers camps for a wide range of ages (from 3-14), and looks like the kind of camp that I would have loved as a kid.
When is it? Starting in July
How much is it? Starting at $600
Note: While I was researching this, I didn't see a lot of availability left for this year.
ROAD LESS TRAVELED TEEN TRAVEL PROGRAMS
(SERVICE AND TRAVEL)
The Road Less Traveled has been doing travel service projects to destinations across the world since 1991. They have service programs in locations as diverse as the USA, Italy, Vietnam, Bali, and more!
While these programs do have a service focus, they also provide lots of time to explore the various locations that they work in, and hiking, snorkeling, mountain climbing, and more are all on the table!
However, adventures like this don't come cheap and these trips can cost a few thousand dollars per kid, depending on the trip you choose. Still, these trips include everything from working with animal conservation centers to volunteering time with service organizations overseas, so they are likely to learn a ton during their trip.
When is it? Various times
How much is it? Various prices
GLOBAL LEADERSHIP ADVENTURES
(DESTINATION PROGRAM)
This is another program featuring destinations across the globe with a volunteering and leadership training focus. From manatee conservation in Belize to learning about hospital careers in Thailand, there are a ton of great opportunities here.
I do feel like these programs are focused more on education than they are on community building, but even so, there will be plenty of time to make friends during their trip.
When is it? Various times
How much is it? $4,600 -$8,000, depending on the program you choose
WORLDSCHOOLING POP UPS
(A WHOLE FAMILY EXPERIENCE!)
Alright, alright. This is technically not a summer camp, but it is a great way to build community!
In fact, my family has participated in 4 different pop-ups across Southeast Asia over the last few months, and we've made some wonderful connections with other traveling families during that time!
Each pop up hub lasts about a week, with a few activities each day that you can choose to join or skip. What activities are available depends a lot on where you are in the world, but they typically include a mix of budget-friendly trips like parks or malls and more expensive outings like seeing Angkor Wat at sunrise. (It was cool.)
When is it? Various times and places
How much is it? $140/family for access to the group, plus any other expenses involved
INTERACTION SUMMER CAMP
(INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CAMP)
InterAction is a faith-based (Christian) volunteer organization that has been putting on summer camps for more than a decade.
Currently, they offer bilingual summer camps for kids age 10-18 in France, Belgium, and Germany. These camps are more like the traditional camps I grew up with than the adventure travel camps higher up on the list. (Think ultimate frisbee instead of white water rafting.)
When is it? Various times and places
How much is it? About $300-$350, depending on the camp and the ages of your kids.
REBOOT CANADA
(RE-ENTRY FOR MISSIONARY KIDS)
This is another Christian camp, but with a slightly different focus. This camp is specifically for Missionary Kids ages 17-20 who are returning to Canada from the field. I know that's a pretty specific audience, but I'm including it on this list because I love the entire concept of helping TCKs who have grown up abroad to get a refresher course on their passport country's culture so they can have an easier time fitting back in.
Knowing how little support many TCKs get when it comes to big changes like heading “home” after growing up abroad, this seems like a concept that I would like to see replicated elsewhere.
When is it? August 3 - 10
Where is it? Alberta, Canada
How much is it? CAD$ 1,850
AND THAT'S IT!
Summer camp is such an iconic part of so many kids' childhoods and something that I myself remember very fondly about my own time growing up. I hope this helps to encourage you all to seek out ways that you can help provide opportunities for your kids to connect and make friends, no matter where in the world they may be!