Apr 17, 2025
Kids’ and Teens’ Summer Camps on the Peaceful Side
Written by: Emily Huffstetler
With the school year wrapping up, now’s the perfect time to sign up for summer camp on the Peaceful Side of the Smokies. From hiking and swimming to crafting and dancing, there’s an adventure waiting for every kid and teen.
Blount County Parks & Rec hosts day camps that are all about getting active, ranging from sports training to outdoor games.
“Just Get Outdoors” Nature Adventure Camp (Ages 8–12): A fun, outdoor camp where kids explore stream and forest ecology through hands-on lessons in plant and animal biology, animal tracking and nature crafts in a positive, engaging environment.
May 27–30, 2025
Camp Chickababa (Children with disabilities, Ages 6+): Specially adapted for campers with disabilities, this inclusive camp offers therapeutic and fun activities—like arts & crafts, music, and indoor/outdoor games.
Week 1: June 23–27, 2025
Week 2: June 30–July 4, 2025
East Tennessee Quarterback and Receiver School (Rising 6th–8th grade): This camp focuses on developing passing and receiving skills through drills and techniques designed to enhance Quarterback and Receiver play.
June 9–11, 2025
East Tennessee Football School for Offensive and Defensive Linemen (Rising 6th-8th grade): This camp provides position-specific instruction for offensive and defensive linemen, focusing on drills and techniques to build essential skills.
June 9–11, 2025
Future Stars Football Skills Camp (Rising 2nd–5th grade): This camp provides fundamental instruction for all offensive and defensive football positions, helping campers build skills and gain a deeper understanding of their preferred roles through targeted drills and activities.
June 16–18, 2025
Girls Volleyball Camp (Rising 5th–9th grade): Designed for beginner to intermediate players, this camp helps improve volleyball skills and overall court performance while preparing students for school tryouts.
May 27–29, 2025
Marsh Madness Basketball Camp (Ages 8–12): This camp teaches campers fundamental basketball skills and position-specific techniques to help them grow in the game.
June 23–26, 2025
“Camp Move” by Stretch-N-Grow (Ages 3–10): This weekday summer camp offers a variety of enrichment activities including Stretch-N-Grow programs, STEM, crafts, games, relays, obstacle courses, and afternoon water play or swimming.
Week 1: June 2–6, 2025
Week 2: June 9–13, 2025
Week 3: June 16–20, 2025
Week 4: June 23–27, 2025
Week 5: July 7–11, 2025
Week 6: July 14–18, 2025
Week 7: July 21–25, 2025
Week 8: July 28– August 1, 2025
MLK Youth Summer Day Camp (Ages 5–12): This camp offers a variety of activities including a literacy program, computer lab, swimming, field trips, outdoor games, arts & crafts and more, with breakfast and lunch provided.
May 27–June 27, 2025
Soccer Camp (Ages 5–13): This camp offers technical and tactical instruction focused on enhancing individual ball control and skill development.
June 2–5, 2025
Softball Camp (Rising 3rd–8th grade): This camp focuses on the fundamentals of throwing, fielding, hitting, base running and sliding.
June 2– 4, 2025
Sports and More Kids’ Camp (Ages 5–14): This camp offers sports stations for campers of all skill levels to experience a variety of activities, focusing on teamwork, individual achievement and sportsmanship in a fun, positive environment.
Week 1: June 3– 6, 2025
Week 2: June 10– 13, 2025
Track and Field Camp (Ages 6–12): This camp provides instruction on track and field competition, focusing on drills and techniques to develop speed, running form, field event skills (shot put, discus, long jump, high jump and triple jump), and strategies for both sprinters and distance runners.
July 7–9, 2025
Performing Arts Camp (Ages 8–13): This camp is perfect for young performing artists, offering skills in theater, dance, music, prop making/design and more, taught by professionals in each area.
June 16–20, 2025
Wrestling Camp (Ages 6–14): This camp teaches proper wrestling positions—top, bottom, and neutral—along with techniques like pinning and combinations, and includes drills and a takedown tournament/live wrestling session.
June 9–12, 2025
Beach Week Boogie Battles by Stretch-N-Grow (Ages 3–8): This fun-filled camp features beach-themed dancing, relays, races, crafts, STEM activities and more, ending with a Foam Party Finale.
June 23–25, 2025
The Wild West with Water Battles by Stretch-N-Grow (Ages 3–8): This Wild West-themed camp features daily water battles, rodeo games, sack races, wet obstacle courses, crafts, STEM activities and more.
May 27–30, 2025
Fitness Stars Field Days by Stretch-N-Grow (Ages 3–8): This camp brings classic outdoor fun with competitions, sports, relays, games, crafts, STEM activities and more, topped off with a Foam Party Finale.
July 7–9, 2025
Give It a Tri – Youth Sprint Triathlon Camp (Ages 8–14): This camp introduces youth to the world of multisport, offering daily instruction in swimming, biking and running, and culminating in a mini sprint mock triathlon led by USATriathlon Certified Coach Kat Uchman.
June 16–19, 2025
Two more camps are to be announced.
Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont
The Tremont Institute offers overnight summer camps in the Smokies. These all-inclusive experiences are designed to connect campers with nature and new friends from across the country.
While they tend to fill up quickly, there are a few camps that are still open for registration.
Firefly Camp (Ages 4–8, with accompanying adults): This flexible one-, two- or three-night family camp in Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers games, nature exploration, stream wading, campfire fun and firefly watching—giving you and your child a fun, gentle introduction to the summer camp experience.
July 1–4, 2025
Teen High Adventure (Ages 13–17): This 10-day, 9-night backcountry adventure invites teens to explore the Smokies through seven days of backpacking, learning outdoor living skills, gaining confidence and connecting with nature—ending with a well-earned hot shower and a day of paddling.
July 14–24, 2025
Great Smokies Experience (Rising HS juniors, seniors and recent grads): This immersive 11-day college program blends outdoor adventure with environmental study, allowing students to earn college credit while exploring the Smokies through hikes, canoeing, species surveys and hands-on learning.
July 17–28, 2025
Creative Spark Studio, located in Maryville, is offering a variety of four-day art camps for ages six and up.
All Things Paper (Ages 8–15): In this four-day art camp, young artists of all skill levels will explore papermaking, bookbinding and sculpture, culminating in an art show.
May 27– 30, 2025
T-shirt lap quilt (Ages 8–15): In this four-day camp, young creators of all skill levels will learn machine and hand sewing techniques to craft their own t-shirt lap quilt, ending in an art show.
May 27– 30, 2025
Tropical Oasis (Ages 6–12): In this four-day camp, budding artists of all skill levels will explore painting, drawing, sculpture and mixed media, celebrating with a final art show.
June 3– 6, 2025
Fantastical Universe (Ages 6–12): In this four-day camp, young artists will explore the wonders of the universe through painting, drawing, sculpture and mixed media, wrapping up with an art show.
June 10–13, 2025
Drawing and Illustration (Ages 8–15): In this four-day camp, young artists will focus on drawing and illustrating 3D images while exploring other creative mediums like painting and collage, concluding with an art show.
June 17–20, 2025
Van Metre School of Dance (Appalachian Ballet Company)
Van Metre School of Dance, located in Maryville, will host three dance camps and provide private classes.
Fairytale Camp (Ages 4–7): This camp offers lessons in ballet, jazz, modern and choreography for an exciting and magical summer experience.
June 9–13, 2025
Intermediate Camp (Ages 7+): This camp offers a variety of technique, conditioning and performance classes, including ballet, pre-pointe, modern, jazz and hip-hop.
June 9–13, 2025
Summer Intensive (Ages 12+): This camp offers a variety of technique, conditioning and performance classes, including ballet, pointe, modern, jazz, contemporary and hip-hop; pointe required.
July 14–25, 2025
Broadway Center of the Arts has four intensive musical theatre camps planned. Two are still open for registration.
Camp Pure Imagination (Rising 9th grade–2025 HS grads): This 5-day performing camp offers a week full of theatrical fun and learning, culminating in a performance.
June 16–20, 2025
Camp The Lion King KIDS (Rising 2nd–8th grade): This 5-day performing camp featuring The Lion King KIDS offers a week full of theatrical fun and learning, culminating in a performance.
July 7–11, 2025
Camp Wesley Woods, located in Townsend, is a faith-based retreat center focused on spiritual development and outdoor education. They offer a variety of sleepaway camps throughout the summer.
Discovery Half-Week (2nd–4th grade): This first overnight camp experience is designed for young campers to try new activities, make friends and become part of the camp community with fun activities like swimming, archery, campfires and exploring the creek.
June 30–July 2, 2025
Basecamp (4th–10th grade): This camp offers campers the opportunity to unplug, make new friends and try new activities like swimming, archery, pottery and fishing, while growing in their relationship with God and enjoying special events throughout the week.
Week 1: June 1– 6, 2025
Week 2: June 22–27, 2025
Week 3: July 20–25, 2025
Adventure Glamping (6th–10th grade): This camp offers campers the chance to stay in air-conditioned accommodations while participating in adventurous activities like caving, paddling, climbing and hiking, all while exploring East Tennessee and deepening their relationship with God.
Week 1: June 1– 6, 2025
Week 2: June 8–20, 2025
Week 3: July 6–18, 2025
Week 4: July 20–25, 2025
Leader-in-Training (Rising 10th grade): This program offers campers the chance to develop servant leadership skills through hands-on experience, while gaining new skills in camp operations, having fun and making new friends.
June 22–27, 2025
Gym Counts
Gym Counts, located in Maryville, offers full and half-day gymnastics camps for ages 5–13.
The camps will feature a mix of indoor and outdoor games, arts and crafts, and gym-based activities such as gymnastics, parkour, ninja warrior courses and trampoline instruction.
Week 1: June 2–6
Week 2: June 9–13
Week 3: June 16–20
Week 4: June 23–27
Week 5: July 7–11
Week 6: July 14–18
Week 7: July 21–25
Week 8: July 28–Aug 1