Patch Picks: Five Local Summer Camps

Summer is still a few months away, but it's time to get planning.

For this week's Patch Picks we're highlighting five great local summer camps for your kids.

1. : This boys and girls is located in Darnestown. Campers ages 6 to 14 are separated by gender. There is a co-ed program for 4 and 5 year olds and a Counselor in Training program for 14 and 15 year olds. The full summer session runs from June 20 to August 19, tuition is $4,410. Campers can also choose to enroll in just the first session, which runs from June 20 to July 29 ($2,940), or the second session, which runs from August 1 to August 19 ($1,470). Tuition for session one is due April 1 and tuition for session two is due May 1.

2. : This sports day camp in Darnestown offers programs for children ages 5 to 12. They offer four two week sessions, Monday through Friday, 9:30 - 4:30 p.m. Additionally, a Counselor in Training program is offered for 13, 14 and 15 year olds. The sessions run from the following dates. Session 1: June 20 - June 30; Session 2: July 5 - July 15; Session 3: July 18 - July 29; Session 4: August 1 - August 12. Registration is based on a first come, first serve basis.

3. : This montessori school during the year, offers a variety of adventure and equestrian camps for kids ages 3 to 16 in Darnestown during the summer. Camp programs are offered during 5 summer session: June 20 - July 1, July 4-15, July 18-29, August 1-12 and August 15-19. The variety of offerings include outdoor adventures, extreme sports, vaulting on horseback, equestrian and young olympian training. Prices range from $250 for a one-week session for 3-6 year olds to $775 for a two-week session for 10 to 16 year olds.

4. Johns Hopkins Engineering Innovation Summer Program: Located on the University's nearby Rockville campus, JHU offers a unique four-week engineering program for high school students during the summer. Students get to put their math and science classroom knowledge to the test with real-world demonstrations and challenges. The program is held at the JHU Rockville campus and runs from July 5 to July 29, with classes from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Monday-Friday. Students must have completed their sophomore, junior or senior year of high school and a lab science or Alegebra II course to apply. Students with passing grades will earn three transferable Johns Hopkins University credits at the end of the course. Financial aid is available for those students who qualify. The application fee is $55 and tuition is $2,000. Non-financial aid students who apply and enroll by April will get a $150 discount off tuition.

5. Calleva Camp: A great opportunity for local outdoor and leadership experiences, Calleve offers camp programs for ages 6 to 17. Daytime and overnight activities are available during 13 summer week-long summer sessions from June 6 to Sept. 2. Additionally, a Counselor in Trainting program is available for kids 15 and up or anyone who has completed freshman year in high school. Students in the CIT program will receive $100 off tuition per week. Tuition for the Explorer Camp, for ages 6-9, is $475 per week. All other camps are $495 per week.