10 summer camps in the Chicago area you can still get your kids into

IMSA’S STEM CAMPS

Your Ravenclaw chemists and Slytherin technicians have a place to thrive this summer: The Aurora-based Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy offers STEM-based curricula in weeklong doses for students in grades 3-9. Learn how Olympic athletes harness physics to improve performance; get cooking in the chemistry lab; use CSI techniques to crack a case, and more. Because the IMSA campus will be under construction, most of the Aurora camps this year will be held at Jewel Middle School, 1501 Waterford Road, North Aurora; other camps take place in nearby Batavia and in Chicago. $295 per week. https://www.imsa.edu/stem-enrichment-programs/summerimsa/

ADLER PLANETARIUM’S STEAM CAMPS

Three, two, one, liftoff! Adler Planetarium offers weeklong camps for a wide range of ages, from half-day camps for pre-K kids just learning about science, to tech-heavy options for kids about to enter eighth or ninth grade. Depending on the camp, your future NASA whiz will learn how to use telescopes, program robots, launch a high-altitude balloon or create her own show for the Grainger Sky Theater. Camps run June 22 through Aug. 7 at the Adler Planetarium, 1300 S. Lake Shore Drive. $185 per week for the half-day Astro Camp; $335-$440 for the full-day camps. https://www.adlerplanetarium.org/learn/kids-and-fam/summer-camps/

U. of C.’s SUPER SUMMER SPORTS CAMP

This Hyde Park camp brings kids of all skill levels together for a rotating roster of recreation — from popular team sports to individual pursuits, such as archery and tennis. Swimming and pool time are also part of the fun. Choose between half-day options (morning or afternoon) or the full-day plan (but camp always lets out at noon Fridays). Sports camp runs June 15 to July 24 for kids currently enrolled in kindergarten through eighth grade. On the University of Chicago campus: Henry Crown Field House, 5550 S. University Ave., and Ratner Athletics Center, 5530 S. Ellis Ave. $235-$275 per week for half-day; $440 per week for full-day camp; reductions for additional weeks and siblings. Register by April 15, and save either 10 percent or $50, whichever is greater. https://athletics.uchicago.edu/community/summer_camps

NORTHWESTERN’S WILDCAT SPORTS CAMP

Young athletes who can’t get enough time on the court or in the water are the target audience for this multi-sport camp, run by Northwestern University’s Department of Athletics and Recreation. Kids enjoy access to the university’s top-notch facilities, including its sailing center. Bonus: Transportation is included, via minivans from the northern suburbs or a bus from Diversey Harbor in Lincoln Park. For children currently in first through sixth grades, in three-week sessions: June 15 to July 3, or July 6-24. At Henry Crown Sports Pavilion, 2311 Campus Drive, Evanston. $1,900 for three weeks. https://nurecreation.com/wildcatcamp

CHICAGO FILMMAKERS’ SUMMER CAMP

Tween and teen movie lovers, say, “Action!” Explore the process behind the camera, thanks to Chicago Filmmakers. In one- or two-week programs, the Alfonso Cuaróns, Greta Gerwigs and Bong Joon Hos of the next generation form small teams; each group collaborates on a short movie, from storyboarding and shooting to editing and sound design. Family and friends will get to say, “I knew them when,” because all are welcome to view the finished digital films at the end-of-camp public screening. June 22 through Aug. 14 at Chicago Filmmakers’ Firehouse Cinema, 5720 N. Ridge Ave. $338 for one week, $675 for two. https://chicagofilmmakers.org/youth-classes-and-camps

LOOKINGGLASS’ THEATER CAMPS

Let your burgeoning thespian enjoy the limelight at Lookingglass Theatre’s inventive performing-arts camps. Geared for kids entering fourth through eighth grades, the two-week sessions of Summerglass camp teach physical performance skills such as tumbling, juggling, clowning and shadow puppetry, which the kids then put to work on their own adaptation of a Lookingglass show. Younger ones (entering kindergarten through third grades) attend Wonderglass camp, where they learn how to apply storytelling, music and art to theater — plus they take field trips to downtown cultural institutions. Both camps end with a live performance, so you can toss flowers and holler, “Bravo!” Camps run June 29 through Aug. 21 at two locations: GEMS World Academy Chicago, 350 E. South Water St.; and Fourth Presbyterian Gratz Center, 126 E. Chestnut St. $685 per two weeks. https://lookingglasstheatre.org/curiosity/camps/

MORTON ARBORETUM’S SCIENCE CAMPS

The arboretum’s 1,700 acres provide plenty of space for multiple science-based camps for a wide range of ages, from 4-year-olds to students entering eighth grade. In these weeklong offerings, little ones can learn about leaves and tadpoles, play in the mud or search for wildlife in the woods; older kids can study rocks and fossils, learn how to geocache, or pick up outdoor survival skills. Camp season runs from June 1 through Aug. 14 at Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle. $210 per week for half-day camps, $380 for full day. https://www.mortonarb.org/learn-experience/youth-and-family-programs/summer-science-camps

NOTEBAERT NATURE MUSEUM’S SUMMER CAMPS

Urban kids who yearn for the outdoors should love these Notebaert camps, which take full advantage of the museum’s indoor exhibits and outdoor spaces. Explore prairie, wetland and woodland ecosystems, and walk to explore nearby attractions such as the Lake Michigan shoreline and Green City Market; some campers also go on field trips. The two-week tracks, with an emphasis on observational science and sustainable practices, are divided by age: just for 4-year-olds, then ages 5-6, 7-8 and 9-11. A few of the camps are already full, but registration will stay open until June for those that don’t sell out. At Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, 2430 N. Cannon Drive. $545-$750 for two weeks; save $10 for registering by April 12. https://www.naturemuseumcamp.org/

HYDE PARK ART CENTER’S CREATIVITY CAMPS

The novelty of attending art camp at large visual-arts institution allows kids a great opportunity: They can tour the exhibits and study the art on display before launching into their own pursuits. The Mixed Media camp, for ages 4 and up, lets kids experiment with many kinds of visual arts in the morning, from painting to mosaics to fabric dyeing; the afternoon is devoted to elements of theater arts, including set design and puppetry. Bonus: field trips and outdoor time! Students 10 and up can enroll in one-week “special topics” camp, where they focus on one skill, from stop-motion animation to working with power tools. June 15 through Sept. 4 at Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. $395 for one week, $710 for two; discount available for registering by May 17. https://www.hydeparkart.org/education/youth/creativity-camp/

OLD TOWN SCHOOL’S ARTS CAMPS

Calling all aspiring strummers and drummers, banjo pickers and ivory ticklers! The Old Town School of Folk Music’s summer camps invite kids to do more than learn an instrument; other options include dance and musical theater. Camps run for one or two weeks at the Lincoln Square location, where your kids ( grouped by age) study with the school’s diverse roster of teaching artists. And of course, family and friends can come to applaud the kids during their end-of-camp showcases. June 22 through Aug. 14 at the Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N. Lincoln Ave. $500 for one week, $600-$750 for two weeks. https://www.oldtownschool.org/classes/kids/camp/

Web Behrens is a freelance reporter.