Summer Camp 2026 is almost here!

Get ready for SSJC Summer Camp 2026!

This year, we are once again offering a 11-week camp for children ages 1-11 years old. In addition to exploring themes such as Art, Nature, Gardening & Cooking, Theatre and STEM, among many others during our 11 weeks together, the children will also have access to our kitchen, backyard, gym and atelier spaces, as well as an abundance of outdoor time in Jersey City.

Our camp is hosted across our 3 building campus on 9th street in downtown Jersey City, including our Elementary Wing, new gym and creative arts suites.

Summer Camp Dates: June 15 - August 28, 2026

SUMMER CAMP THEMES

SSJC Summer Camp 2026: 11 Weeks of Wonder, Making & Belonging

We are excited to share information regarding our weekly themes for Summer Camp 2026 here at SSJC. Please have a look below to see how we plan to spend our days together. Note, all activities will be developed to be age-appropriate for each class of children. If you have any questions about specific weeks, contact the office at (201) 499 5643 or email us at admissions@scandischool.com.

Week 1 · June 15–18

This Is Me, This Is Us

Identity · Belonging · Community

Children explore identity and connection through self-portraiture, storytelling, body mapping, family symbols, and collaborative installations that honor many ways of being.

This opening week invites children into a shared exploration of identity and belonging. Through self-portraiture, body mapping, storytelling, and collaborative installations, children reflect on who they are and how they exist in relationship with others.

Differences are noticed, honored, and woven into shared visual and narrative projects. The week sets the tone for a summer rooted in connection, care, and community authorship.

Week 2 · June 22–26

Forests, Myths & Magic

Nordic folklore · Nature · Imagination

Inspired by Scandinavian stories and landscapes, children enter enchanted worlds through storytelling, costumes, flower wreaths, mystical creatures, and Midsummer celebration.

Children step into the shadowy edges of forests and the shimmering spaces of myth. Inspired by Nordic folklore and natural landscapes, they imagine creatures, build story worlds, and creatures. These explorations will grow into shared mythologies, dramatic performances, and immersive environments. Nature becomes both setting and storyteller. The week ends with a communal celebration of Midsummer.

Week 3 · June 29–July 2

The World Has a Rhythm

Sound · Movement · Music

Children explore rhythm through instruments, found sounds, dance, body percussion, and global musical traditions—creating shared soundscapes and performances.

This week hums, taps, sways, and sings. Children explore rhythm through sound, movement, and silence—using instruments, found materials, and their own bodies. Investigations will lead to collaborative soundscapes, invented instruments, and movement-based performances. Listening, pattern-making, and cultural curiosity guide the work.

Week 4 · July 6–10

Stories Come to Life

Theatre · Design · Performance

Children transform stories into performances—building stages, creating props, designing costumes, puppetry, shadow play, and simple filmmaking.

Stories leap off the page and into motion. Children transform ideas into performances through set building, puppet-making, costume design, and experimentation with shadow and light. Storylines evolve into plays, films, and ongoing dramatic worlds. Every voice contributes to the unfolding narrative.

Week 5 · July 13–17

Color Everywhere

Painting · Pigments · Expression

A joyful immersion in color—mixing pigments, experimenting with tools and surfaces, creating large-scale murals, and making personal artistic statements.

Color spills, blends, glows, and surprises. Children investigate pigments, light, and emotion through painting, dye-making, and large-scale mural work. Projects will explore color families, mood studies, and collaborative installations that shift over time. The week celebrates bold exploration and visual expression.

Week 6 · July 20–24

From Mark to Form

Drawing · Sculpture · Visual Languages

Children follow the journey from mark-making to form—working with charcoal, ink, paint, wire, clay, and collaborative three-dimensional works.

A single line becomes a shape; a shape becomes an idea. Children explore how marks grow into forms through drawing, sculpture, and construction. Investigations will lead to sculptural studies, architectural models, and evolving visual systems. Process, transformation, and persistence guide the work.

Week 7 · July 27–31

Invent, Tinker, Imagine

STEM · Design Thinking · Engineering

Open-ended building and problem-solving with loose parts, recycled materials, simple machines, and child-led challenges: What could this become?

Curiosity fuels invention this week. Children design, test, revise, and rebuild using loose parts, recycled materials, and simple machines. Questions spark projects such as

bridges, moving objects, imaginative tools, and collaborative structures. Experimentation and teamwork shape each creation.

Week 8 · Aug 3–7

Listening to the Land

Eco-Art · Sustainability · Natural Materials

Children work with plants, soil, sunlight, recycled objects, and natural dyes—exploring care, reuse, transformation, and environmental responsibility.

Children slow down and tune in to the natural world. Working with plants, soil, sunlight, and natural materials. They create eco-art, natural dyes, and land-based installations. Projects focus on cycles, habitats, and caring for shared outdoor spaces. The land offers lessons in patience, transformation, and responsibility.

Week 9 · Aug 10–14

Earth, Water & Time

Clay · Water · Transformation

Hands-on exploration of clay and water—building vessels, landscapes, and installations while observing how materials change with time and touch.

This week unfolds slowly and sensorially. Children shape clay, pour water, and observe how materials respond to touch and time. These explorations will grow into vessel-making, landscape forms, and studies of erosion and change. The work invites deep attention and thoughtful experimentation.

Week 10 · Aug 17–21

From Soil to Table

Gardening · Cooking · Community Care

Children grow, harvest, prepare, and share food—connecting science, culture, responsibility, and nourishment through garden and kitchen work.

Children follow food from its beginnings in the soil to shared meals at the table. Gardening, cooking, and preparation will lead to recipe books, garden plans, and community meals. Projects connect science, culture, and care through hands-on collaboration. Nourishment is understood as both physical and social.

Week 11 · Aug 24–28

In My Body, In This Moment

Movement · Mindfulness · Reflection

A grounding final week focused on movement, breath, balance, slow art, and reflection—supporting regulation, closure, and transition into the new school year.

The summer closes with a gentle turning inward. Through movement, breath, balance, and quiet creative work, children explore body awareness and emotional regulation. Projects will include movement sequences, mandalas, and reflective art pieces. The week offers a calm transition into what comes next.

Forest Camp

June 22-July 17 (4 Weeks) · June 15-July 17 (5 Weeks) · July 20-Aug 21 (5 Weeks)

Join us as we visit nearby parks and nature habitats to explore local flora and fauna in our Forest Summer Camp. Children will take a bus to spend whole weeks at various locations, such as the lush forest and brooks of South Mountain, waterfalls and hiking trails of Watchung, panoramic skyline views of Eagle Rock, marina and bird habitats at Liberty State Park and the marshes of Lincoln Park. They will become intimate with the unique natural features of each place. After spending the mornings offsite, they will return to school, where they will rejoin the regularly-themed camp activities, including games, crafts and sports.

*Please note, this camp is for 4-11 year olds, and may not be purchased as individual weeks.*

Summer Camp Options

Half Day

8:30AM - 1:00PM

The Half Day Program includes a morning snack, plus our chef prepared, plant-forward lunch, every day, and a variety of individual and collaborative projects meant to inspire the natural curiosity of children. Whether exploring fabrics, full-body expression, or digging in our edible garden, each week, children will further their understanding through deep exploration of a topic.

Full Day

8:30AM - 4:00PM

The Full Day Program provides extended opportunities for exploring the many languages of the child, in addition to enjoying an afternoon snack before pick-up at 4pm.

Extended Day

This summer, Scandi School offers a 1pm & 4pm pick up for camp. However, we have a group of Scandi School staff members who will organize an extended care option from

4-6pm for all 11 weeks of camp- if interested, you sign up directly with them at (summersprouts2026@gmail.com). Please note that space is limited, and given on a come first, first served basis. 

Elementary Grade Campers

In addition to exploring the weekly themes, our Elementary Grade students will go on 2 weekly field trips related to the weekly theme and/or nature trips along with the Forest Campers.

Forest Camp

June 15 - July 17 (5 weeks)

June 22 - July 17 (4 weeks)

July 20 - Aug 21 (5 weeks)

8:30AM - 4:00PM

*Please note, this camp is for 4-11 year olds, and may not be purchased as individual weeks.*

Join us as we visit parks and nature habitats across Northern New Jersey to explore local flora and fauna in our Forest Program. Children will take our very own yellow school bus to spend whole weeks at different locations, becoming intimate with the unique features of each place. After spending the mornings on site, they will return to school, where they will rejoin the regularly themed activities.

A Typical Day at Camp

Freeplay

Connect with peers and teachers in the classroom, exploring new materials.

Meeting and snack

A time to sing, dance, do yoga, chat about the day, all while enjoying a fruit or homemade snack.

Project time

This is a special time with the children will have extended opportunities to explore special materials and projects planned by the teachers and often times the children themselves in the classroom, where children will work and create together.

Outdoor time

Being in nature is part of our daily routine, especially during the warm summer. Play at local splash , using the water in our backyard, and running in the grass can be expected each morning (even when it rains!).

Lunch

Each meal is carefully crafted by our chef, often times using ingredients from our own backyard. Each class eats together, family-style, as to create community and unity.

Rest time (Preschool only)

Rest is an important way for our bodies to reset itself, even during the day. Children in our preschool will take an age-appropriate amount of time, where they can lie down, read, sleep, or work quietly on a project.

(Please note, this is for our full-day program, and is scheduled following the 1:00PM pick-up)

Our campers in our K/Elementary division continue project work during this time.

Afternoon Snack

Children enjoy another healthy snack in the afternoon, sometimes one they made earlier in the day!