Dandelion
Summer Camp
2025

Dandelion Summer Camp 2025

Dandelion camps are all about fun, exploration, collaboration, and play!! Whether exploring a specific interest in one of our themed weeks, or immersed in nature at FDR park, we support campers in building meaningful relationships with themselves, their fellow campers, and the world around them!

This year we are offering two different camp experiences: themed camp weeks at the Dandelion Project Building and our outdoor camp at FDR Park. Themed weeks cater to different ages (including young teens!) with specific interests and our outdoor camp is open to youth ages 5-10!

All of our summer camps have sliding scale tuition. There are four price points for each week of camp. You select the camp tuition price best fits your budget!

Reach out to hello@thedandelionproject.us with any questions!

Themed Camp Weeks
July 7-August 8

Dandelion Camp Week 1

July 7th-11th

The Dandelion Project Building

Ages: 8-12 years old

Foods of South Philly

We are so grateful to be neighbors with the Italian Market in South Philadelphia, and we are thrilled to help kids learn more about our neighborhood through a week of food tasting and cooking! We will kick off our culinary exploration on Monday with a tour of The Italian Market where we will learn about all the cultures and groups of people who have contributed to this thriving food hub. Each day for the rest of the week, campers will try new flavors from different market stands and learn more about the history of a variety of cuisines. Handmade tortillas, cannoli, or fresh summer rolls anyone? In the afternoons, we’ll bring ingredients from the market back to The Dandelion Project Space where young people will try out their own cooking skills! Campers will learn some cooking basics – including knife safety and the foundations of flavor – and complete a cooking or baking project each day!

Dandelion Camp Week 2

July 14th-18th

The Dandelion Project Building

Ages: 8-12 years old

Theater and Fantasy World Building

Calling all imaginative young people! Campers in our second week of camp will collaboratively create their own theatrical performance. Drawing inspiration from Wicked, Moana, and Where the Wild Things Are, kids will invent original magical characters and design a wondrous imaginary world. Campers will explore different acting exercises, devise their own plays, design costumes, construct sets, and experience the joy of collaborative creativity! This week will culminate with a special performance for parents and community members. Kids with all levels of theater experience are welcome.

Dandelion Camp Week 3

July 21st-25th

The Dandelion Project Building

Ages: 5-9 years old

Embodied Art

Our third week of camp in our South Philly space will focus on embodied art projects! Each morning, campers will learn about artists who use their bodies to make art in interesting ways. We will spend time noticing how art makes us feel as individuals and as a camp collective. Then, we will explore a wide variety of art activities! We will explore how our five senses impact and are impacted by art! We will use our bodies in unique and unusual ways to make art!

Projects may include slime art, edible art, dance, sound sculptures, kinetic sculptures, paint stomping, and more! Kids will be encouraged to express their unique creative ideas while building new friendships with other creative youth.

Dandelion Camp Week 4

July 28th - August 1st

The Dandelion Project Building

Ages: 10-14 years old

Activism and Creative Media

Philadelphia is home to amazing community-based organizations working tirelessly to build a better city, and a better world! We believe kids should have a voice in activist movements and are excited to share the strong legacies of activism in our city. Campers will meet with a guest from a local organization each morning to learn about what their group is fighting for and how young people might contribute to their cause. We’ll hear from organizers advocating for immigrant rights, fighting for justice for Palestine, protecting Philly’s Chinatown neighborhood, and confronting environmental racism. In the afternoons, campers will explore different forms of media that social justice organizations use to advance their causes, including video essays, zines/comics, and posters/public art. Young people will choose an issue or organization they feel passionately about and create their own media project to support a campaign happening in Philly now! Young people will build community with other youth passionate about social justice while building skills to advocate for the world they want to live in.

Dandelion Camp Week 5

August 4th - 8th

The Dandelion Project Building

Ages: 10-14 years old

Our City: a Week of Philly Adventures

During our final week of camp, young people are invited to explore Philadelphia together and experience the city’s diverse history and culture. We’ll spend our days navigating different neighborhoods, museums, and natural spaces, learning more about the past and present of Philadelphia, while reflecting our hopes for the future of the city. As a culminating project, campers will create their own Future Philly Manifestos — original projects representing their hopes for the future of our city that may take the form of zines, creative writing, or posters. Young people can choose to provide copies of their manifestos to The Wooden Shoe bookstore on South Street to share their visions for the future with Philly residents. This week will offer campers an opportunity to connect with other adventurous youth, reflect on what amazing things about our city they want to preserve, and what changes could make Philadelphia an even more connected, just, and vibrant place to live.

Outdoor Camp
July 7 - August 1

We are back in FDR Park for 4 weeks of 2025 Dandelion Summer Camp!

Young adventurers ages 5–10 are invited to join us at FDR Park for an unforgettable summer of outdoor fun! At the heart of our camp is a commitment to environmental stewardship, and we’re thrilled to offer four unique weeks of programming that bring this value to life in creative and exciting ways. From building shelters and observing the lake’s wonders to playing collaborative games and cooling off with refreshing activities, we know how to make the most of summer in the park! At the Dandelion Project, we empower young people to follow their passions, giving campers the freedom to choose how they spend their days and explore what excites them most.

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