Stroll the winding brick pathways of Peddler's Village illuminated by more than a million glowing, twinkling holiday lights. Photo by Tohickon Media
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Photo ops abound at the gorgeous light displays at LumiNature. Photo by Winnie Chung for the Philadelphia Zoo
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The zoo lights are aglow at LumiNature. Photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Zoo
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Take a sparkling selfie at the Miracle on South 13th Street. Photo by K. Kelly for Visit Philadelphia
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Photo courtesy of Philadelphia's Magic Gardens
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Kids under 18 are always free at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Photo by Liz Baill
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Fishtown families flock to Penn Treaty Park for the waterfront views, special events, and open space. Photo by M. Kennedy for Visit Philadelphia
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Grand Slam U.S.A. challenges you to a game of laser tag! Photo courtesy of the center
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Build birthday memories brick by brick at LEGOLAND. Photo courtesy of LEGOLAND
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Ricketts Glen State Park is a family-friendly destination with awesome activities for all ages. Photo of Ricketts Glen by the author
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Put your skills to the test on the obstacle course at Urban Air. Photo courtesy of Urban Air
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Visit the African American Museum in Philadelphia (AAMP), located in the heart of Old City.
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Take in 300 years of history on Elfreth's Alley. Photo courtesy of the museum
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In addition to Pay-What-You-Wish First Sundays, kids 18 and under are always free at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Photo courtesy of the museum
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Ultimo Coffee serves up treats and pours hearts all day. Photo courtesy of the shop
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Turn your eye of the tiger into the eye of an artist at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
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Learn all about fire safety and the history of firefighters in Philly at the Fireman's Hall Museum.Photo by J. Fusco for Visit Philadelphia
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Take a bikde ride through Doylestown. Photo by Rose Gordon Sala
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Six Flag Great Adventure brings big-time thrills and is one of our favorite amusement parks in New Jersey.
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Both babies and dogs love stroller walks for some fresh air. Photo courtesy of Gina Massaro for Mommy Poppins
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Parents eat while kids climb and slide at Craft Hall.
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Pony rides always bring out smiles at Linvilla Orchards. Photo courtesy of the orchard
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Try a whiz-wit at Tony Luke's, a reliable Philly cheesesteak spot with multiple locations. Photo courtesy of J. Varney for GPTMC
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Challenge the rope bridge and zip line at Elmwood Park Zoo. Photo courtesy of the zoo
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Blue Cross RiverRink is open for Summerfest in the warmer months and Winterfest in the colder months. Photo courtesy of J. Fusco for Visit Philadelphia
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Kids can zoom down the slide and, of course, launch scarves at Kith + Kin. Photo courtesy of Kith + Kin
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No one walks the plank, but everyone has fun with with Scallywag’s Pirate Adventures in Erie. Photo courtesy of Scallywag's Pirate Adventures.
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Take a hike: Family getaways are a great opportunity to reconnect with nature.
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Over a million lights illuminate the Philadelphia Zoo with LumiNature as it transforms into a sparkling winter wonderland. Photo by Georgi Anastasov
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Top Philadelphia Summer Camps for Teens and Tweens

Junior Marine Biologists Camp at The Center for Aquatic Sciences at Adventure Aquarium gives camper ages 11-14 the opportunity to dive deep into the summer camp experience and discover what it is like to have a science career. Photo courtesy of the aquarium
Junior Marine Biologists Camp at The Center for Aquatic Sciences at Adventure Aquarium gives camper ages 11-14 the opportunity to dive deep into the summer camp experience and discover what it is like to have a science career. Photo courtesy of the aquarium
2/11/24 - By Maureen Wilkey

Summer camp is a great way for tweens and teens to explore their interests, make new friends, and stay active during the summer. Whether they're interested in sports summer camps, film summer camps, theater summer camps, or STEAM summer camps, there are tons of summer camps in Philadelphis for teens and tweens to find the right fit. 

We've rounded up the best summer camps in Philly for teens and tweens below, and you can find more summer camp options for kids of all ages and intrerests in our Philadalphia Summer Camp Guide. 

Lavner summer camps come in a variety of themes: from traditional day camps, to sports camps, to computer programming, to arts, theater, chess and more. Photo courtesy of Lavner Camps
Lavner summer camps come in a variety of themes: from traditional day camps, to sports camps, to computer programming, to arts, theater, chess and more. Photo courtesy of Lavner Camps

Fun Philly Summer Camps for Teens and Tweens

Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts Summer Art Camp

Center City
Summer art camp at PAFA allows campers to choose their focus, including drawing, painting, printmaking, bookmaking, animation, graphic novels, media production, and more. Camps are divided by age, ages 11-12 and ages 13-14, and the topic changes from week to week.   READ MORE

Tyler School of Art and Architecture Summer Studios

Northwest Philadelphia
For those considering pursuing art as a major in college, Tyler School of Art at Temple University is offering for the first time this unique program. Combining academic and studio coursework, campers will spend mornings critically thinking about media, marketing and culture, and afternoons in the art studios creating their own work. This program is for 10th through 12th graders. College credit is available. READ MORE

WHYY Summer Camps

Center City
WHYY Summer Journalists and Summer Filmmakers give participants the opportunity to develop their skills and leave with samples of their work.  Journalism campers will be out on the streets, shooting and editing video, producing audio content and telling great stories. Filmmakers will learn how to script, shoot, act and edit movies using WHYY's filmmaking equipment. By the end of this three-week session, you'll already have one credit to your name: your very own short film. READ MORE

Philadelphia School of Circus Arts Summer Camp

Germantown
For those who want to try something completely different this summer, Philadelphia School of Circus Arts's Circus Camp should be on the list. For kids, tweens, and teens ages 4-16, each weeklong session includes learning trapeze, aerial rope, silks, juggling, unicycling, plate-spinning, diabolo, devil sticks, tightwire, rolling globe, rola-bola, clowning, and tumbling. At the end of the session, campers will perform their own mini-circus.  READ MORE

Drexel University Neuroscience Camp for High School Students

University City
Highly motivated high school sophomores and juniors with strong academic backgrounds and an interest in neuroscience can apply to Drexel University's Neuroscience Camp for High Schoolers. Learn about the brain and spinal cord from award-winning faculty and their graduate students, experience live brain activity recordings, and listen to lectures on a variety of neuroscience topics. READ MORE

Lavner Camps Pennsylvania

University City
Lavner summer camps come in a variety of themes: from traditional day camps, to sports camps, to computer programming, to arts, theater, chess and more. There are locations in Fort Washington, Gwynedd Valley, and Malvern for ages 6 to 14. READ MORE

Main Line Art Center Summer Camps

Northwest Philadelphia
On-site camps are offered for artists ages 5-16. Before and after care can be provided for all ages. Tween and teen campers can register for drawing and painting, digital photography, ceramics, jewelery and metals while younger ones participate in Palette Pals. READ MORE

The Franklin Institute Summer Camps

Logan Square
The Franklin Institute offers STEM-themed camps for kids in grades K-9. Dive deep into tech-based maker themes, perform hands-on experiments, or learn about technologies like 3D printing or visual programming at programs with a different theme each week. READ MORE

Center for Aquatic Sciences at Adventure Aquarium Summer Sea Camp

Camden, NJ
Kids ages 4-14 can learn about aquatic life and become a junior marine biologist at Summer Sea Camp. Kids will perform hands-on experiments, meet experts in aquatic science, and go on field trips in these full-day or half-day camps. READ MORE

The Handwork Studio Summer Camp

Haverford
The Handwork Studio provides children ages 5-15 a variety of summer camp options such as woodworking, baking and robotics. Kids and teens can spend summmer learning how to make things with their hands.  READ MORE

Yes! And... Summer Sort of Thing

Germantown
Yes! And... Collaborative Arts gives tweens and teens a chance to work on their own musical for the entire month of July at its Summer Sort of Thing arts camp. Campers will learn basics of stagecraft, design, rehearsal, and refinement as they build a show designed to be seen by a community audience. Performances will take place on the last three days of camp. READ MORE

Penn State Abington Kids and Teen College Summer Programs and Camps

Abington
Kids, tweens, and teens can expand their knowledge of academic topics and interests at Penn State Abington's Kids and Teen College Summer Camps. Pick from topics like Forensic Institute, Tech Crafters, Oratory Odyssey, and Artistry Unleashed for a week of camp. Sessions run Monday through Thursday, 9AM to 4PM. READ MORE

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