It’s late May in Sacramento, which means two things: the weather is suddenly perfect, and parents everywhere are realizing that “we’ll figure out summer later” was not as far away as you thought.
If you’re still piecing together your kid’s June through August, or if you are just looking to fill a week here and there, there’s a quietly excellent option in the middle of Midtown that’s worth knowing about. My kid attends Courtyard School, so I’m not exactly a neutral observer here. But I am the parent who picks them up at the end of the day and listens to them chatter away in the car, and somehow, every single week is the best one of summer. I’ll try to keep it honest.
The Basics
Courtyard Summer Camp runs June 22 through August 14, 2026, for eight (themed!) weeks at 205 24th Street, the school’s Midtown campus. The core camp day is 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with before-care starting at 7:30 a.m. and after-care running until 5:30 p.m. That’s a 10-hour window for the working-parent crowd, which is genuinely useful when your meetings refuse to end on time.
Lunch is included every day, with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options (the campus is peanut-free). Our summer camp serves kids roughly TK through rising 8th grade. Important: you sign up by the grade your child will be entering in fall 2026, not their current grade. Camp is closed Friday, July 3, for Independence Day, but otherwise runs straight through.
What a day actually looks like
Mornings start slow. The before-care kids drift in around 7:30, read, draw, or chip away at whatever they’re into, and the buildings gradually wake up as 9:00 approaches and the rest of camp arrives.
Once the day officially kicks off, each camper spends about thirty minutes in their Summer Bridge workbook. It’s a grade-appropriate academic review packet that keeps reading, writing, and math muscles from going fully dormant by August. Then the day shifts into theme-based activities, games, crafts, outdoor play, and a lot of time in the courtyard that the school is literally named after.
Lunch happens together, mid-day. Afternoons mix more theme programming with specialty camp blocks for the kids who signed up for one. Pickup runs from 3:00 for core camp, or anywhere between 3:00 and 5:30 for kids staying through after-care.
Eight Weeks, Eight Themes (plus the specialty stuff)
The themed weeks are a big part of why this camp feels less like daycare and more like an actual program. Kids know what’s coming, and parents get a quick read on the vibe each week:
- Silly Summer Kickoff, June 22 to 26
- Wilderness Warriors, June 29 to July 2
- Blast from the Past, July 6 to 10
- Animal Planet, July 13 to 17
- Animated Adventures, July 20 to 24
- Fairytales, Myths & Legends, July 27 to 31
- Galactic Getaway, August 3 to 7
- Courageous Capers, August 10 to 14
And if the fun themed weeks aren’t enough, layered on top are the specialty camps (Courtyard’s secret weapon, and the ones that fill up fastest). Miss Steph runs a K-Pop dance and culture week that is wildly popular with the 3rd-grade-and-up crowd (Stray Kids, ATEEZ, and yes, the Kpop Demon Hunters soundtrack get choreography time). Mr. P runs an RPG/D&D camp for 2nd through 8th graders that has a devoted following. Kids build characters, design their own worlds, and play through campaigns Mr. P writes himself. There’s also a Kinder-to-2nd ballet program, a 3rd-to-8th theater camp, beginner piano and ukulele, and a songwriters’ workshop for the older kids.
Specialty camps have firm age limits and limited spots. If your kid has their heart set on one, sign up early.
Who this camp is a good fit for
Of all the camps in Midtown Sacramento, Courtyard tends to work especially well for:
- Working parents who need the full 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. window without that “technically possible, but barely” feeling
- Kids who do better in smaller groups than the giant 200-camper experience some of the other summer programs run
- Families who are curious about Courtyard as a school, but who haven’t pulled the trigger on a tour – camp is a low-pressure way to spend time on campus and meet the staff
- Creative kids who light up around theater, dance, music, and storytelling
It’s less of a fit if your child’s whole summer dream is competitive sports, wilderness immersion, or sleepaway adventure. We’re a day camp in a school courtyard. The strengths are different ones, and that’s a good thing.
Practical bits before you sign up
A few things worth knowing:
- Register by the grade your child will be in for fall 2026, not the grade they’re finishing now.
- Refunds are case-by-case this year, so book the weeks you’re confident about.
- The 5:30 pickup is strict. Late fees apply, and they scale up with frequency.
How to Register
You can see the full week-by-week schedule and register here, or call the school at (916) 442-5395 with questions. Spots are still open for several weeks, but the popular specialty camps move fast.
And if you find yourself dropping off in the morning and wondering what the rest of the school year looks like at Courtyard, join us for a tour and find out! We know camp is often where a school-year decision starts, and we’ll be hosting tours and inquiries for the 2026-2027 school year all summer.
