Summer Camps & Youth Programs

All-Day Summer P.L.A.Y. Camp

JUNE 15 – AUGUST 8  |  $150/week

Ages 5-11  |  MONDAY-FRIDAY  |  7:30 A.M. TO 6:00 P.M.

HIGH STREET BAPTIST, PRESTON REC CENTER, GRANDIN COURT REC CENTER

Join us for a summer packed full of activities! With convenient weekly sessions at three locations, this summer all-day version of our After School P.L.A.Y. program includes sports and games, speakers/instructors, arts and crafts, and various field trips, all with a focus on overall youth development. Qualified, trained, and experienced staff will initiate fun and interactive activities for all participants. 

• June 15 – August 8, 2025
• Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (excluding holidays).
• Breakfast, Lunch, and Snack provided
• $150/week
• Participants can register weekly, or for the entire summer.
• Registration is taken on a first-come, first-served basis.

To register, please contact the recreation center directly:

• Preston Recreation Center: 540-853-2770
• Grandin Court Recreation Center: 540-853-2446
• High Street Baptist: 540-309-0960

Environmental Adventure Camp

Ages 8-11  |  MONDAY-FRIDAY  |  8:00 A.M. TO 5:00 P.M.

Immerse yourself in the natural world this summer.  Environmental Adventure Camp is designed to connect you with different aspects of nature and the environment. Each day will have a new theme, including water, geology, wildlife, and plants, with a final day of traditional summer camp activities. Your child will float the Roanoke River and dip net for aquatic animals, hike to travertine waterfall and hunt for fossils, go bird watching and learn the different strategies animals use to survive. Campers will also core a tree to see its age, learn how to compost, and plant native wildflowers. The week will be capped off with a visit to the Peaks Retreat for a day of climbing, ropes courses, archery, and so much more!

Cost: $295 per week

JUNE 9 – 13    JUNE 23 – 27

Outdoor Exploration Camp

Ages 8-11  |  MONDAY-FRIDAY  |  8:00 A.M. TO 5:00 P.M.

Get outside this summer with Roanoke Parks and Recreation Outdoor Exploration Camp! This camp is designed to keep your child engaged outside with nature activities including wilderness survival, nature crafts, and river ecology. Campers will also experience outdoor recreation activities like hiking, ropes course, zipline, caving, water sports (canoeing, kayaking, tubing or Stand Up Paddle Boarding), archery, slackline, and rock climbing. Outdoor Exploration Camp will meet at Fishburn Park and travel each day to a new adventure.

Cost: $295 per week

JULY 28 – AUGUST 1

Big Adventure Camp

Ages 12-14  |  MONDAY-FRIDAY  |  8:30 A.M. TO 5:00 P.M.

Get outside this summer with Roanoke Parks and Recreation Big Adventure Camp! We’ve created a summer camp experience geared toward different, more challenging excursion for older youth. While similar to Outdoor Exploration Camp, we’ll be exploring different venues and building various adventure skills for a new, engaging experience. Returning campers and first time participants are welcome! Our activities may include hiking, caving, water sports (canoeing, kayaking, tubing, or Stand Up Paddleboarding), rope course, archery, zipline, slackline, and rock climbing. Big Adventure Camp will meet at Fishburn Park and travel to a new adventure each day.

Cost: $310 per week

AUGUST 11 – 15

Brazilian Soccer Summer Camp

Ages 4-16  |  MONDAY-FRIDAY  |  July 21-25, 2025  |  River’s Edge Park

Expert coaches, exciting games, and loads of fun will help spark your kid’s love for soccer. Get ready for a summer of unforgettable adventures!

MORE INFO 

SAVE THE DATE FOR PLAYPALOOZA 2025: FRIDAY, AUGUST 8. Additional details coming soon!

2024 details are below.

PLAY-Palooza Back to School Event

Families are invited to join PLAY Roanoke for our Back to School PLAY-PALOOZA! This year, PLAY-PALOOZA will celebrate the end of summer in conjunction with our Summer Fun at Washington Park program where we will have bounce houses, food for participants, and a live DJ.

Join us on from 2 PM – 6 PM to discover all of the programs that PLAY Roanoke has to offer. Learn about outdoor recreation activities, athletics sports teams, environmental education programs, and more! We will also feature information from other providers including, but not limited to, after school care, athletic clubs, family services, recreation opportunities, and lots of other vendors.

Details below are for 2024.

Horton Hoops

Ages 13-18  |  THURSDAYS  |  JUN 13 – AUG 8  |  Horton Park

FREE Summer pickup basketball games for ages 13 to 18. Meet up Thursdays from 4:30-6:30 PM at Horton Park (2500 Salem Turnpike NW). We’ll have music, speakers, food, games, and prizes!

FLYER

Details below are for 2024.

Cavesim Mobile Caving Experience

JULY 12  |  2:00-5:00 PM  |  WASHINGTON PARK (UPPER)

JULY 13  |  9:00 AM-5:00 PM  |  WASENA PARK 

Learn about and test your skills. With CaveSim, you can explore 60-feet of artificial cave passage, get hands-on practice with caving equipment, and marvel at the delicate formations. It is FREE to participate, so bring the whole family!

CaveSim Brochure

Nine-year-old Lyvianne Miller makes her way through the crawl through-cave simulator at the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park on Wednesday morning. Wednesday was National Caves and Karst Day which aimes to raise awareness of the crucial roles caves and karsts play by encouraging people to get out and cave this summer. The simulator at the park contained and upper and lower level for participants to crawl and squeeze through while also being staying aware of their surroundings. Buzzers dinged when cave formations, walls, insects, bats and more were accidentally bumped.