Summer Camps

The City of Mentor Recreation Department offers more than 100 different camp experiences each summer for kids ages 4 and older.

Registration for 2024 camps begins February 1 at 8:00 AM for residents and February 5 at 8:00 AM for nonresidents. We highly recommend registering online as we anticipate a very busy registration day!

Download the 2024 City of Mentor Summer Camp Guide now to review offerings.

Camps that take place at the MCRC will follow registration dates based on MCRC membership/non-membership. MCRC Membership Registration February 1st. MCRC Non-Member February 5th.

Mentor Parks & Recreation is dedicated to providing an outstanding, fun and safe camp environment and experience for all those who participate. We offer exciting camp experiences across many areas of interest designed to promote physical activity, teach new skills, and challenge kids to reach and grow and to make new friends. To accomplish these goals while maintaining safety, affordability and convenience, we rely on a well-trained staff of adults and college students who have a passion for working with young people. Here’s a little more about our staff:

• Staff members are primarily adults and college students; a few high school students assist
• All staff members are CPR and first aid certified
• Staff are knowledgeable and well-trained
• All staff members go through criminal background checks before they are hired
• Emergency and safety procedures are reviewed and practiced on a regular basis
• Staff members are available to answer your questions at any time
• We maintain low staff to camper ratios to provide the best experience possible

Easy Ways to Register

• Online: It’s FREE, easy, fast, secure and convenient! Mentor Parks & Recreation moved to a new registration software system in December 2018. The easy to use Customer Portal allows for fast, safe and secure online registration and a view of your registration history. If you have not used the updated online registration and wish to register for camps online, you must call the Recreation Office at 440-974-5720, Wildwood Cultural Center at 440-974-5735 or the Mentor Ice Arena at 440-974-5730 and set up a new account prior to registering.
• Phone-In: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (440) 974-5720 Visa or Mastercard Accepted
•  Drop-Off: Recreation Office – 6000 Heisley Rd. Mentor, Ohio 44060 Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Pay by check or charge.

Please note that registration for camps generally closes the Wednesday before it is scheduled to begin so that our staff can prepare necessary paperwork, verify supplies and maintain the correct staff to camper ratios. Registration will not be accepted the day a camp begins.

CAMP REFUNDS – NEW POLICY
Please choose your camps carefully. Full refunds will only be granted if a camp is canceled by the City of Mentor. An administrative fee of $25 will be assessed per person per camp for any changes made to camp registrations. Changes will include participant cancellations, refund requests and/or transfers. Changes must be made one month prior to the start of camp. Camp changes and partial cancellations cannot be applied to the Full 9 Week Camp option. If changes are requested, the camper will be withdrawn from the Full program and waitlisted/registered for individual camp weeks. With this option, refunds will not be granted after the start of the program.

Communication with Campers and Parents
About four days before each of our camps is scheduled to begin, parents and campers can expect to receive information by email with a reminder of where camp is held, what to bring, as well as any updated information you might need to make your camp experience the best. You will also receive an Information & Emergency Form that will need to be completed and turned in to the camp director the first day of camp. It is important that parents provide a valid email address upon registration so that we can deliver this important information to you.

What To Bring/Wear/Remember for Camp
For all camps: Wear loose, comfortable clothing and tennis shoes (no sandals) each day. Also, to stay properly hydrated, each participant will need to bring a water bottle with his/her name on it to camp every day. For outdoor camps, please apply sunscreen 30 minutes before arriving at camp.

What Types of Camps Are Offered By Mentor Recreation?

• Traditional Day Camps
  Civic Center Day Camp Day icluding superstars, ventures, and explorers offer exciting daily activities including swimming, field trips, games, and more! Extended Care is available through our Rise and Shine and Cool Down Camp.
• Discovery Camps
  Discovery Camps such as Grandparent and Me!, Wildwood Theatre Camp, X-Treme Science Challenge Camp and the new Echo Hero Camp offer kids the chance to do something different while learning new skills, expanding on a hobby, or just trying something new of interest. Our Middle School Camp, Operation Outrageous Fun, provides different weekly adventures for students having completed grades 6 – 8. Garfield Play Camp, a favorite among preschoolers, is a day camp for children age 4 – 6.
• Sport Camps
  Popular one-week sport and special interest camps include Boating, Soccer, Track, Figure Skating, Hockey, Gymnastics, Basketball, Scuba Diving, Tennis, and more.

Have Questions About Camp?
Just send us an email at recreation@cityofmentor.com with your camp questions regarding registration, payments, or other topics of interests. We’ll be in touch with you right away.