Catherine Cook School

Catherine Cook School, a vibrant learning community for students in preschool (age 3) through 8th grade located in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood, offers comprehensive summer camp programming designed to keep bodies and minds active through outdoor and indoor exploration, exercise, and engaging academic activities in a fun and safe environment.

The summer camp lineup features Discovery Camp for rising preschool (age 3) through senior kindergarten (age 6) students, and Adventure Camp for rising 1st grade through 4th grade students. These two-week day camp experiences are available in both full-day and half-day options and provide memorable summers featuring outdoor adventures, service projects, splash days on the school’s rooftop playgrounds, bouncy houses, face painting, sports, arts, STEAM activities, and weekly field trips to exciting destinations.

For incoming Early Childhood students, the Cougar Cubs Welcome Camp is a specially designed mini-camp running for one week in half-day sessions. This engaging and educational program helps new students acclimate to their school environment, establish routines, and build confidence. Students visit their classroom, lunchroom, rooftop playgrounds, library, main office, security, nurse’s office, the Head of School’s office, and explore much more of their new school home.

August Mini-Camps offer one-week focused experiences for rising Junior Kindergarteners (age 4) through 8th Graders, with each camp exploring a single topic in depth. Available mini-camps include All Aboard the S.S. Kindergarten (Senior Kindergarten), Totally Techy (Junior Kindergarten – 2nd Grade) focusing on coding and technology, Dress For Mess (Junior Kindergarten – Senior Kindergarten) for creative messy play, Make It and Take It (Senior Kindergarten – 2nd Grade) featuring hands-on crafts, Cougar Cubs Welcome Camp (Preschool – Senior Kindergarten, Cook students only), Movie Star Camp (3rd – 8th Grade) exploring film and performance, Beginner Photography (4th – 8th Grade) learning camera skills and composition, Summer Sports Extravaganza (Senior Kindergarten – 5th Grade) for multi-sport fun, and Volleyball Camp (5th – 8th Grade) for skill development.

The school’s beautiful campus at 226 West Schiller Street in Chicago’s Gold Coast features extensive facilities including multiple rooftop playgrounds, well-equipped classrooms, athletic spaces, a library, art studios, and specialized learning environments. The school emphasizes curiosity, critical thinking, and compassionate leadership, values that extend into the summer programming.

Catherine Cook School is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS) and is a member of the Lake Michigan Association of Independent Schools (LMAIS). Questions about summer camps should be directed to Sophia Roberson, Coordinator of Auxiliary Programs.