Public elementary schools in the United States have a summer vacation of about two months. In our school district, it starts from early June to early August.
Many people use this period to plan a family vacation, but two months is a long time, so if you do not have family members who can look after your children during the rest of the time, you will need to make other arrangements.
What kind of services are available if you work full-time?
There are three main options in my area:
- Register in the summer camp that is organized by the after-school care center attached to the elementary school (although it is called a camp, it is not an outdoor camp where you set up tents; It is a daycare planned during the summer break). The hours are covered from morning to evening, and it is within a nearby school, so it is relatively easy to drop off and pick up. However, be careful, as this center might be closed on the last week of summer break. Regarding the program content, it may not have specialization. you cannot expect your children to acquire new skills or gain experience. The price is relatively reasonable. In our school district, it is about $70/day. (As of 2025)
Register for a summer camp organized by a private class. For example, a local swimming school, gymnastics school, ballet class, or art class. Those private classes hold summer camps during the summer break as well. Since it is specialized in each skill, you can register kids for a class you want them to try during the summer session to improve their level, or to have a new experience, which is a bit more exciting. However, the time is short, so it does not cover the whole day, and it is expensive. gymnastics class was $460 from 9 am to 3 pm, Monday to Friday. It is an impossible schedule unless you work from home and can quickly drop off and pick up your children. It also costs a lot to do this for a month.
Register for a summer camp organized by your local community center. About three months before the summer break starts, your local community center will announce several summer camp programs for different age groups. There are various programs, such as soccer, tennis, dance, art, and robotics. This option also helps children explore new skills and interests. The scheduled time can be short, like 2-3 hours or half a day. Some parents sign up for different classes in the morning and afternoon, but a big burden on parents, as they have to take their children to the next class during their lunch break. Also, since it is organized by the community, the program contents are often not as substantial as private classes. The cost of class is normally more reasonable than #2 option.
Although the summer break is long in America, I hope you can make a plan that suits your schedule and your child’s interests so that the children can also enjoy the long break.