Summer Enrichments

Summer will be here before you know it! Keep your children engaged and learning all summer! James River has programs to make learning fun and adventurous for all kinds of kids. Most camps are open to the public. Those marked with a cardinal () are for James River students only.

 

Choose your child's summer camp and/or enrichment activities from those listed below and then complete the sign-up by following the link for the camps you choose. 

Summer Day Camp at The Children’s Center
Searching for somewhere to spend those summer days? Look no further! The Children’s Center at James River Day School provides childcare for rising first graders through rising 5th graders. Campers will spend a fun-filled summer taking field trips to local destinations such as Amazement Square, FunQuest, and the movies. Kids can swim or just float around to cool off each week in a nearby swimming pool. In addition, children will enjoy creating crafts, reading books, and playing outside. Each day, children need to bring lunch, morning and afternoon snacks, and a water bottle. Our certified staff will supervise your children. Contact Tatum Laing to apply or for more information. If space is available, children may enroll by the week.

Director: Tatum Laing
Grades: Rising 1st graders through 5th graders
Dates/Times: Monday - Friday, June 8 - August 7, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (Camp will be closed July 3 for the holiday.)
Cost: $2500 for the 9 weeks or $325 per week (for prearranged weeks); activities and field trips are included.

To sign up or learn more, click here.

Experience an “out of this world” enrichment.  In this camp, 1st - 4th graders will explore outer space through stories, art, science experiments, and STEM activities.  Each day will feature a different aspect of space:  planets, stars, the moon, astronauts, rockets, and even aliens!  Students will paint a night sky, explore how craters are made, build and test paper rockets, create clay aliens, and more.  Space Camp at JRDS is sure to be a blast! 2nd - 4th graders could consider adding Supervised Lunch June 8-12 and Mud Club (Pottery) for a full day of activities at James River.

Instructor: Sarah Knapp

Ages: Rising 1st through 4th graders

Dates: June 8-12

Time: 9:00 - 11:30 a.m.

Cost: $175- BUY

Maximum Class Size: 14

Grades: Rising 2nd through 4th graders

Dates: June 8-12

Time: 12:30 - 3:00 p.m.

Cost: $200- BUY

Maximum Class Size: 14

Children will relive the joy of summer through play, inspired by the "Let Grow" movement from author Lenore Skenazy. They will engage in various activities to foster independence, perseverance, and problem-solving. We will bring back classic games and will visit Riverside Park, Peaks View Park, and Riverfront Park. Transportation to and from local parks is included. As a culminating activity, we will walk to May Lynns on Friday and enjoy a fun summer treat. Combine with the Enchanted Engineering Camp and Supervised Lunch/Recess for a full day of fun all week.

 

What do watermelon, lemonade, bubbles, nature, and water balloons all have in common? Come, explore and find out at the Summer, Stories, and STEAM camp! Each day will have a summer-related theme starting with a story and then conquering a correlating STEAM or art project. This is an ideal summer camp for those who love to expand their thinking and create in the classroom.  When applicable, some taste testing may be involved. 

Instructors: Hollyday Marks

Grades: Rising 1st through 4th graders

Dates: June 22-26

Time: 9:00 - 11:30 a.m.

Cost: $175- BUY

Maximum Class Size: 14

Choose this option to hang with Mrs. Marks between Summer Stories/STEAM and Creative Kids Art Camp.

After lunch, your child will have a recess. 

Instructor: Hollyday Marks

Grades: Rising 1st through 4th graders

Dates: June 22-26

Time: 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Cost: $25- BUY

Creative Kids Art Camp celebrates summer and all things art! Campers will explore a variety of creative mediums including drawing, painting, sculpture, and mixed media while working on fun, summer-themed projects. This camp encourages imagination, self-expression, and hands-on creativity in a relaxed, supportive environment. Open to rising 1st through rising 4th graders. We can’t wait to create with you this summer!

Instructor: Sarah Hellewell

Grades: Rising 1st through 4th graders

Dates: June 22-26

Time: 12:30 - 3:00 p.m.

Cost: $175- BUY

Maximum Class Size: 16

This camp will have a combination of guided projects and independently designed projects. Open to beginner and intermediate potters. This is perfect for campers who want to explore the magic of clay and have ideas they want to bring to life.

Instructor: Ashley Felder

Grades: Rising 5th through 8th graders

Dates: June 22-26

Time: 12:30 - 3:00 p.m.

Cost: $200- BUY

Maximum Class Size: 14

Based on recipes from the very popular book series in our library, Botanical Beauty Camp is a spa-inspired week where campers will create their very own product brand, complete with custom packaging and labels! All ingredients are natural, allergy-checked by parents, and kid-friendly. Each day will end with a mindful spa practice to share at home. A blissful week of pampering and entrepreneurship!

Instructor: Betsy Rhodes

Grades: Rising 1st through 4th graders

Dates: July 6-10

Time: 9:00 - 11:30 a.m.

Cost: $175- BUY

Maximum Class Size: 12

Graphic Novel Production 

Storytelling through words and arts! Do you like to read? Create? Do you like to tell stories? Even if you don't, this is a great camp to help you stretch your imagination. Campers can retell stories that have happened to them, create stories from scratch, or retell their favorite story. The possibilities are endless. Art skills are NOT required. Campers will write stories and create pictures to accompany them - digitally or hand-drawn. By the end of the week, students will have a digital copy of a project in progress, with the goal of a finished book. Each student will get individualized instruction and group inspiration. 

Instructor: Casey Eccles

Grades: Rising 3rd through 8th graders

Dates: July 13-17

Time:  9:00 - 11:30 a.m.

Cost: $175- BUY

Maximum Class Size: 14

Carve out time for reading and create one-of-a-kind art in this week-long summer upcycling camp. Mrs. Rhodes invites middle school students to explore creativity, environmental responsibility, and storytelling through art inspired by The Seventh Most Important Thing by Shelley Pearsall. Using the novel’s theme of finding value in what others discard, students will transform donated and reclaimed materials into original works of art. Throughout the week, campers will read and discuss key moments from the story, learn basic design techniques, experiment with mixed media, sculpture, and assembly. On Friday, we will showcase our works in a gallery celebration!

Instructor: Betsy Rhodes

Grades: Rising 5th through 8th graders

Dates: July 20-24

Time: 9:00 - 11:30 a.m.

Cost: $175- BUY

Maximum Class Size: 12

Let us help ease the transition into your child’s first year of school with our fun and engaging JRDS Kindergarten Readiness Camp! Each morning will mirror a typical school day, beginning with carpool drop-off at the front of the school and ending with front pick-up. Children will practice important routines, such as hanging up their backpacks, washing their hands, and settling into their new classroom spaces. This is also a wonderful opportunity for students to begin building relationships with their Kindergarten teachers. Throughout the week, we will read, sing, and practice key readiness skills, including letter recognition and sounds, early writing, counting, and more. Children will enjoy hands-on and whole-body activities like climbing and swinging on the playset, exploring the campus nature trail, and creating crafts and projects. Campers will explore the school and visit their “specials” classes, including art, music, foreign language, library, and the Field House (gym). Of course, no full school experience would be complete without lunch in the Cardinal Café! Please pack your child a lunch each day so they can practice sitting and eating at the lunch tables with their peers. We are thrilled to welcome rising, enrolled JRDS students for this fun, exciting, and informative week of Kindergarten readiness!

Please pack one snack, lunch, and a labeled water bottle.

Instructors: Carly Lawrence and Michelle Lucado

Grades: Rising Kindergarteners

Dates: August 3-7

Time: 9:00 - 11:45 a.m.

Cost: $175- BUY

Maximum Class Size: 26

 

 

Forensic Science Camp: Whodunit at the Bakery? 🍰🔍

Uh-oh! A sneaky snack bandit has destroyed the inside of the Sugar Shack Bakery. Not only is the secret ingredient of its legendary Death by Chocolate Cake missing, but the cookie boxes have all been torn up, and now we don’t know which nutrition label matches which type of cookie. We need detectives on the case to suss out the right information to bring this bandit to justice! Campers will follow the steps of the scientific method to explore chemical reactions and biological forensic studies by analyzing the fat content of food products. If time permits, a final newspaper report will close the week. This exciting science camp is a cross-curricular blend of chemistry, biology, language arts, critical thinking, and teamwork—perfect for our future scientists, detectives, and news reporters! Foods may contain peanuts or come from nut-friendly processing plants. For a full-day experience, register for Supervised Lunch/Recess and Cardinal Book Club camp. 

Instructors: Georgianna Cary and Betsy Dodson

Grades: Rising 4th through 6th graders 

Dates: August 3-7 

Time: 9:00 - 11:30 a.m.

Cost: $175- BUY

Maximum Class Size: 16

Choose this option to hang with Mrs. Dodson between Forensic Science Camp and Cardinal Book Club. After lunch, your child will have a recess. 

Instructor: Betsy Dodson

Grades: Rising 4th through 6th graders

Dates: August 3-7

Time: 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Cost: $25- BUY

One-Room Schoolhouse is one of the most popular and long-running programs at James River Day School. Designed for students in grades 1–8, this program provides focused instruction in math, grammar, and world language, with an emphasis on organization and study skills. Students receive differentiated support in the school’s core curriculum areas and extra help where needed, giving them a strong academic jump-start for the year ahead. In addition to academic preparation, students get fully set up for the school year—organizing cubbies or lockers, learning schedules, and building routines. With a mix of returning and new students, One-Room Schoolhouse also helps children form connections and feel comfortable before the first day of school. This well-established program is an excellent way to start the year feeling confident and prepared.

Instructors: A talented team of James River Day School’s expert educators

Grades: Rising 1st through 8th graders (James River students only)

Dates: August 17-19

Time: 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Cost: $185- BUY

Cancellation Policy
If you should need to cancel your child's participation in one of James River's summer enrichment programs, please notify the school as soon as possible by emailing Doris Martin, our business office manager, at [email protected]. Cancellation requests received two weeks or more before the start date of the affected program(s) may be refunded. Cancellation requests received less than two weeks before the start date of the affected program will be handled on a case-by-case basis. If the school determines an enrichment must be canceled, those affected will be refunded.