Summer camp at Chicago’s Idea Box Integrated Arts can include sewing costumes, building puppets, designing games or shaping a performance — sometimes all in the same week.
At Idea Box, the goal is to teach real creative skills, then give campers the space to steer their own work. “The work is guided by the student artist,” says Emily Dugan, executive artistic director. “We teach the skills and provide the supplies, then we let the student decide where to go from there.”
A camp where kids lead, revise and try again
Idea Box camps are designed for creative self-expression. Dugan says campers thrive when they want to learn a new skill, level up a current one or simply have an open-ended space to play with tools and materials.
“We make sure to allow time for experimentation, improvisation and something we call the ‘chaos element,’ introducing upcycled and recycled materials as inspiration and embellishment,” she says.
A typical camp day begins with a few minutes of free creation and social time, followed by a group gathering or ensemble activity. From there, campers move between skill-building and artistic theory, with plenty of hands-on creating and collaboration.
Unique artistic camps kids will love
Idea Box specializes in interdisciplinary arts, blending performance, design, crafting, music and movement.
Some standout camp options this season include:
- Prepare & Perform Camp: Campers build characters and craft costumes as they develop a show.
- Party Camps: A half-day, week-long camp where kids plan a themed party for families and friends, including decorations, activities and new skills like face painting, dance and game design.
- Puppet-making camps: Campers build a muppet-style hand-and-rod puppet from scratch.
- Fashion Design and sewing: Campers create wearable art, practice hand and machine sewing and learn embellishment techniques.
- Digital Arts: Digital photography, green screen and media arts.
- “Oddball Arts” options: Interactive Sculpture, Tabletop Game Design and Guerilla Theater.
End-of-camp events that families talk about
The end result after a week of Idea Box summer camp is a creative display of imagination, new skills and cooperation.
“Families appreciate our end-of-camp events and performances, which tend to be short, interactive, and delightfully unexpected,” Dugan says. “For example, one camp might end with a 30-minute interactive spy story, while others might culminate in a fashion show or a live interview with recently-built puppets, or, heck, possibly even a puppet fashion show.”
Where every kid belongs
The spaces themselves are part of the magic. “All of our camp spaces are specifically designed to be multi-use, and can be completely transformed by the campers into whatever they think best showcases their work,” she says. “All of our camp spaces are wheelchair accessible, and all of our movement activities can be adapted for campers with movement restrictions. Our goal is arts accessibility for all.”
Camp snapshot
- Ages served: 5-18
- Dates: June 22-Aug. 7, 2026
- Locations:
- Idea Box, 5419 N Lincoln Ave., Chicago
- Joel Hall, 4511 N Clark St., Chicago
- Before care and after care: Available
- Cost: $299.99 (3 hours/day, 5 days)
- Before care: $25 (1 hour/day, 5 days)
- After care: $25 (1 hour/day, 5 days)
- Discounts available for multiple sessions and multiple students
- Phone: 312-375-6639
- Website: https://www.ideaboxarts.org/
This content is sponsored by Idea Box Integrated Arts. To learn more, visit the Idea Box Integrated Arts website — and discover more Chicago camps in the Best Camps Guide.
