City of Lacey plans more summer youth camp spaces in 2027 

Lacey Parks, Culture & Recreation is scaling up its summer youth camps for next year after strong enrollment in 2026 showed growing interest from local families. 

The department plans to add transportation and program sessions to accommodate more teenagers. Recreation Supervisor Cody Lee presented 2026 summer program results to the Lacey Parks, Culture and Recreation Board at a meeting on Nov. 4. 

Figures showed 639 children attended day camps and 660 joined Playground Pals. Teen Adventure Camp enrolled 94 teens, while specialty camps served 91 children. 

Teen programs 

Teen Adventure Camp experienced increased enrollment and left a waiting list over its eight-week season. Campers met daily at Mountain View Elementary and traveled to off-site destinations in a 15-passenger van. 

Lee said the city plans to add a second van next summer. The camp previously used two vans before the COVID-19 pandemic, and enrollment has gradually recovered in recent years. 

Another expansion involves Teens Biking to Destinations, a free bicycle education and safety program for middle school and high school students in Thurston County.

Lacey partners with Intercity Transit, whose Walk N Roll initiative provides bicycles for participants. Students learn bicycle safety, maintenance and repairs, while riding trails at Woodland Creek Community Park. 

The program served 30 teens in 2026. It started with one week two summers ago and added a second week after a strong turnout. The city plans more weeks next summer and a new session in March. 

“So teens come learn bike safety, and then by the end of that week they go home with a free bike,” Lee said. “They know how to change the flat tires and maintenance the bike, and that did so well two summers ago that we added a second week of that.” 

Lacey also partners with Olympia and Tumwater on Camp Cascadia, a weeklong overnight camp near Yelm. Campers stay in cabins and participate in archery, laser tag and water activities. A grant received by Tumwater has helped reduce program costs in recent years. 

Youth camp affordability 

Playground Pals provides free recreation for North Thurston School District students ages 6 to 12. The program runs from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Mountain View and Lydia Hawk elementary schools. Children receive a free meal through the district food service program before afternoon recreation begins. 

Paid day camps cost about $210 per week last summer, according to staff. Families unable to afford registration fees can receive scholarships through a city partnership with the school district, whose homeless liaison helps identify children in need. 

“We scholarship two kids per site at day camps per week, so four kids a week on scholarships,” Lee said. “And we use the homeless liaison over there to find the kids to use those scholarships in the program.” 

However, space remains limited at the two-day camp locations, with approximately 50 children accommodated per site.

Lee said enrollment is close to that limit, and a previous attempt to introduce a third location primarily redistributed participants from the existing camps. 

Specialty camps, including Art for Kids School and Bricks4Kidz, also offer weeklong activities at city facilities during the summer. Lee said staff must balance facility rental revenue with the space needed for recreation programs.