The Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) has announced free summer programs for children and families starting July 6, at a variety of recreation center sites as well as structured online programs. In order to provide safe, fun summer programs to campers, Covid-19 operational guidelines (based on CDC, Austin Public Heath, and State recommendations) will be implemented at recreation centers.

Due to limited programming capacity a lottery system will be used to select program participants for weekly sessions. Austin residents may register online for the lottery starting at 10am June 15 through midnight, June 19. The registration lottery will be held on June 22. Families will be notified of registration June 23-26.

For those without internet access, lottery registration can be done by phone. To register for Stay Playful! in-person programs, please call the recreation center(s) where you'd like to enroll. To register for Stay Creative! online programs, please call (512) 974-4000 (English) or (512) 974-3772 (Spanish).

The following day camp sessions are available: 

Stay Playful! - IN PERSON
Youth ages 5-11 and Teens ages 12-15
Campers will create cool arts and crafts projects, play games, and enjoy the outdoors. Camps will be limited in size and will prioritize the health and well-being of our campers and staff.

FULL DAY
M-F    8am-5pm

HALF DAY
M-F    8am-12pm  Morning Session
M-F    1pm-5pm    Afternoon Session

Stay Creative! - ONLINE
ASL Accessible | Arts and Culture Summer Discovery Program
Children ages 5-12 are invited to explore arts, culture, and nature through a week of themed interactive programmed activities with professional instructors. Classes are scheduled at the beginning of the hour between 9am and 4:30pm (with a break for lunch).

In addition to the free summer youth day camp programs that require lottery registration, PARD has developed additional in-person programs for families and virtual programs for people of all ages. More information about each of these programs and their respective registration requirements can be found online.