The City of Helena Parks and Recreation Department is proud to partner with the Kay McKenna Youth Foundation to offer affordable summer camps for kids ages 6-9. The program is held at Memorial Park and serves two age groups, 6-7 and 8-9 years old. Campers attend camp at the same park, but the age groups participate in different activities with different counselors. Each week of camp has a different theme - no two weeks of camp are the same! Field trips occur at least twice a week, some of our favorites are; Cinemark Theatre, Last Chance Splash Pool, Great Northern Carousel, Exploration Works, Last Chance Train Tour, Legion Baseball Field and Carroll College. We also have visitors come to camp like Cohesion Dance Company, Montana WILD and Helena Fire Department.
2025 Program Details
When: June 16th - August 14th / Monday-Thursday / 7:45 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Where: Memorial Park (1005 Last Chance Gulch)
We meet every day at the Memorial Park Cottage, next to the playground equipment.
Cost: Camp is $25 per week. If you need a scholarship, just select the option at checkout and it will automatically be applied.
Weekly Themes: Themes for both age groups are the same every week. Age groups take the same field trips every week, often on different days. Both age groups take weekly field trips to the movies and the pool.
- Week 1 (June 16 - June 19th) Talent Week: Campers work in groups and independently rehearsing, making props and backdrops. Campers will perform their talents in the Bandshell Thursday - Join us for the final performance!
- Week 2 (June 23rd - June 26th) Let's Get Active! Basketball, kickball, corn hole, swimming, tag, softball, folf and course, many, many games in the gaga pit. We'll enjoy our favorite outdoor activities and learn some new ones.
- Week 3 (June 30th - July 3rd) All American Week: We will be celebrating with All-American activities. Think playing baseball, making our own ice cream, firework crafts, exploring the firetruck and relaxing by the poo.
- Week 4 (July 7th - July 10th) Explore Helena: We'll be exploring and learning about our community. Campers will be taking a spin on the Great Northern Carousel, hunting for gold like a miner and playing Helena bingo in the parks.
- Week 5 (July 14th - July 17th) A Week at the Beach: Sprinkler obstacle courses, watercolor paintings, creating moon sand, the biggest slip and slide you've ever seen and riding the water slides at the waterpark.
- Week 6 (July 21st - July 24th) Science Experiments: Can you make a rocket out of a water bottle? Blow a bubble big enough to stand in? What exactly is elephant toothpaste? We'll get to the bottom of some serious science questions.
- Week 7 (July 28th - July 31st) Wilderness Week: We will become one with nature this week. Campers will make s'mores using the sun, have a bug themed scavenger hunt, learn about Montana animals and touch a real snake.
- Week 8 (August 4th - August 7th) Creation Through Art! We will experiment with traditional art mediums with camp classics like sidewalk chalk and friendship bracelets, and explore very messy mediums, like outdoor splatter paint murals.
- Week 9 (August 11th - August 14th) Groovy 60's Party: Campers will enjoy the best of the 60's: Take home lava lamps, flower crowns, psychedelic face paint and of course, tie dye. Our last day of camp will be a dance party with throwback tunes.
Other Information
Registration
Registration for the 2025 summer camp opens May 1st at 7:00am. We recommend setting up city account for you and your child before the registration date to streamline the process. If you've registered for camp or swim lessons before, you will just need to log into your existing account.
Click here to view the registration site
Who are the Counselors?
Kay's Kids Counselors
- Kay's Kids Summer Camp Counselors are paid and trained employees of the city, they are not volunteers.
- All employees go through a screening and interview process before being hired.
- Once hired, employees are certified in CPR, First Aid and AED use. Counselors are trained in positive behavior interventions to best support campers, utilized schedules to provide the best experience for campers, and learn a ton of fun games!
- Our Recreation Supervisor is always on site with counselors and campers to provide support.
Become a Camp Counselor
- Pay starts at $15.94 an hour.
- Free CPR and First Aid Training.
- Camp runs Monday - Thursday. Staff has three day weekends and 4th of July off.
- Play sports, do crafts, build sets, go swimming, perform chemistry experiments and help kids have the best summer ever.
Hiring for camp counselors typically starts in the spring. Please check back for updates. You can call 406-447-8077 with any questions.
Free Lunch and Snacks
Our camp partners with the USDA Summer Meal Program to provide free lunch for our campers. This summer meal program is also available to all Helena children under the age of 18. Children do not have to be registered to Kay's Kids to participate in the free summer meal program. To learn about the program and locations, visit their website HERE.
Campers are provided with a morning snack and afternoon snack. Please talk to us if you are interested in donating a snack for the day! We love goldfish and fruit snacks from Costco. Children have access to water and parents hare required to provide their child with a water bottle every day of camp.
Support Kay's Kids
The Kay McKenna Youth Foundation is a local non-profit that is named in honor of former Helena Mayor, Kay McKenna. The foundation provides funds to allow the City's summer program to be affordable, with scholarships available. If you are interested in supporting the Kay's Kids Summer Program, there are a few ways you can get involved.
Each summer, the program will also seek donated snacks. Please talk with the Recreation Supervisor if you are interested in providing snacks.
