The Best Themed Summer Camps for Kids and Teens

Every year at Axiom Academic, we help hundreds of international families choose the right summer camp for their children. For expat families based in hubs like Dubai, Singapore, London or Hong Kong, a themed summer camp is far more than childcare with a view: it is an immersive, confidence-building experience that broadens horizons and strengthens a future academic profile.

Our Orientation team, working alongside our network of independent educational counsellors, has curated this selection of themed summer camps, all tested and recommended by the families we support. We have focused on English-language, genuinely international programmes that are easy to reach from the major expat cities, whether that means a short hop to the UK or Switzerland, a campus in Singapore, or a summer in the US.

Whether you are looking for a leadership camp, a business programme, a science and engineering track or an arts intensive, this guide will give you plenty of inspiring options. One practical tip before you dive in: the most sought-after programmes fill up months in advance, so it pays to shortlist early and apply well before spring.

Why choose a themed summer camp?

👉 Strengthen English skills through full immersion

👉 Build leadership and self-confidence

👉 Explore new disciplines: science, business, the arts, tech

👉 Foster independence and an international outlook

👉 Live a genuine intercultural experience

👉 Enrich a school career and a future university application

🏆 Leadership and Business Summer Camps

Collège Champittet 🇨🇭

Camp themes: Personal development, discovery and adventure

Location: Lake Geneva, Switzerland

Ages: 11–13 and 14–17

Language of instruction: English

👉 A summer camp on the shores of Lake Geneva where students discover their inner leader, make friends from around the world and take on an adventure of exploration and learning.

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Saint-Georges International School 🇨🇭

Camp themes: Leadership

Location: Montreux, Switzerland

Ages: 16–18

Language of instruction: English

👉 An exclusive summer experience in Montreux combining stimulating activities, immersion in the St. George’s ethos and encounters with young people from every continent.

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Oxford Royale 🇬🇧🇺🇸

Camp themes: Innovation, entrepreneurship, engineering, medicine, business, law and politics

Location: University of Oxford, Cambridge, plus campuses in the UK and US

Ages: 13–15 and 16–18

Language of instruction: English

👉 Choose from more than 39 study options at prestigious universities in the UK or the US: an award-winning experience designed to strengthen an academic profile. A natural pick for families in Dubai or Singapore looking for a direct-flight destination with world-class name recognition.

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Bocconi University 🇮🇹

Camp themes: Business camp (2 weeks, choice of 2 workshops, one per week)

Location: Milan, Italy

Ages: 16–18

Language of instruction: English

👉 Build your own summer in Milan by combining two labs from 16 key themes, and experience Bocconi’s innovative approach to teaching business.

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IE University 🇪🇸

Camp themes: Business camp

Location: Madrid and Segovia, Spain

Ages: 16–18

Language of instruction: English

👉 Much more than a summer course: an immersive programme blending core courses, skill-building workshops and hands-on projects to explore a future academic or professional path.

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ESADE 🇪🇸

Camp themes: Business camp

Location: Barcelona, Spain

Ages: 16–18

Language of instruction: English

👉 Get a taste of life at a world-class business school: develop a global mindset and deepen your business knowledge alongside international experts and leaders.

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🎭 Arts, Creativity and Design Summer Camps

TASIS England 🇬🇧

Camp themes: From 3D Design to Sports Science, Performing Arts to STEM

Location: Thorpe, near London, UK

Ages: 11 to 17

Language of instruction: English

👉 An unforgettable summer on the TASIS England campus: a wide range of courses, sports, activities and excursions within a close-knit international community, less than an hour from central London.

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SILC Academy 🇫🇷🇨🇭

Camp themes: Creativity, entrepreneurship

Location: Cannes, France and Gstaad, Switzerland

Ages: 11 to 17

Language of instruction: English

👉 Create, launch and live the adventure: a unique English-language camp combining arts, branding, storytelling and outdoor activities on the French Riviera and in the Swiss Alps.

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NYFA (New York Film Academy) 🇺🇸🇫🇷🇮🇹

Camp themes: Performing arts: film, acting, photography

Location: New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Harvard University, Paris, Florence

Ages: 16–18

Language of instruction: English

👉 Learn filmmaking, media and the performing arts the hands-on way, alongside industry professionals, in New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Florence and more.

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AMDA 🇺🇸

Camp themes: Performing arts

Location: Los Angeles, New York

Ages: 16–18

Language of instruction: English

👉 Two immersive weeks in Los Angeles or New York with high-level performing arts training designed for the international stage artists of tomorrow.

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ArtsEd 🇬🇧

Camp themes: Performing arts

Location: London, UK

Ages: 11–13, 14–16, 16+

Language of instruction: English

👉 Join one of the UK’s leading drama schools and sharpen your talents in Drama, Musical Theatre or Filmmaking, in a supportive and professional setting in the heart of London.

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LAMDA 🇬🇧

Camp themes: Performing arts: acting

Location: London, UK

Ages: 16–18

Language of instruction: English

👉 Step into the world of LAMDA with an intensive short course, ideal for discovering or deepening a theatre practice to the standards of the great drama schools.

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Performers College 🇬🇧

Camp themes: Performing arts

Location: UK (4 campuses)

Ages: 16–18

Language of instruction: English

👉 Develop your artistic potential in a dynamic, inspiring environment: acting, dance and creative work with industry professionals across four campuses in the UK.

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IED Barcelona: Global Design 🇪🇸

Camp themes: Global design

Location: Barcelona, Spain

Ages: 15–18

Language of instruction: English or Spanish

👉 Explore the fundamentals of product, interior and graphic design in a hands-on, creative programme: express your ideas and start building a portfolio.

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IED Barcelona: Fashion Design 🇪🇸

Camp themes: Fashion design

Location: Barcelona, Spain

Ages: 15–18

Language of instruction: English or Spanish

👉 Dive into the world of fashion design: experiment, create your own collection and leave with a portfolio built around your personal projects.

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⚙️ Science, Tech and Engineering Summer Camps

Carl Benz School of Engineering 🇩🇪

Camp themes: Engineering

Location: Karlsruhe, Germany

Ages: 16–18

Language of instruction: English

👉 Explore mechanical engineering applied to the UN Sustainable Development Goals through practical workshops and inspiring lectures at the heart of the Carl Benz School.

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Politecnico di Milano 🇮🇹

Camp themes: Tech camp

Location: Milan, Italy

Ages: Students in Grades 10–11 (Years 11–12 in the UK system)

Language of instruction: English

👉 An intensive introduction to STEM disciplines, taught in English by professors of Italy’s largest technical university, fully immersed on the Politecnico di Milano campus.

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🌍 Hospitality Management Summer Camps

EHL 🇨🇭🇸🇬

Camp themes: Hospitality management

Location: Lausanne, Switzerland / Singapore

Ages: 16–18

Language of instruction: English

👉 Explore the many facets of hospitality and business through immersive workshops and real-world challenges on the EHL campuses in Switzerland and Singapore: an obvious choice for families based in Asia who want a world-leading school close to home.

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Glion 🇨🇭🇬🇧

Camp themes: Hospitality management

Location: Glion, Switzerland / London, UK

Ages: 16–18

Language of instruction: English

👉 Discover the international culture of hospitality and events by delivering a real event project and going behind the scenes of the profession, in London or in Switzerland.

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Les Roches 🇨🇭🇪🇸

Camp themes: Hospitality management

Location: Crans-Montana, Switzerland / Marbella, Spain

Ages: 16–18

Language of instruction: English

👉 Immerse yourself in hospitality management: practical workshops, visits to leading hotels and the art of hospitality taught by the experts at Les Roches, in Switzerland or Spain.

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📚 More Summer Camp Options

Albert Summer School 🇫🇷

Camp themes: Maths, data, business, humanities

Location: Paris, France

Ages: Students in Grade 10 or 11

Language of instruction: English

👉 Combine business and data in an intensive English-language programme in Paris, a summer school designed for maths enthusiasts who want to explore economics and the digital world.

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American Camp Association 🇺🇸

Camp themes: Summer camp directory, searchable by criteria (for example girls’ camps)

Location: North America (mainly USA)

Ages: 11–17

Language of instruction: English

👉 Find the ideal summer camp in the United States with the ACA directory: more than 20,000 camps that nurture curiosity, resilience, creativity and teamwork in children and teenagers.

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How to choose the right summer camp for your child

✅ Match the camp to your child’s level of English: full immersion works best when the programme is pitched right

✅ Look closely at the academic content and the quality of supervision

✅ Check the logistics and daily life on site (boarding, activities, safety, airport transfers), especially if your child is flying in from Dubai, Singapore or another long-haul departure point

✅ Involve your child in the decision from the start so the choice is truly theirs

✅ Book early: the strongest programmes are often full well before the spring term

How Axiom Academic supports your family

Every family is unique, and every summer camp project should be too. At Axiom Academic, our independent educational counsellors help international families weigh up the options, match a programme to a child’s profile and ambitions, and fit the camp into a broader academic strategy. And because a summer camp works best when a student arrives prepared, our tutors can also help your child brush up their English or a key subject before departure, in person in our cities of operation or online wherever you live.

👉 Contact us for personalised advice and tailor-made support.