Sherwood youngsters will get plenty of summer camp experience, thanks to the Sherwood Center for the Arts

SHERWOOD, Ore. — The Sherwood Center for the Arts will be popping with activity this summer as youngsters in our community take part in the annual Art Smart Summer Camps. 

The 2026 event is a series of half-day and full-day summer camps held at the Sherwood Center for the Arts, located at 22689 SW Pine St., and will run from June 29 to August 7. 

Conducted by teaching artists, camp counselors, and camp staff, the summer camps will be held Monday through Friday. You can see if any spots are open for registration by visiting www.sherwoodcenterforthearts.org. 

Morning camp sections run from 9:30 a.m to 12:30 p.m. and afternoon sessions run 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., with cost information available at the art center’s website. 

Chanda Hall, manager of the arts center, said, “This is frankly our favorite time of the year because we get to have our building full of kids doing art, being creative, and forming connections with each other.” 

Hall continued, “Many of us who work here got our start in arts education and camp counseling – at least I did. That’s kind of our grounding for everything we do: how do we make the arts center accessible and welcoming to kids, and grow that next generation of arts learners, lifelong learners, arts supporters, and, hopefully, arts participants for the rest of their lives.” 

Youngsters can enjoy Arts and Rec camps, Digital Arts and Science camps, Music and Theatre Arts camps, and Fine Arts camps.

Hall said Arts and Rec is a new feature in 2026. 

“Arts and Rec is a brainchild that we came up with a couple of years ago,” Hall said, noting this is more of a traditional summer camp experience. “It allows kids to dive into fun activities structured around a weekly theme. There will be traditional camp games, crafts, snack time, dynamic outings, and special guest teachers.”  

Arts and Rec camps will feature themes such as “Nature,” including scavenger hunts and, perhaps, a visit to the Cedar Creek Trail. 

Another theme is “Ocean and Seas” that will be very crafty, where kids may have a chance to visit the nearby Splash Pad. 

The theme of “Explore Sherwood,” is another Arts and Rec camp, allowing participants to explore Old Town Sherwood and visit the historical society, according to Hall. 

The Art Smart Summer Camp program is growing in popularity In Sherwood. 

“About 600 kids attended last year,” she said, adding that the camps run for six weeks this year and kids range in age from six to 15. 

Parents with kids eager for the camps can visit the art center’s website for more information. 

“There’s a helpful ‘at a glance’ schedule in kind of a grid format that helps parents plan,” Hall said. “They’re also welcome to call any of us here at the art center anytime if they want help planning their schedule, or if they are wondering what camp their kid might be most successful in.” 

Scholarships will be available, according to Hall. 

“We do have a nonprofit attached to us, called the Friends of the Sherwood Center for the Arts,” she said. “The Friends of the Sherwood Center for the Arts run a scholarship program, so we’re already receiving applications.” 

Hall said summer camp counselors will be brought on board in April. 

“If there are any teenagers or college students who are looking for volunteer or paid employment, depending on which camp they are planning for, we are always on the hunt for great emerging leaders who love working with kids,” she said. 

Hall is enthusiastic about Art Smart, which was launched in 2019. 

“We have some kids who have been coming back year after year,” she said, noting that some kids who started as campers have come back as counselors, “which is an amazing full circle moment.”