Creative Root's Summer Theatre Camp for Kids!
At Creative Root, your child’s imagination soars! Our summer theatre camps at DePaul’s Lincoln Park Campus are bursting with adventure, laughter, and creativity—where every camper becomes the hero of their own story. From daring dragons and misunderstood villains to monster-fighting heroes and fairy tale explorers, each session sparks imagination, builds friendships, and invites campers to step into worlds where anything can happen.
Through acting, storytelling, and collaborative play, campers will invent original adventures, bring characters to life, and create their own scenes. Each two-week session culminates in a unique performance for families and friends, showcasing the creativity, courage, and heart of every camper.
Get ready for a summer full of epic adventures, hilarious mishaps, and unforgettable fun! At Creative Root, we can’t wait to help your child discover their own bold, imaginative voice—and maybe even a little hero inside them too.
UNEXPECTED HEROES!
Ages: 9-14
Mondays-Fridays, 9am-3pm
June 29, 2026 -
July 10, 2026
Program Fee: Two Weeks $800, Early Bird $725
Inspired by The Last Kids on Earth Series by Max Brallier
The apocalypse is here, and survival is no joke! Older campers will build monster-fighting squads, design epic defenses, and create their own hilarious, heart-pounding adventures. With zombies, winged wretches, and maybe even a Blarg or two, campers will use teamwork, creativity, and a little bit of courage to save the day. Who knew the end of the world could be this much fun?
Early Bird $75 Discount Automatically Applied if you Register by February 16, 2026!
Join the Waitlist? We offer a waitlist option at no cost. You can sign up directly through the registration site by clicking the waitlist button. If space becomes available, we will contact families in order as spots open up, so be sure to keep an eye on your email!
UNEXPECTED HEROES!
Ages: 6-8
Mondays-Fridays, 9am-3pm
June 29, 2026 -
July 10, 2026
Program Fee: Two Weeks $800, Early Bird $725
Inspired by The Bad Guys Series by Aaron Blabey
They look like villains. They act like villains. They even smell like villains. But these misunderstood mischief-makers are ready to prove they can be heroes! Campers will design sneaky disguises, invent crazy gadgets, and dive into wild missions packed with laughter, teamwork, and imagination. Can they pull off the ultimate good-guy transformation? Only one way to find out… Join a team of misunderstood mischief-makers trying to prove they can be heroes!
Early Bird $75 Discount Automatically Applied if you Register by February 16, 2026!
Join the Waitlist? We offer a waitlist option at no cost. You can sign up directly through the registration site by clicking the waitlist button. If space becomes available, we will contact families in order as spots open up, so be sure to keep an eye on your email!
ONCE UPON A TWIST!
Ages: 9 - 14
Mondays-Fridays, 9am-3pm
July 13, 2026 -
July 24, 2026
Program Fee: Two Weeks $800, Early Bird $725
Inspired by The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer
No one is safe in the Land of Stories—witches, goblins, elves, and trolls are everywhere, causing chaos at every turn! When the Bailey twins tumble from their world into this magical realm, they encounter the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about…some helpful, some hilariously tricky, and some downright scary. Older campers will dive into this enchanting world, creating their own characters, inventing wild adventures, and building original scenes where classic tales collide with modern twists. Can they survive, outsmart the villains, and find their way home? Only imagination will tell!
Early Bird $75 Discount Automatically Applied if you Register by February 16, 2026!
Join the Waitlist? We offer a waitlist option at no cost. You can sign up directly through the registration site by clicking the waitlist button. If space becomes available, we will contact families in order as spots open up, so be sure to keep an eye on your email!
ONCE UPON A TWIST!
Ages: 6-8
Mondays-Fridays, 9am-3pm
July 13, 2026 -
July 24, 2026
Program Fee: Two Weeks $800, Early Bird $725
Inspired by The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
Step into a hilarious retelling of the classic tale—from the wolf’s point of view! Campers will meet quirky, silly characters, build houses of straw, sticks, and bricks, and imagine what really happened when the wolf huffed and puffed. They’ll craft their own wild twists on fairy tales, invent zany plot twists, and bring laughter, creativity, and mischief to every scene. Will the wolf finally get his side of the story told? Only the campers can decide!
Early Bird $75 Discount Automatically Applied if you Register by February 16, 2026!
Join the Waitlist? We offer a waitlist option at no cost. You can sign up directly through the registration site by clicking the waitlist button. If space becomes available, we will contact families in order as spots open up, so be sure to keep an eye on your email!
DRAGONS & DESTINY!
Ages: 9-14
Mondays-Fridays, 9am-3pm
July 27, 2026 -
August 7, 2026
Program Fee: Two Weeks $800, Early Bird $725
Inspired by the Wings of Fire Series by Tui T. Sutherland
Enter a world of dragon tribes, ancient prophecies, and epic destiny! Campers will create their own dragon characters, develop thrilling storylines, and bring dramatic scenes to life in an original play packed with fire, flight, and fierce imagination. From daring battles to clever alliances, they’ll harness teamwork, creativity, and courage to soar through a fantastical world where anything can happen.
Early Bird $75 Discount Automatically Applied if you Register by February 16, 2026!
Join the Waitlist? We offer a waitlist option at no cost. You can sign up directly through the registration site by clicking the waitlist button. If space becomes available, we will contact families in order as spots open up, so be sure to keep an eye on your email!
DRAGONS & DESTINY!
Ages: 6-8
Mondays-Fridays, 9am-3pm
July 27, 2026 -
August 7, 2026
Program Fee: Two Weeks $800, Early Bird $725
Inspired by the How to Train Your Dragon Series by Cressida Cowell
Step into Hiccup’s world of dragons, daring, and discovery! Young campers will join him on his first adventures, learning that being a hero isn’t about size or strength—it’s about bravery, clever thinking, and heart. Through theater games and imaginative storytelling, campers will hatch wild ideas, train dragons, and navigate hilarious mishaps as they craft their own original dragon-filled adventures. With themes of friendship, courage, and believing in yourself, this camp helps every young Viking discover their inner hero!
Early Bird $75 Discount Automatically Applied if you Register by February 16, 2026.
Join the Waitlist? We offer a waitlist option at no cost. You can sign up directly through the registration site by clicking the waitlist button. If space becomes available, we will contact families in order as spots open up, so be sure to keep an eye on your email!
What to expect
at Creative Root Summer Theatre Camp
At Creative Root, we center joy and wellbeing in everything we do. Each day, we’ll
begin by warming up our bodies and getting grounded through gentle yoga-based stretching, mindfulness, and
breathing exercises. Our focus is on the journey, with each small step helping campers grow as artists and
collaborators. Through live performance, we’ll bring our story to life, but it’s the process of
exploration, learning, and connection that truly matters. Campers will dive into all aspects of
theater—from acting to scriptwriting—while building friendships and discovering their creative voices.
Together, we’ll create an ensemble where everyone’s individual stories and talents shine.
Week One: The Fundamentals
In the first week, we’ll focus on building our ensemble, making new friends, and diving into theater games and exercises. Campers will be introduced to the actor’s tools and the basics of acting, while exploring the world of our story and its characters. We’ll begin writing our own original script, using writing prompts and collaborative brainstorming to shape our narrative.
Week Two: Putting It All Together
In the second week, we’ll bring our story to life through rehearsals, focusing on refining performances and adding design elements such as props, costumes, and scenery. Each camp experience is unique to the ensemble, shaped by their collective vision for the story. The final performance will showcase the creativity, teamwork, and individual growth of each camper, celebrating all that we’ve created together!
Have questions? Explore our FAQs or send us an email.
What do we do at Creative Root’s Summer Camp?
We learn about all things theater—from acting to design to script writing! Over the course of two weeks, we explore every step in building a story and bringing it to life. Along the way, we learn to collaborate, share our own unique talents, and hopefully make new friends! During Week One, we will spend time together exploring our story, developing characters, and collectively creating a script. Then in Week Two, we’ll bring our story to life through rehearsals and designing elements (like props and costumes) that shape what our world looks like. With new stories and new collaborators each session, each camp experience is unique to its ensemble and how they envision their story together.
Is this a musical theatre camp?
No, not really, but we do generally incorporate a lot of music, singing and dancing. Each show is designed around its unique, creative ensemble, and what they would like to highlight and share while telling the story. So if we have campers who really love to tell stories through music, song and dance, then we will lean into that for that particular production. But also singing and dancing can be really scary from some young artists, so it’s strictly opt in. For those that really LOVE musical theater, we do offer several Musical Theatre classes that dive into the contemporary and classic musical theatre genre throughout the year.
Is there a performance?
Absolutely, that will be held on the last day of camp at The Theatre School at DePaul. We have two age groups, and run shows back-to-back without an intermission. This is a great way to be supportive and see what everyone has been working so hard on. So we ask that you stick around for both, if possible. Each performance will be between 20-30 minutes in length and the entire show around an hour.
Final performances are not open to the general public. To ensure everyone’s safety, only campers, staff, and invited family and friends are allowed to attend. Ticket links will be sent to families at the start of the second week of camp, and all attendees will need to register in advance. The final performance will take place in the black box theater on the last day of camp at the end of the day. A detailed email with performance information and reservation details will be sent closer to the date. There is no charge for the performance, but space is limited. Each family will be able to reserve 2–4 seats based on camp size.
What does a typical camp day look like?
9:00-9:45am: Check In, Ensemble Warm-Up and Goal Setting for the Day
9:45-10:30am: Ensemble Building Activities
10:30-10:45am: Snack & Bathroom Break
10:45-12:00pm: Creative Storytelling & Movement, Writing, Rehearsal
12:00-1:00pm: Lunch Club & Playground
1:00-2:50pm: Mindful Moment-Recentering for Afternoon/Craft Project/Rehearsal
2:50-3:00pm: Closing Reflection
3:00-3:15pm: Pick Up/Dismissal
3:15pm-4:00pm: After Care
Do you offer before or aftercare?
We typically offer after care until 4pm, but no later, for an additional fee. It is a self-directed time, so campers are encouraged to bring a book to read, a quiet game to play, or another activity they enjoy. There is no early drop off.