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Summer Program for Children
Our hands-on programs focus on craft, curiosity, creativity, expression, and exploration in a fun and supportive environment. Our summer teaching staff are artists who are passionate about working with young people and specialize in visual arts, mixed media, sewing and other fiber arts, and woodworking.
The Summer Program for Children is open to students ages 6-8 and 9-12. We offer four classes concurrently during each of the morning and afternoon sessions. Each class has a two to three person teaching team supervising up to 12 students. Classes will take place inside our Schoolhouse. Lunch, snack, and free play times will be held outdoors in our Schoolyard.
Full and half-day programs are available each week. Half-days may be for either morning (9:30 AM-12:00 noon) or afternoon (1-3:30 PM) sessions. To register for a full day of program, please purchase both a morning and afternoon class.
Early Drop-Off (8:00-9:00 AM) and Extended Day (3:30-5:30 PM) are available for up to 15 students weekly. These are unprogrammed free play times in our Schoolyard with staff supervision.
Each Friday afternoon, classes end at 3:15 PM for our Student Showcase. Families are invited to join us to view their child(ren)’s work and celebrate the past week of creativity!
Check "Dates, Themes, Offerings by Week" below for detailed weekly class offerings.
How to Register
Registration for the 2026 Summer Program for Children opens at 12 noon on Wednesday, January 14, 2026. We process registrations strictly on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please note that all registrations and fees are for entire weeks only.
Please read our policies on refunds and withdrawals before you register. If you have any questions, call the Community Education Manager, Emma Ellis, at 617-553-1387 or email vacationprograms@eliotschool.org.
Step-by-Step Registration Instructions
- If you do not already have an account with us, you will first need to make an account here. You should make the account in your name, not your child's.
- Under the "Dates, Themes, Offerings by Week" heading below, click on each week to see the ages and classes offered. Click on the hyperlinked class names to view their registration pages. Clicking the “Register” button adds the class to your cart but does not hold your spot. The spot is only reserved upon payment.
- When you are ready to complete your purchase, navigate to “My Cart” and click "Checkout." You will be prompted to enter your child's information and your billing information.
- If you are using a coupon, input the code into the "Coupon Code" box before checking out. Misuse of coupons can result in your registration being cancelled.
- After completing payment, your order confirmation will be sent via email.
Daily Schedule
| Time | Activity |
| 8:00-9:00 AM | Early Drop-Off (requires additional registration) |
| 9:00-9:30 AM | Morning Drop-Off |
| 9:30 AM-12:00 PM | Morning Session |
| 12:00-12:30 PM |
Lunch & Half-Day (Morning) Pick-Up |
| 12:30-1:00 PM | Play Time & Half-Day (Afternoon) Drop-Off |
| 1:00-3:30 PM | Afternoon Session |
| 3:30 PM | Afternoon Pick-Up |
| 3:30-5:30 PM | Extended Day (requires additional registration) |
Fees
Week One Fees (4-days only due to federal holiday on July 3rd)
Full Day: $522
Half Day: $290
Early Drop-Off: $64
Extended Day: $120
Weeks Two-Seven Fees
Full Day: $585
Half Day: $325
Early Drop-Off: $80
Extended Day: $150
Discounts
The full-day price reflects a 10% discount on the cost of two half-day classes. To access the full-day price for any week, add both a morning and afternoon half-day class to your cart and use the following coupon code at check out: FULLDAYFUN
We offer a 5% discount on registrations for two or more children from the same household. Please note that each individual must be enrolled in the same week of programming. Use the following coupon code at check out: SUMMERSIBLING
Financial Aid
At this time, we have distributed all available funds for the 2026 Summer Program for Children. We are no longer accepting scholarship applications for this program.
The Eliot School is committed to making our classes and workshops as accessible as possible to all people regardless of age, ability, background, or economic means. We are happy to offer a limited number of full and partial scholarships to increase access to arts programming for young people. Please note that due to high demand, the financial aid policies and procedures for our Summer Program for Children differ from those for our standard programs.
If applying for multiple children, families must submit separate applications for each child. You only need to submit one application to be considered for multiple program weeks.
By filling out our scholarship application, you agree to abide by the following scholarship policies:
- Families may apply for up to 4 weeks of scholarship support per individual child annually. However, due to the high volume of applications, most awards are typically limited to 1 week of programming.
- Families with income-related benefits, e.g., EBT, SSI, SSDI, TANF, Veterans' Benefit, WIC, Pell Grants, receive priority for full scholarships.
- If a student can no longer attend summer programming for which they received a scholarship, they need to be formally withdrawn by Friday, June 5, 2026. Improper withdrawal may affect future scholarship eligibility.
- Full attendance is expected for all students. If a student misses two or more days of a week of program more than once during the awarded program period, they will be ineligible for financial aid for one year. This may be waived in special circumstances.
- Scholarship awards are not finalized until they are formally accepted by the applicant. The Eliot School may rescind and redistribute financial aid awards if acceptance procedure is not followed.
Refunds & Withdrawals (Updated for 2026)
It is not possible to withdraw directly through our website. Please contact our Community Education Coordinator to withdraw.
All refunds are subject to a $20 processing fee from our payment platform.
Registrations made within two weeks of program start dates are considered “late registrations” and are ineligible for refunds.
Deadlines:
- Full refunds given up through Friday, May 1, 2026.
- 50% refunds are given up through Friday, June 5, 2026.
- No refunds are given after Saturday, June 6, 2026.
- Registrations made after June 5 are considered “late registrations” and are ineligible for refunds.
If a serious illness, major injury, or death in the family means you need to withdraw from a class outside of our normal time allowance, please speak with our Community Education Coordinator to make special arrangements.
Dates, Themes, Offerings by Week
Week One, June 29-July 2, Stories We Love
4 days only due to the federal holiday on July 3
It’s story time! Stories in their many forms have connected and influenced artists around the world for thousands of years. In the first week of the Summer Program, students will gain inspiration for their art from global tales in books, movies, television, video games, and more. Projects will guide children through telling stories of their own, whether based on lived experience or ancient legend.
Registration Links for Week One
Morning Session
Afternoon Session
Week Two, July 6-July 10, Adventures Underground
What lies under our feet? Young artists will explore the secrets and riches buried deep beneath us. They’ll discover dinosaur fossils, ancient civilizations, and precious artifacts hidden throughout the layers of the Earth’s surface. Projects will look to history, archaeology, geology, and more for inspiration.
Registration Links for Week Two
Morning Session
Afternoon Session
Week Three, July 13-July 17, Carnival of Craft
Let’s celebrate! This week of the Summer Program is all about expressing happiness in community and individually. Children will have a blast participating in group activities and creating art that is colorful and festive. Projects will be inspired by global traditions of celebration and invite young artists to reflect on moments of joy in their lives.
Registration Links for Week Three
Morning Session
Afternoon Session
Week Four, July 20-July 24, Ingenious Inventors
Gizmos and gadgets galore! Children will use their creativity, genius, and problem-solving skills to make works of art with a silly or serious purpose. Projects will be inspired by chemistry, engineering, robots, machines, and more.
Registration Links for Week Four
Morning Session
Afternoon Session
Week Five, July 27-July 31, Fantastic Creatures
Enter the magical menagerie! Children will craft original creatures from myths, fairy tales, and their imaginations in different media. Projects will explore and bring to life kids’ fantasy worlds and the beings that inhabit them.
Registration Links for Week Five
Morning Session
Afternoon Session
Week Six, August 3-August 7, Feast for the Imagination
Time to get cooking! Young artists will work on projects influenced by food from their own lives and communities around the globe. Recipes, ingredients, gadgets, and other kitchen contents will be baked into every project.
Registration Links for Week Six
Morning Session
Afternoon Session
Week Seven, August 10-August 14, Enchanted Objects
Calling all young witches, wizards, and warlocks! Projects will encourage children to create art with fantastical powers. They will use their inner magic and different media to cast spells and create magical works of art. Participants will tap into the power of their creativity and imagination!
Registration Links for Week Seven
Morning Session
Afternoon Session