Summer at Hockaday
Overview
Expert Summary
Detailed Insights
Summer at Hockaday is consistently praised as a premier summer camp destination in Dallas, offering meticulously crafted programs that blend diverse educational activities with engaging fun. It stands out for its exceptional organization, highly communicative and knowledgeable staff, strong safety protocols, and a clean, safe environment. Parents consistently report their children eagerly anticipate returning year after year, often citing the engaging activities, new friendships, and even the cafeteria lunches as highlights. It's particularly valued for fostering genuine learning and skill development while ensuring a 'blast' for children across various age groups.
Key Highlights
- ✓Kids, even a 2-year-old, eagerly anticipate returning to camp daily/annually.
- ✓Cafeteria lunches are frequently mentioned as a weekly highlight for children.
- ✓Kinder Prep reading program specifically helped a child improve their reading skills.
- ✓The 2-year-old childcare is highly engaging and well-loved.
- ✓Programs like Kaleidoscope offer high-quality crafts and projects based on learning themes.
- ✓Children come home with tangible creations like cool inventions/robots and fun cookbooks.
- ✓Splash Day is a favorite activity mentioned by a camper.
- ✓Staff (including Hockaday high school counselors) are described as kind, knowledgeable, communicative, fun, and engaging.
- ✓Parents appreciate the easy, organized drop-off and after-care pick-up.
- ✓Meticulously crafted and thoughtful camp programs ensure high quality experiences.
- ✓The camp provides a diverse range of classes allowing kids to explore new interests like drone flying, chess, cooking, and anatomy.
Standout Features
- ⭐Diverse range of specialized classes and day camp experiences (e.g., drone flying, anatomy, Kinder Prep, Pokémon, cooking, chess).
- ⭐Knowledgeable, kind, communicative, fun, and engaging faculty and staff.
- ⭐Exceptional organizational structure including informational emails and car tags prior to camp.
- ⭐Streamlined and easy drop-off process and 'breeze' for after-care pick-up.
- ⭐Robust safety measures for campus visitors are clearly implemented and appreciated by parents.
- ⭐Cafeteria lunches are a significant highlight for children, and snacks are included or available to add-on.
- ⭐Clean, safe, and fun environment.
- ⭐Programs are 'meticulously crafted and thoughtful'.
Perfect For
Ideal For
💡Pro Tips from Reviews
- →Consider multi-year enrollment, as kids often ask to return, fostering continuity and tradition.
- →If your child is learning to read, the Kinder Prep program is highly recommended for noticeable improvement.
- →For parents prioritizing organized logistics, easy drop-off/pick-up, and after-care, Hockaday excels.
- →Be prepared for your child to bring home tangible projects and new skills (e.g., cooking, chess, inventions).
- →Encourage your child to try the cafeteria lunches, as they are a kid favorite.
- →Explore the wide array of specialized camps like drone flying, anatomy, Pokémon, and American Girl to match your child's specific interests.
- →Look out for 'Splash Day' as it's a known favorite activity for campers.
Price & Value
Specific pricing is not mentioned in the reviews. However, the consistent praise for 'highest-quality day camp experiences,' being the 'best run camp in Dallas,' and the comprehensive offerings (diverse classes, skilled staff, organized logistics, safety measures, included/add-on lunches/snacks) suggest a premium value proposition that parents find well worth the investment.
♿Accessibility & Special Needs
- •No specific accessibility accommodations were mentioned in the reviews.
🍎Food & Drink Policy
- •Cafeteria lunches are a major highlight for children and are either included or available to add-on, depending on the camp.
- •Snacks are also provided or available as an add-on option.
🚗Parking Info
- •Drop-off is described as 'easy'.
- •Pick-up for after-care is described as 'a breeze'.
- •Parents receive 'car tags' prior to camp, indicating a structured and organized parking/traffic flow system.
👥Crowd Levels
- •Not explicitly mentioned. However, descriptions of 'easy drop-off', 'breeze for pick-up', and 'best run camp' suggest that any crowds are well-managed and do not detract from the experience.
🛡️Safety Features
- •The environment is described as 'clean, safe, and packed with fun'.
- •Parents 'appreciated the safety measures taken by the school for campus visitors'.
- •Issuance of 'car tags' contributes to controlled access and enhanced safety during drop-off and pick-up.
⏰When to Avoid
- • No specific situations or times to avoid were mentioned, as all reviews were overwhelmingly positive and highlighted efficient operations.
Pricing/Package/Events
Pricing & Packages
PreK & Kindergarten Programs
Grades 1 & 2 Programs
Grades 3 & 4 Programs
Middle School Programs
CIT Program
Counselor-In-Training program
Athletic Camps
Summer Upper School Courses
🛡️Safety Policy
- • All students are required to present a certificate of up-to-date immunizations. Official records from a physician or clinic are required. Exemptions from immunizations for reasons of conscience will not be accepted.
🚗Parking Information
- • Campus entrance on Welch Road for visitors.
What People Say
What's Great
- Friendly and helpful staff (mentioned in 5 reviews)
- Safe environment for children (mentioned in 3 reviews)
- Fun and entertaining activities (mentioned in 4 reviews)
Recent Reviews
Johanna Sanchez
8 months agoA Summer to Remember at The Hockaday School! My kids, 8 and 2 years old, had an absolute blast spending their summer at The Hockaday School. My son enjoyed everything from cooking and biking to anatomy, math, and soccer camps! My 2-year-old especially loved the amazing childcare—she was always excited to go back! The environment is clean, safe, and packed with fun, and we’re already looking forward to trying out more camps in the future. Thank you, Hockaday, for making this summer so special!
Ashley Ruggeri
8 months agoWe absolutely adore Summer at Hockaday! For the past three years, we've chosen to send our four children there. With both girls and boys, ages ranging from 10 to 5, Summer at Hockaday offers a diverse range of classes and the highest-quality day camp experiences we've ever encountered. Our kids eagerly anticipate returning to camp at Hockaday each summer. They relish the opportunity to explore new interests, make new friends, and savor the cafeteria lunches – often the highlight of their week! I can't emphasize enough how meticulously crafted and thoughtful each camp program is. The faculty and staff are not only kind but also incredibly knowledgeable and communicative. Our family's love for Summer at Hockaday runs deep, and we'll undoubtedly continue this tradition every summer!
Kate Kubena
8 months agoMy son and daughter have attended Summer at Hockaday camp for multiple years, they have already asked if they can go back next year! There is a diverse range of classes that caters to both their interests- drone flying, chess, Bookclub, sports, American Girl, etc. The staff is fun and engaging and my kids especially love experiencing lunch in the cafeteria!
Abby Hoak-Morton
a year agoMy kids had the best time at Summer at Hockaday! This is the best run camp we have attended in Dallas. We loved the programs and my kids were so excited to go back each day. My son did both the Kinder Prep and the Pokémon camp. He loved both. He was so excited about the reading program for kinder prep and it really helped him improve! My daughter did Kaleidoscope and had the best time. She loved her counselor, especially her Hockaday high school counselor. Her favorite day was splash day!
Jessica Khan
a year agoThis was our first summer in Dallas and enrolled in numerous summer programs. Every school was great, but Summer at Hockaday was definitely the family favorite. As a parent, I loved it for a number of reasons. - It felt very organized. Parents received informational emails, car tags, etc... prior to the start of camp. - Drop off was easy, and we enrolled in after-care, which was a breeze for pick up. - I really appreciated the safety measures taken by the school for campus visitors. - We also had the best interactions with all the staff helping with camp. - Depending on camp, lunch and snacks were included or available to add-on. My 4 yr old enrolled in the Kaleidoscope Day Camps and came home with a smile on her face every day. They had tons of high quality crafts and projects based on the learning theme of that week. She came home with a wealth of knowledge and even taught me a few facts! My 6 yr old boy, took a number of camps including Explorations, a sports camp, cooking camp, brain games, etc... He came home showing off his very cool inventions/robots, fun cookbook, and a newfound obsession with playing chess. If you're considering Summer at Hockaday, I truly cannot recommend it enough!