Kids Climbing Camps in Holland, MI

Every summer and every school break, kids spend their mornings or afternoons at Shift learning to climb, and the thing parents tell us afterward is some version of "they slept so well." That's the honest sales pitch for a climbing camp: real movement, real puzzles, real friends, in a building that's cool in July and warm in February. Here's how our camps work.

2027 summer camp at a glance

Camp weeks, June through August 2027

Summer camp starts the week after Memorial Day and runs through the third week of August. Every camp week runs Monday through Thursday. Pick one week or several. Kids often do more than one, and some pick their weeks to line up with different friend groups, which we think is a great reason.

• Week 1: June 7 to 10
• Week 2: June 14 to 17
• Week 3: June 21 to 24
• Week 4: June 28 to July 1
• Week 5: July 5 to 8
• Week 6: July 12 to 15
• Week 7: July 19 to 22
• Week 8: July 26 to 29
• Week 9: August 2 to 5
• Week 10: August 9 to 12
• Week 11: August 16 to 19

Two notes on the calendar. Independence Day is observed on Monday, July 5, 2027, so we'll confirm that week's exact days when registration opens. The weeks of August 23 and August 30 (the last two before Labor Day on September 6) aren't scheduled, but we'll run them if there's interest, so if one of those weeks is the one your family needs, email us and tell us.

Daily structure

Every camp session is a half day, either 9:00 AM to noon or 1:00 to 4:00 PM, Monday through Thursday. Climbing is the core of the day, but it isn't climbing wall-to-wall for three hours. A session mixes coached climbing instruction, independent climbing time, and a good amount of plain fun: crafts, games, snack time, puzzles and logic activities, and hangout time in the cafe. Kids come out of it tired in the good way.

The coached part works through our circuits (groups of climbs sorted by hold color, easiest colors first). Campers learn to read a climb, move well on it, and come back down, with one movement idea per day: feet first, then hips, then the big holds on the steep wall. There's usually a game or a challenge in the middle (the tilting boulder, which moves between three positions, is a camp favorite), then open climbing and "projecting," which means working on one hard-for-you climb over several tries. Kids go home chalky and full of beta they'll explain to you at dinner whether you asked or not.

Ages, groups, and class size

Camp is for ages 7 to 15. We group campers by similar age and ability, and a class with a wide age range works well here because the circuit system means a 7-year-old and a 14-year-old both have dozens of climbs at their level on the same walls. Classes are capped at 8 kids with one instructor, so every camper gets coached, not just watched.

If your child is younger than 7, come in for a complimentary trial climb, where your kid climbs with you on the floor, so you can see whether they're excited about it before you sign up for anything. If your teen is older than 15 (say, 16) and wants to come, they're welcome too. We have plenty of terrain for older and more advanced kids, and our Friday teen meetup runs all school year.

Pricing and sibling or group rates

Camp is $125 per student per camp week. When multiple students sign up together, the rate drops to $100 per student. That applies to siblings, and it applies just as well to a group of friends who organize themselves to fill a class or a large chunk of one, which we encourage. Official 2027 summer rates will be confirmed and published in early 2027, and we've always aimed to price camp competitively and affordably next to the other camp options in the Holland and Zeeland area.

One limitation to know about: homeschool partnership funds (Hamilton Flex and similar programs) can't currently be applied to camps. Those programs set their own rules for what they cover, and camps aren't on the list right now. They do cover our homeschool program during the school year.

Climbing camp cost per week in West Michigan

Parents comparing options deserve real numbers. Other climbing gyms in the region that publish camp pricing list roughly $315 to $395 per camp week as of September 2026, and those are four-day or full-day formats. At least one half-day climbing camp in the region doesn't post its price online, so that range is based on limited public pricing and can change any season. Shift's $125 is for a half-day, Monday-through-Thursday camp week with shoes and chalk included. When you compare, look at hours per day and what's included as much as the headline price, because a half-day camp and a full-day camp are different products.

School-break camps for 2026-27

Summer isn't the only time kids need somewhere to go. We run half-day break camps during the school year too, and they follow the same shape as summer: grouped by age and ability, coached, circuit-based, and indoors where the weather can't cancel anything. If you've spent a February break in Holland with a kid who's out of ideas by Tuesday, you already understand why these exist.

We built the list below from the published 2026-27 calendars of Holland Public Schools, Zeeland Public Schools, Holland Christian Schools, and Zeeland Christian School, so these are the days local kids are actually out. Zeeland Christian's posted calendar runs through March 2027 and doesn't list spring break yet. Always confirm against your own school's calendar.

Full break-camp weeks (winter break and spring break) run Monday through Thursday like summer and are $125 per student, or $100 per student for siblings and groups, with the same 9:00 AM to noon and 1:00 to 4:00 PM sessions. Shorter break camps of one to three days are priced by the number of days, and we post the exact rate with each camp's registration. Each break camp goes up on this page and on our events page as it's confirmed, and families already in our afterschool and homeschool programs hear first. Email info@shiftclimbing.com to get on the list for a specific break.

Gear, snacks, and drop-off

• Gear: climbing shoes and chalk are provided, every camper, every day. Leave the jewelry at home.
• Clothes: comfortable and stretchy. Shorts, leggings, sweatpants, a t-shirt.
• Water and snacks: bring a water bottle and a nut-free snack. Camp is nut-free, so please check labels. Snack time is built into every session, and the cafe is there as an alternative.
• Waiver: a parent or guardian signs the online waiver once before day one.
• Drop-off and pickup: at the session start and end times (9:00 and noon, or 1:00 and 4:00). We don't run an official early drop-off or late pickup program, but a few minutes either side is no problem. There's plenty of parking at 12345 James Street.

Risk management at camp

Climbing, like riding a bike or learning to swim, carries inherent risk, and we take every precaution and every step we can to reduce it. Parents deserve specifics, so here are ours. Campers climb over 4,348.6 square feet of continuous engineered flooring, 12 to 14 inches thick under the main walls, with extended fall zones our staff keeps clear. The walls were engineered to EN 12572-2:2017, the international standard for bouldering walls, and the structural design was independently reviewed by a US engineering firm. There are no ropes and no harnesses anywhere in the gym, the walls top out at 16 to 17 feet, and climbing back down is part of what campers learn on day one.

Coming off the wall is taught before climbing up it, because most bouldering injuries are landing-related, and a kid who lands well climbs with confidence everywhere. Campers stay on our most accessible circuit colors, on big holds and varied movement, and we keep kids off small-hold, high-intensity training entirely, because research on young climbers links that style of training to finger growth-plate stress. Just as important, we coach kids proactively to understand the risks themselves and to make good decisions on the wall, and our instructors stay attentive for the whole session, which is a big part of why classes are capped at 8.

Air conditioning

Yes, the whole building, all summer. As far as our ownership knows, Shift is the only air-conditioned climbing facility in the area. That sounds like a small thing until you've watched a kid try to climb in a hot room. Summer camp here is a cool room, cold water, and dry chalk. The rest of the numbers on the building are on the facility page.

Coaches

Our youth programs are run by staff who spend their working lives making climbing feel doable for kids. Jadee Woodby, who leads much of our youth programming, holds a degree in elementary and special education and taught in public schools for three years before she ever coached a climbing session, which shows the first time you watch her run a group of nine-year-olds. The climbs themselves are set by a program led by an owner certified to USA Climbing Level 5, the organization's highest routesetting certification, and easy climbs that are still interesting are the hardest climbs to set well.

Parents at camp

You're welcome to stay and watch, and it costs nothing. Grab a coffee in the cafe, which has a sightline to the mats, or climb yourself on a day pass. During camp hours the coaches run the group, so you don't need to be on the floor.

Full-day camps, down the road

Right now every camp is a half day. We know a lot of families need a full day, and we're working on it: the idea is to collaborate with another local option (the Holland Township building next door is one example) to offer a combined full-day experience between two venues. That's in progress, not on the calendar yet. If a full day is what you need, tell us, because interest is what moves it forward.

Other great camps in Holland

We're one good option among several, and Holland is lucky that way. Plenty of families put a week of ours next to a week of theirs, and we think that's exactly right.

• ODC Network (Outdoor Discovery Center) runs half-day nature camps for ages 4 to 16 on its 160-acre preserve on the south side of Holland, with themes like kayaking, archery, art, wildlife, and outdoor skills, and it offers camps during some school breaks too. If your kid loves being outside, this is the one.
• Hope College camps cover a lot of ground. ExploreHope runs hands-on science, engineering, and arts camps for kids entering K through 12, including Tykes Legos and Tinker Engineers for the youngest and Art in Nature. Hope Repertory Theatre runs half-day drama, improv, musical theatre, and design camps for K through 12 that end with kids performing for their families. Hope's athletics department runs youth sports camps too, including soccer.
• Velo Kids gets kids on bikes with summer camps in Holland and Grand Haven from June through August: an Urban Camp, a Mountain Bike Camp on the trails, and a Littles Camp. Campers are grouped by ability, and if your kid doesn't have a bike, Velo Kids has a bike library. Their 2027 registration opens after the new year.

What are other parents saying?

These are real Google reviews from families who climb here.

"A real treat with a group of friends. None of us are climbers but we were all challenged, helped, had space to socialize and went home with lots of smiles."
AJ W.

"The family always enjoys Shift. The staff is amazing; the routes are set for all experience levels and relevant for all kinds of movement."
Dan K.

"My kids LOVE Shift Climbing. They attend the homeschool classes and have learned so much and feel very encouraged by the staff."
Jordan

"The routes are always fun, lot of focus on moving, pretty chill place. Have a nice mix of easy and challenging routes which is nice for my level."
Heather W.

Jordan, a homeschool mom who drives in from Hudsonville with three boys, sat down with us to talk about what climbing has done for her kids. You can watch it below or read her family's story.

Questions parents ask about camp

Does my kid need climbing experience for camp?

No. Most campers are first-timers, and our circuit system means there are 30 or more climbs on the wall any beginner can finish. Kids who already climb get coached at their level in the same groups.

Can my kid do more than one week?

Yes, and plenty do. Each week stands on its own, and the climbs change weekly anyway because our crew resets sections every week. Some kids pick a second week just to climb with a different set of friends.

Is there a sibling or group discount?

Yes. Camp is $125 per student, and $100 per student when siblings or a group of friends sign up together. Friend groups who organize to fill a class, or most of one, get the same $100 rate.

Can I use homeschool partnership funds for camp?

Not currently. Programs like Hamilton Flex set their own rules for what they cover, and camps aren't included right now. Those funds do cover our homeschool program during the school year.

Is the gym air conditioned in summer?

Yes, the whole facility, all year. As far as our ownership knows, we're the only air-conditioned climbing facility in the area.

Can parents stay and watch?

Yes, and it's free. The cafe has a sightline to the mats, or you can climb on a day pass while your kid is in camp.

My kid is younger than 7. Any options?

Come in for a complimentary trial climb where your child climbs with you on the floor. If they light up, we'll talk about the right time to start camp.

My kid is older than 15. Can they still come?

Yes. A 16-year-old is welcome at camp, and we have plenty of terrain for older and more advanced kids.

When does registration open?

Links for the 2027 summer weeks go live in January 2027. School-break camps are posted here and on our events page as each one is confirmed.

Do you offer a full day or extended care?

Not yet. All camps are half days for now. A combined full-day option with another local venue is something we're working toward, and a few minutes early or late at pickup is never a problem.

Whatever week you pick, your kid will come home with a new thing they can do and a few new friends who can do it too. That's the whole point. Come climb with us!

Registration for 2027 summer camp opens in January 2027. Until then, email info@shiftclimbing.com to get a heads-up when links go live, or to ask about a specific school-break camp.