Cactus Day Camp

Cactus Day Camp is where traditional day camping comes to the desert. We provide a full-day program five days a week for 2, 4, 6, or 8 weeks where safety is our number one priority, friendships are fostered, healthy lifestyles are encouraged and your child's fun is unlimited.

The Cactus experience is about trying new things and gaining new skills in an emotionally and physically safe and non-competitive environment while gaining independence as well as a sense of belonging.We hope you will join us this summer as we continue to create new friendships and traditions with a summer program that meets the needs of parents and children in Paradise Valley, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills and the valley.

Cactus Day Camp is owned and directed by Karyn Miller. Karyn grew up splitting her summers between overnight and day camps. After years of being a camper, Karyn worked at Banner Day Camp in Illinois as a counselor, teen director and assistant director. She then worked year-round as the associate director for overnight camps, Lake of the Woods and Greenwoods in Michigan.

When it comes to staff, we set the standards high. We believe that the staff is the most important part of our program to ensure that your child has a safe and fun camp experience. Our counselors are at least college age and many are studying to be or are teachers, coaches and recreational leaders.

We are located at the Montessori Academy in Paradise Valley. It is a beautiful environment that lends itself to the camp setting. There are ten air conditioned rooms for indoor activities, two swimming pools, a shaded lunch area and many outdoor play areas including two large sport courts and lots of field space.

Campers are grouped by their age group and by their gender. Each group will have at least one counselor and a junior counselor and often a counselor-in-training as well. All groups will be scheduled to rotate through age appropriate activities as a group so that they visit all activities once a week (a few activities are visited one time a session).