North America's summer camp tradition is one of the oldest and most developed in the world, with a scale and range of specialties — from language and academic programs to single-sport camps and full outdoor wilderness experiences — that's hard to match elsewhere. The region spans everything from long-running residential camps in the northeastern United States and Canada to day and residential programs further south in the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and the Bahamas.

For families outside the region, camps here are also a natural way to build English-language skills alongside the wider camp experience, since instruction runs in American or Canadian English depending on the location. Between the number of programs on offer and the diversity of settings — mountains, lakes, coastline, cities — there's a genuine range of formats and specialties for almost any interest.