Preschool Theater Summer Camp in Arlington, VA — A Morning of Magic, Every Week
Half-day morning camp for ages 3–5, built around beloved characters and themes your child already loves — with a Final Sharing performance for families at the end of every session.
Pre-K Camp runs June through August with a new character-themed session each week. Every morning is built around a recognizable, beloved character world — past themes have included Snoopy and the Beagle Scouts, Bluey, Paw Patrol, and Doc McStuffins. Campers spend the week exploring that world through song, movement, storytelling, crafts, and theater games, and on the final day they share what they created with their families.
A note before you register: Pre-K Camp is designed for children ages 3–5 who are toilet trained. This is a firm requirement for enrollment — please confirm your child meets this readiness marker before registering.
Looking for year-round theater classes for this age group instead? Encore's Early Learner classes run semester-based sessions throughout the school year.
What a Pre-K Camp Week Looks Like
Parents enrolling a 3 or 4-year-old for the first time want to know exactly what their child will be doing each morning. Here is the shape of a Pre-K Camp week.
Each session is built around the week's character theme. Teaching artists introduce the characters and their world on the first day, and campers spend the week inhabiting that world through activities designed for early childhood energy and attention spans. Morning sessions include:
- Song and movement tied to the week's theme and characters
- Storytelling and imaginative play — campers become characters, go on adventures, and build the week's story together
- Music and rhythm activities that develop listening, timing, and creative response
- Crafts connected to the theme that campers take home each day
On the final morning, families are invited for the Final Sharing — a joyful showing of what the group created together over the week. For many 3 and 4-year-olds, it is their first experience performing for an audience. It tends to be a memorable morning for everyone in the room.
Half-Day Format and Logistics
Pre-K Camp is a morning half-day program. Here is what parents need to know before the first drop-off.
Ages: 3–5. Toilet training is required for all campers. This is not a suggestion — it is a prerequisite for enrollment.
Format: Half-day morning sessions running Monday through Friday for each themed week.
Scholarships: Need-based scholarships are available for Pre-K Camp sessions. Reach out before cost becomes the reason not to enroll.
Why the Character Themes Matter
Parents of 3 and 4-year-olds know this instinctively: a child who is excited about the theme before they arrive is a child who transitions more easily, engages more fully, and comes home wanting to go back tomorrow.
Encore's Pre-K Camp themes are built around characters young children already love — Bluey, Paw Patrol, Doc McStuffins, Snoopy and the Beagle Scouts, and others that rotate through the summer schedule. The characters are the entry point. The theater skills, the creative development, and the social experience are what the week actually builds. For a 3-year-old, those two things are indistinguishable from each other, which is exactly the point.
Pre-K Camp and Early Learner Classes — Two Different Programs
Encore serves ages 3–5 through two distinct programs, and families sometimes arrive at this page looking for the other one.
Pre-K Camp is a summer-only morning program running June through August. It is the right choice for families looking for a themed, active summer experience for their young child.
The Early Learner class program is a year-round, semester-based program running during the school year. It is the right choice for families looking for consistent weekly instruction across fall, winter, and spring. Many families do both. If you are looking for year-round programming rather than a summer session, the Early Learner classes page has what you need.
What Families Ask About Pre-K Theater Summer Camp
What theater summer camp is available for a 3-year-old in Arlington, VA?
Encore's Pre-K Camp is a half-day morning theater camp for ages 3–5, running June through August with a new character-themed session each week. Past themes have included Bluey, Paw Patrol, and Snoopy and the Beagle Scouts. Each week ends with a Final Sharing performance for families. Children must be toilet trained to enroll.
What half-day summer camps are available for preschoolers in Northern Virginia?
Pre-K Camp at Encore Stage & Studio runs as a half-day morning program for ages 3–5 throughout the summer season. Sessions follow a themed format built around beloved characters, with song, movement, storytelling, crafts, and a Final Sharing performance at the end of each week.
What is the Final Sharing at the end of Pre-K Camp?
The Final Sharing is a brief performance on the last morning of each session, open to families. Campers show what they created and explored together during the week — characters, stories, songs, and movements built around the session theme. It is a low-key, warm, joyful experience designed for very young performers and the families who love watching them.
Does my child need to be toilet trained for Pre-K summer camp?
Yes. Toilet training is a firm requirement for Pre-K Camp enrollment. This applies to all campers ages 3–5. Please confirm your child meets this readiness marker before registering.
Are summer programs available for a 4-year-old near Alexandria, VA?
Pre-K Camp runs at Encore's North Arlington location at Cherrydale United Methodist Church, a short drive from Alexandria, Fairlington, Del Ray, and South Arlington. [Designer note: If the South Arlington/Alexandria location hosts Pre-K Camp sessions, update this answer to reflect that.] Check the current session schedule above for theme dates and availability.
What is the difference between Pre-K Camp and Encore's Early Learner classes?
Pre-K Camp is a summer-only half-day morning program built around themed sessions and a Final Sharing performance. Early Learner classes are year-round, semester-based sessions running during the school year with a consistent weekly structure. Both serve ages 3–5 and are taught by Encore teaching artists. Pre-K Camp is the summer option; Early Learner classes are the school-year option.
Encore Stage & Studio has welcomed some of its youngest theater makers through Pre-K Camp for years — mornings built around characters children love, activities designed for where 3, 4, and 5-year-olds actually are, and a Final Sharing moment that families remember long after the summer ends. Scholarships are available. Sessions fill quickly once themes are announced.