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Salem Kids Camp
The Summer Camp for Explorers
Age: 9 - 11 years
Date: Saturday 25 July 2026 to Saturday 8 August 2026
Fee: €3.500 - includes everything offered on campus: tuition, 24/7 supervision and support, accommodation, all meals, activities, as well as excursions and a bus transfer service from and to Zurich airport on arrival and departure days for participants if required.
Children are curious. And they want to experience new adventures. The Salem Kids Camp offers innumerable opportunities to discover the world in a playful way. Set in natural surroundings – the meadows, hills and woods of the unique region of Lake Constance and together with other children – this creates an incomparable harmonious and positive atmosphere where learning is a pleasure.
Please be aware that first-time registrations have priority. Repeat applicants will be placed on a waiting list. Places will be offered if they become available, usually no earlier than May. Thank you for your understanding.
For participants in Baden-Württemberg, please ensure your child has permission to miss the last few days of the summer term!
Lars Lenius
Head of Salem Kids Camp
Karin Lenius
Head of Salem Kids Camp
Daily Schedule
An adventure every day
Our daily schedule offers a balanced mix of lessons, sports, creative activities and shared experiences. This is how we ensure that each day of camp, from Monday to Friday, is exciting, enriching and child-friendly.
Daily Schedule (Monday - Friday)
Learning Groups in the Morning at Kids Camp
Learning & Experiencing
Between 08:15 and 10:15, Salem Kids Camp offers learning groups in the academic areas of language, humanities and sciences. The focus is on ’learning to learn’, i.e. leading students towards independent and self-organized learning. Playful approaches, practical experience and helpful learning tips are intended to arouse enthusiasm for knowledge.
Children can attend one of the following courses:
Basic English
Experience & Exercise: This course is designed for children who are interested in the English language, have had at least one year of English classes in school, and are not English native speakers. The focus is on free speech and vocabulary development. For example, the students conduct interviews with English-speaking Kids Camp participants and write articles for the Salem Kids Camp newspaper. Certain grammatical topics and listening comprehension will be taught in a motivating way.
German
Really good stories and grammar: Students with a good level of German who like to read and write stories, write essays and improve their spelling and grammar at the same time will find what they are looking for here. Under the guidance of experienced German teachers, they can put their own ideas on paper. In the process, they expand their vocabulary, improve their writing style, and experience a creative, hands-on approach to the German language.
German as a Foreign Language (DaF)
For Beginners
This is a class for participants with no previous knowledge of German who want to learn the language for the first time. In addition to the usual learning content for beginners, special emphasis is placed on learning the vocabulary that characterizes boarding school life: The children learn how to introduce themselves, how to conduct simple everyday conversations, and how to write small texts in the new language.
For Advanced Learners
Here, those participants who have already learned some German at school or at home can deepen their knowledge. We deal with topics in which the children are particularly interested and for which they can already do independent research. In this way, they learn in an exciting and entertaining way how to speak and write better. They also write short articles for the Kids Camp newspaper, which all participants can take home at the end. At the same time, the children work individually on grammatical topics and practice their listening comprehension.
History
Journey into the past: The participants will experience Schloss Salem and its surroundings during the Middle Ages both in theory and practice. Good German language skills are a prerequisite for participation in this group. In case of low enrolment, we may combine the courses of Salem Kids Camp & Salem Junior Camp.
Mini Uni
Taster studies: Here, students learn interesting facts from the fields of natural science and technology. Under the guidance of experts, they learn about amazing phenomena in practice-oriented ’lectures’.
Practical Mathematics
Math in a different way: Participants learn about mathematics in a practical way. With many games and learning aids, the course teaches mathematical rules and laws.
Morning Activities at the Salem Kids Camp
Between morning snack and lunch, there is time for the first activity of the day. The content is based on the “Muses” programme for Years 5 and 6 and is designed above all to foster the children’s creativity in a variety of ways.
Each Morning Activity is led by qualified professionals and supported by our assistants. Group sizes range from ca. 8 to 14 children.
Children can attend one of the following Morning Activities:
Art & Crafts
Let the imagination flow freely: Using a wide variety of materials such as plaster, soapstone, oil paint and ink, the children can paint, design and craft in many different ways. We look forward to many young artists who will be inspired by Schloss Salem and its picturesque surroundings.
Circus
The circus is open for young artists: The circus has a long tradition in Salem. The flair of the circus world has always fascinated children. At Salem Kids Camp, they can learn ring arts such as unicycling, juggling, handling the diabolo or devilstick, acrobatics, tightrope walking or ball running from circus instructors with many years of experience.
Diligent practice pays off, because on the final day of the Salem Kids Camp there is a big performance in front of the parents!
Forest
Exploring flora & fauna: Forest, water, meadow - in the beautiful and varied surroundings, the children explore these areas of nature by experiencing, playing and creating in a variety of ways. Supervised by experienced educators, they walk barefoot or blind, feel and touch, draw sound maps or create a mini national park. In the theoretical part - also with the help of experiments - the basics for a better understanding of the processes in nature are developed.
Subtitle should be in bold! Join our Kids Camp Ensemble! You have a passion for making music and already play an instrument — or perhaps you’d like to try a new one? Then this is the perfect place for you! Together, and under professional guidance, you’ll grow into a real ensemble and round off the week with a concert performance for your parents.
On Stage
The stage is set for young talents: Music, theatre and musicals - here, Salem Kids Camp participants can gain their first experience of independent speaking, singing and acting. They also write and stage their own short plays and try out different roles.
The highlight is the performance on the final day, when the participants present what they have practiced live on stage in front of their parents.
Afternoon Activities at the Salem Kids Camp
Discover & Explore: After a hearty lunch, Kids Camp participants are out and about each day from 2:15 to 5:45 p.m., actively taking part in a variety of experiences. This gives them a glimpse into the sporty and hands-on elements of boarding school life while allowing them to focus in depth on a topic of their choice.
Each Afternoon Activity is led by qualified professionals and supported by our assistants. Group sizes range from ca. 8 to 14 children.
Children can attend one of the following Afternoon Activities:
If you love being active and can’t resist picking up a ball — to throw it, kick it, or simply play — then Ball Sports is just right for you. Over the course of two weeks, you’ll try out a range of different sports, improve your technique and teamwork, and have loads of fun along the way.
In the surrounding woods and natural landscapes, you’ll learn the art of bushcraft — how to find your way and thrive under the open sky. Whittling, campfires, and outdoor adventures are all part of your daily programme in this afternoon activity. Here, you’ll pick up skills, techniques, and practical tricks that make spending time in nature both more comfortable and more exciting!
Sailing
Close to the water: The sailing course is mainly intended for beginners. During this afternoon session, participants head to the school's own harbour near Überlingen on Lake Constance. The participants enjoy putting both theoretical and parctical sailing skills to the test whilst in the harbour and aboard our optimists. Boat care is also part of the curriculum. In order to avoid boredom even when the wind is calm, the leaders organize games, competitions in paddling on surfboards or in knot tying, and much more.
At the end of the camp, after passing the exam, the sailors receive the "Salem Kids Camp Opti-Diploma"!
Prerequisites for the course are a good knowledge of German and confident swimming skills.
Fun in the water: In this course, everything revolves around fun and confidence in the water. Whether you want to improve your swimming technique, learn new strokes, or simply enjoy being active in the pool — this is the place for you. Under the guidance of experienced instructors, you’ll refine your swimming skills through a variety of exercises and games, while also learning about water safety.
Strong swimming ability is required, as sessions may also take place in open water, depending on weather conditions.
Evening Programme at Kids Camp
Free time: After dinner, there are different activities every day, e.g. soccer or field hockey, handicrafts, reading sessions or writing letters and e-mails to parents and friends.
From 8:00 p.m. on, the children spend the rest of the evening in their boarding houses, i.e. in their small living groups. After changing, showering, washing and brushing their teeth, the so-called Silentium begins at 8:30 pm. During this time, the children should stay in their rooms and, for example, read or play quietly.
After a long and eventful day, the lights go out at 9:00 p.m. and it's good night for everyone.
The first weekend
A refreshing change
The weekend is a break for the learning groups and activities, but not a break from exciting, eventful activities. The Kids Camp participants explore the surrounding area of Lake Constance together.
Saturday: Off to the Affenberg!
On Saturday, after breakfast, we will walk to the popular ‘Affenberg’ near Salem. The main attraction here - along with various other animal species - are the barbary macaques. Afterwards we will have a picnic at our Upper School Schloss Spetzgart. If the weather allows it, a visit to Lake Constance for swimming is on the agenda for the afternoon. The day ends with a film screening after dinner.
Sunday: A Castle Rally!
On Sunday, the focus is on Schloss Salem and its immediate surroundings. The boarding houses will compete against each other in a colourful rally around the castle grounds. In this way, the children - together with their new friends - can explore and discover the boarding school in a fun and playful way. The day ends with a barbecue in the garden.
Final Days and Show of the Salem Kids Camp
Get together for children and parents
The departure weekend offers parents the opportunity to find out what their children have experienced and also to learn more about Schule Schloss Salem in general.
Friday Afternoon
On Friday afternoon, you’ll have the opportunity to watch your child take part in their afternoon activity — or even join in yourself, if possible. See your child in action in the forest, observe them sailing on the lake, or accompany them to their swimming or ball sports session!
Saturday Morning
After a presentation by the Learning Groups — where children and teachers together showcase what has been learned, created, and achieved over the past two weeks of the Kids Camp — the final performance of the Morning Activities follows: the young artists demonstrate their creativity, the On Stage production celebrates its premiere, the circus presents its captivating show, and the musicians perform a final concert. The closing event is complemented by an exhibition from the Art & Design and Forest groups.
After a short film capturing moments from the Kids Camp, it’s time for all participants to pack their bags and think about heading home!
At 12 noon, there will be an information session for interested parents about our boarding school.
