This is a paid piece from the Sioux Falls Family YMCA.

Simplified: Summer may feel eons away in snowy December, but it's exactly the right time to plan ahead for Camp Leif Ericson. And signing your child up for camp is a great way to gift experiences, adventure and memories they'll carry with them for a lifetime.

Why it matters

  • Camp Leif Ericson has been impacting South Dakota kids for generations – dating back to 1920 when it first started at Lake Madison, through 1966 when it moved to its current central Sioux Falls location and today as the camp looks to improve for future generations.
  • Through camp, children ages 4 to 15 get a chance to belong to a tight-knit community developing leadership skills, gaining independence and seeing firsthand the importance of having respect for nature.
  • The 2026 camp registration opened in November, and some sections are already filling fast. The two-week camp sessions have limited capacity, and now is the best time to sign up to ensure your child can be in the session they want (and paired up with any friends who are also attending camp). It's also a chance to gift your kids experiences they may not otherwise have.
"There's nowhere else that you really spend that length of time in nature, getting your hands dirty and being immersed in it," Camp Director Caley Harr said. "A lot of our activities are truly once-in-a-lifetime for these kids."

Tell me more about Camp Leif Ericson

The two-week summer sessions start June 1 and run through mid-August. Different age groups include:

  • Little Vikes: a half-day, two-week camp for 4- and 5-year-olds,
  • Camp Leif Ericson: a full-day, two-week camp for 6- to 9-year-olds,
  • Camp Tepeetonka: a full-day, two-week camp helping older kids, age 10 to 13, challenge themselves, build skills and set goals,
  • Tepeetonka Leadership Camp (TLC): full-day, two-week camp for 14 and 15-year-olds to bridge the gap between attending as a camper and serving as a camp staffer.

The Sioux Falls Family YMCA also offers a couple of specialty camps including the new Rysdon Ranch Camp, a horse camp experience hosted at HiRoad Ranch with two-week sessions designed to build riding skills, connect with horses and form meaningful friendships.

  • Other specialty camps include Give Kids the Woods, which is returning for its second summer after a successful pilot last year, and Venture Vikes, a condensed one-week camp for kids age 6 to 13.
How the YMCA is making summer camp accessible for all
The goal with Give Kids the Woods is to preserve the integrity of the camp experience, just with some extra accommodations.
Sioux Falls SimplifiedMegan Raposa

Are there scholarships available?

Yes.

  • Camp admission is paid on a sliding scale, and families are able to apply for financial aid.

How can I sign up?

You can learn more and register for camp here.