In a place as culturally rich as Nantucket, it’s fitting that summer activities go beyond the beach.
This summer, Theatre Workshop of Nantucket, the Nantucket Dreamland and the Nantucket Island School of Design and the Arts (NISDA) have packed their summer calendars with programs for children and teens that range from discovering theatre and full-scale musical theatre productions to clay workshops, outdoor drawing, mask making, and intergenerational art-making.
Theatre Workshop of Nantucket is again offering their theatre programs for youth. During the July session of Take It from the Top, students ages 10 to 18 with all skill levels will train side-by-side with professional Broadway teaching artists in a dynamic, one-of-a-kind Broadway Intensive designed to spark creativity, build confidence, and elevate performance skills. Throughout this high energy week, participants will dive into all three triple threat disciplines: music, dance, and acting, while exploring a range of musical theatre styles and influences.
In August, Theatre Workshop’s Take It from the Top offers an advanced workshop. Ages 10 to 18 will join an exclusive workshop of the Broadway hit How to Dance in Ohio. Participants will work directly with members of the show’s original creative team to help craft a special one-act version of the musical for licensing. This advanced workshop is all about creative collaboration, exploring new works, the development process, and unforgettable storytelling. Students will explore the show’s dramaturgy, characters, music, choreography, and scene work—and perform the piece at the end of the week for friends and family.
Details and registration for these two stellar Theatre Workshop youth sessions is at theatrenantucket.org/education.
Located at 17 South Water Street in the heart of town, the Nantucket Dreamland is a year-round nonprofit film and cultural center that has long been committed to arts education. Under the banner of the 2026 Kids Summer Stage, the Dreamland is offering five programs serving children and teens from ages 4 through 18, with programming running from late June through mid-August.
Their offering for the youngest kids is Stage Explorers, a morning camp for ages 4 to 8 that runs Monday through Friday from 9 am to noon, beginning June 29 and continuing through August 14. Each week, participants “travel” to a new country, discover stories from that culture, and then take the stage at a Friday showcase to share what they’ve learned. The 11 am Friday Showcase is open to families and friends of Explorers and includes live performances, arts and crafts, a sing-along, and a tea party on the Dreamland stage, making it a celebration as much as a performance.
For older kids who want a deeper theatrical experience, the Dreamland is mounting a production of Disney and Pixar’s Finding Nemo JR. This three-week camp for ages 8 to 18 runs July 6-24, with performances scheduled from July 25 through August 1. Whether a child thrives in the spotlight or prefers working behind the scenes, the program is designed to give every participant a meaningful role in building a real production from first rehearsal to final bow.
The nationally recognized Missoula Children’s Theatre is back at Dreamland for a one-week residency appearance the week of August 3 to 7. In this intensive program, children ages 8 and older work with visiting teaching artists to put on a production of Peter & Wendy — the classic tale of adventure, belonging, and the belief that you can fly. Performances are scheduled for Friday, August 7 at 5:30 pm and Saturday, August 8 at noon.
Storytime with a Princess offers interactive, joyful fun multiple times throughout the summer. Royal doors open at 11 am for crown crafting and face painting, with a theatre experience that begins at 11:25 am. Sessions will be held on July 11, 18, and 25 and on August 1, 9, and 15. Tickets are $25 ($20 for Dreamland members), with a special “Royal Treatment” package available for $99.
Rounding out the Dreamland’s Kids Summer Stage 2026 season is a one-week musical theatre intensive designed for teens. Participants ages 12 to 18 will work one-on-one with directors during the week of August 10-14 to find their voices, develop performance skills, and prepare solo numbers for the 16 Bars Showcase on August 14 at 5:30 pm.
Registration for Dreamland 2026 Kids Summer Stage programs is available at nantucketdreamland.org/education/2026-kids-summer-stage
Out at Seaview Farm Arts Center on 23 Wauwinet Road, the Nantucket Island School of Design & the Arts takes a different but equally vibrant approach to summer enrichment for youths. NISDA’s young artists programs are rooted in multicultural exploration, nature study, and hands-on studio arts using Nantucket’s landscape and community as classroom and inspiration. Registration is open, and the Nantucket Golf Club Foundation offers scholarships for yearround island students ages 5–19.
The NISDA classes and workshops include Kinder Artists, Clay Workshops, Let’s Paint!, Youth Clay, Drawing in Nature, Mask Making, Decorative Stitching and Embellishment, and Stone Soup: Maskmaking and Storytelling.
Friday mornings through July and into August, NISDA hosts Generations Together, a multigenerational art-making workshop open to everyone. Sessions run on July 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31, and August 7, 14, and 21. This is NISDA’s version of celebrating creativity while having old-fashioned fun: no age limits, no prerequisites, just shared time making things together.
For families looking for something more customized, NISDA also offers Art Workshop Parties at their Dairy Barn Studios & Meadow, as well as private tutorial instruction, both available upon request.
Registration for each of NISDA’s youth programs can be found at nisda.org/youth-summer-2026
Together, Theatre Workshop of Nantucket, the Dreamland, and NISDA provide a remarkable selection of creative opportunities for young people on Nantucket this summer. Whether a child is drawn to the spotlight or to the studio, to telling stories through performance or through clay and paint and stitch, there is a program designed for them.