Inside The Second Annual Vance Family Summer Camp

WASHINGTON— Saturday morning at the Naval Observatory looked a little different than usual. Once again, the Vance family hosted dozens of families at “Camp VPR,” a one-day camp that Second Lady Usha Vance created that takes place on the lawn of the Naval Observatory.

The second lady shared exclusive photos of the day with The Daily Wire, showing children coloring, reading, painting, playing, and even digging in a play garden as they celebrated the beginning of summer and kicked off the second lady’s summer reading challenge. While there have been many parties at the residence in the past, Camp VPR is a creation of the Vances, and the largest of its type.

“We kicked off an exciting summer of sunshine, outdoor play, and reading at Camp VPR,” Second Lady Usha Vance told The Daily Wire, encouraging children to “keep the fun going all summer long with my Summer Reading Challenge!”

School buses shuttled campers from their pickup locations to the vice president’s residence, where the children received branded baseball hats and drawstring bags to carry their Camp VPR goodies back home. Upon arrival at the camp, the children threw themselves headlong into activities including a rock wall, a slip n’ slide, an inflatable obstacle course, an inflatable moon bounce, and face painting.

The U.S. Navy Band Cruisers, the Navy’s top music group, returned for the second year in a row to play for the campers.

Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance host Camp VPR at Vice President’s Residence in Washington, D.C. Saturday, June 06, 2026. (Official White House Photo by Emily J. Higgins.)

(Official White House Photo by Emily J. Higgins.)

(Official White House Photo by Emily J. Higgins.)

(Official White House Photo by Emily J. Higgins.)

(Official White House Photo by Emily J. Higgins.)

(Official White House Photo by Emily J. Higgins.)

Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance host Camp VPR at Vice President’s Residence in Washington, D.C. Saturday, June 06, 2026. (Official White House Photo by Emily J. Higgins.)

(Official White House Photo by Emily J. Higgins.)

(Official White House Photo by Emily J. Higgins.)

(Official White House Photo by Emily J. Higgins.)

(Official White House Photo by Emily J. Higgins.)

Second Lady Usha Vance hosts Camp VPR at Vice President’s Residence in Washington, D.C. Saturday, June 06, 2026. (Official White House Photo by Emily J. Higgins.)

(Official White House Photo by Harrison Koeppel)

In a nod to America’s 250th birthday, this year’s Camp VPR had a nostalgic red-white-and-blue theme and color palette with hints of books strewn all around the camp. All elements of the camp were tied to the second lady’s “Summer Reading Challenge,” wherein students read 12 books of their choice between June 1 and September 4 of this year and receive a personalized certificate from the second lady as well as a chance to visit Washington, D.C.

The kids who attended Camp VPR on Saturday received a welcome note from the vice president and second lady, participated in a scavenger hunt to find books about the property, played mad libs about their day at camp, tie dyed Camp VPR shirts, did rock painting, and more.

Every vice president’s family leaves a mark on the Naval Observatory through their legacy items they leave behind. Through “Camp VPR,” campers themselves can leave a mark on the Naval Observatory by painting a rock for the gardens on the property.

Representatives from the Library of Congress attended the event with baseball memorabilia from the Library’s collection, and the DC Public Library Bookmobile attended the event, offering kids the opportunity to receive library cards for public libraries in the DMV so they can read more over the summer.

Local 4-H students were also on hand to team campers about the Vance family’s brand new chicken coop, which The Daily Wire first reported Sunday morning, and to show campers how to make their own coop made out of popsicle sticks.