Inspired by camp thread, How much do you pay for camp?

[czycropper]

My DDs go to Girl Scout sleepaway camp and it's $575 for both of them for 7 days/6 nights. Now, the expensive camp is the Cheer Camp which is $400 each for 9am-4pm and Dance Intensive Week Workshop which is $375 for my older DD. I'm lucky that I can work from home so I don't have to pay for camps all summer long like I did a few years ago!

Next year my older DD wants to try out for the American Ballet Camp and I'm not even going to say how much that one is.....it's in the thousands!

 

[Worfiedoodles]

My ds11 attends a private Catholic day camp in Boston. The fee is $150/wk, $100 if you pay a week in advance. This includes breakfast, lunch and swimming at a local pool. There are a multitude of field trips, you pay as you go but they are usually $10 or less. Hours are 7 am to 6 pm, but we generally drop around 8 and pick up a little after 5. This is a general camp, and offers sports, cooking lessons, computers, etc., for kids 5-12. The kids are broken into age groups, and then further into gender if there are alot of kids. The camper:counselor ratio is 10:1 for my son's age, it was lower when he was younger. You do not have to be Catholic to attend (we are not), but the day does begin and end with prayer, so if you have a problem with that it wouldn't work for you. DS goes to Catholic school, so it's fine with us. I like to say he makes a great "faux Catholic"!

 

[stitchlovestink]

church camp for us is $145 and the church pitches in $50 as long as you do early sign up. It is in lower western PA. People carpool to and from in vans. It only takes a about 2/1/2 to 3 hours to get there (depending on who is driving ). They do have horseback riding, swimming, a zip line, canoeing, and some other actvities. They are supposed to be there by lunchtime on Mon and they leave right after lunchtime on Fri. Last year it was cheaper by about $50 but I guess the economy is getting to them too. Although, I am not complaining about the price, I think it is reasonable and DD has a blast w/ her friends that come from other district churches. they do get a Tshirt, but it is more for souvie purposes as they are never required to wear it. and I usually give her an extra $20 for the snack shack.

 

[disneymom2one]

13 year old, Florida Panhandle

4 weeks of day camp on our college campus - $440. Does not include shirts, lunch, or transportation but they have a blast.

1 week of Tech Camp at a different college with older kids - $150 - again no lunch, shirt, transportation

1 week of VBS - free - she's now a volunteer and still has a blast

That got us through the majority of the summer (her dad and I teach at a local college). When she has a "break week", we set up a learning contract and she works on that at the college when we're in class. Nothing stressful and doesn't cost me anything but keeps her busy.

Like a PP mentioned, she's been invited to more intensive academic away camps. Hers are because of her participation and recognition for Duke TIP. We chose not to do it this year but may consider it next year. They are way $$$.

 

[Ashlander]

Virginia here.

Our County provides a 6 week day program (4 days a week; 8 hours a day). They go on an outing once a week. It's a great bargain: $150! (that includes the field trips) ETA: Read on the other thread about bad experience with this type of day camp. That's too bad. We are very fortunate to have a great program, but I have heard of this type of program being less than great in other areas.

We must be in the same county 2 of my kids attend this and we love it! It is such a great deal. We also spend a few weeks at the Y for $125/week.

 

[meanmom121]

i belong to a fraternal insurance in Texas "Hermann Sons" $150.00 for a week
execellent camp with about 20 activities to choose from - to participate in.

 

[katlas&kids]

I'm in VA too. My kids attend a YMCA day camp. $83 a week each, before any discounts. This is with free pre & post camp. Pre is from 6 - 9, camp is 9 - 3:30 & then post camp is until 6 that night. Yes, they are are kids there from sun up to sun down!

they do lots of movement during the day, between the different activities, swimming, arts & crafts. They have 1 field trip a week, and most are covered by your payment. You do send in your own food & snacks for them to eat.

Our teen camp is the same, except the field trips are lots more!! Kings Dominion today, Ocean Breeze water park another week, kayacking & a Busch Gardens trip. And we start that one in 2 weeks when my son turns 13. ACK!!

 

[mamalle]

I have never looked into sleep away camp or full time but mine do a few things over the summer part time-

dd went to soccer camp for 2 weeks from 9-12pm for $120
ds went to baseball camp for 2 weeks from 9-12pm for $150
both were Mon-Thurs.

dd has tumbling camp coming up next week (5 days) from 9-1pm for $100. One day Im going to let her stay till 4pm and let her brother go for a full day to a tune of $40 extra..

I thought everything was pretty reasonable..

 

[Mattsmommy]

My son's day camp is 185 a week. They have early drop of and late pickup at no extra charge, which works for us because I start work at 5am but DH drops him off at 7 and picks him up on his way home. My union pays 37.5% of the camp. They also had a free summer camp but they start at 9am which doesn't work for us.

 

[skw444]

We signed my dd up for 3 weeks of camp.

1 week of Girl Scout camp from 9am-1pm for $60
1 week of paint and clay camp at the church from 9am-3pm for $100
1 wee of Girl Scout camp from 8:30am-3:45pm for $70.

 

[JeffreyY]

Wish we lived where some of you do.

DS's 7 week sleep-away camp cost $8,900, DD's 4 week sleep-away costs $4,100. His camp is somewhat nicer then her camp.

When they last went to day camp (about 6 yeas ago) it was in the $5000 range for 6 weeks. That camp had all the extras like towel service.

We live in NYC.

 

[barneynshorty]

North Carolina YMCA overnight camp

$670 / 7 days & nights

But my work offers a discount of $200 and if you are a Y member you get another $100 discount.

It is a great camp -- with horses, archery, lake, etc -- the whole experience!

My 6yo. girl really, really loves it.

 

[mamalle]

North Carolina sounds nice what part do you mind if I ask? I wouldnt mind my kids going away for a week but that is long enough IMO. we do alot of things together as a family over the summer and I hate for them to miss out.

 

[coneeny4]

My DD is going to a Sheriff's camp it is only for a week M-F from 8:00 to 3:30 bus, lunch and fieldtrips for free.

This is the last year she can do it ages 9 to 11. But my son can start in 2 years.

They also do a week of Bible School M-F 9-12 for $15.00 each.

 

[MomtoGKC]

I looked up my old overnight camp and was shocked at how expensive it is! (not compared to some, but I had no clue that overnight camps were so high.) It is a YMCA girls camp in the Berkshires in Mass., it is $3,700 for 4 weeks, $150 more if you want riding lessons. It is a great camp, swimming, boating, ropes courses, etc., but it is more rustic then some. You sleep in bunk beds in non air conditioned cabins and have to walk to another building to use the bathroom.

I loved it so much and hope I'll be able to send my girls when the time comes. Of course, so far my oldest isn't much of s camp person - I may have to force her!

Day camps here in South Florida are around $200-250 per week for private camps. Gymnastics, clay places, tennis camps, etc. The town runs camps that are cheaper per week on average, but you have to go all summer and that doesn't work for us. I ended up sending my one DD to Vacation Bible School for a week and we don't even go to church at all. But it was $35 (9-12) and she had gone to pre-school there, I couldn't pass it up!

 

[Tink415]

western CT
Girl Scout day camp w/ outhouses, pool, bus transportation included, bring a bag lunch, snack provided daily, 7:30 4:45, $380 1 week horse camp, $200 1 week regular camp, $350 2 week regular camp.

YMCA day camp w/ ouhouses, pool, no bus transportation, bring a bag lunch, 9:00- 3:30, 1 week $303, 2 week $538, plus $8 camp improvement fee;
pre-care 7:30-9:00 $39/$70, post care 3:30-6 $60/$106, bus available AM $14/$28, PM $14/28 ... 1 week with PM extended care($60) & bus ($28) is $399 I think this camp is way over priced for what it is!

Tutor Time camp air conditoned bld & small outside area, no transportation, bring a bag lunch, 2 snacks daily, 3 fun field trips a week with no extra charge, $280 week 7am-6pm, 1 free t-shirt w/ early registration, otherwise $10. Have to wear t-shirts on field trips.

Girl Scout sleep away camp varies from $400 for 1 week to $2260 for 6 weeks. Lots of other sleep away camps for much more $$$.

CT YMCA sleep away camp was about $1400 week last time I checked about 6 years ago...my DD went to YMCA sleep away camp in upstate NY with cousins and it was about $300 week at the time!!

 

[Vijoge]

Our granddaughter is heading off to Girl Scout Camp on Sunday. It's just a two night-three day camp and cost $200. Personally, I think $200 for a two night camp experience is outrageous. Of course, we said yes and paid it but I still think that is was way too much money for a couple of days. .

 

[nursetink]

My girls went to a christian sports camp in Missouri. It was $975 per child for 7 days and 6 nights.

Day camp at the church is $150 week for both of them.

 

[nursetink]

Opps, double post, sorry.

 

[princessmom29]

It seems to me that the trend being expressed her is that camps in the Northeast are exclusive, high amenity camps with things like gymnastics lessons, riding lessons, tennis lessons included, and other areas are more mundane things like swimming, picnics ect. It there saimply no lower cost alternative to the exclusive high cost camps in the northeast??? What do normal people who can't afford the exclusive camps and work all summer do with their kids??