OT- Summer Camp

[WantToGoNow]

My ds8 will be leaving for a week-long church camp tomorrow morning at 7:30 am. This is his 2nd year and he absolutely loved it. My dd5 is anxiously awaiting her 7th birthday so she can go to.

They will also attend several 1/2 day Bible schools this summer as they have in the past (dd will be going to one this week from 9-12 each day).

 

[fac]

I agree with everyone that it is not a need, but something that the kids will likely enjoy.

My kids not only go to day camps, they started sleep away camps since 7 and 8. They are 10 and 8 now. This summer, they will go to the camp at Seaworld.

However, be careful in evaluating options, everyone's budget is different. If the budget is tight, don't feel you have deprived the kids of anything. I always told my kids I didn't have the many "necessities" they have now. If you do want them to have the opportunity, many places may have financial aids.

Also while the kids may have fun, but it may not be the best value for the money spent. For example, last year we paid over $600 per week for 2 kids including after care for a local YMCA. It included swimming. Last year, I happened to have time and decided to go to the pool to see them, what I found out was that they have to bus the kids from the park to the pool, and have the kids swam in the pool. It ended up many of time, including my girls, were just holding on the side of the pool to talk. The after care was just a bunch of kids throwing balls among themselves. We didn't have too many choices, as both of us work. If I were not working, I would have a better use of the $600 for one week.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

It's all a matter of perspective. I would be wholeheartedly disappointed if I was never able to send my kids to summer camp. I feel it's a necessary part learning early independence, social interaction and coping skills. The experiences have been invaluable for my kids. My younger child was the third generation to attend the same lakefront girl scout camp where my mother and I both spent a few summers. To me, the cost is worth every penny and because summer happens every year you can certainly budget for it in advance!

 

[C&G'sMama]

My two cents. Like others have said, nice but not a neccesity. We do it to help break up the summer. DP is a SAHM. Most of the neighborhood kids are in day care or day camp all summer. A few posters have mentioned VBS. They usually charge nominal fee. My 2 have gone the past 2 summers. This summer we will be at a state park about an hour from home that week so they won't be going this year. To rent the cabin for the week was $175. It's small but cheap. DD 9 will be going to a performing arts camps for 1 week ($210) and an "Adventure Camp" ($230) at the faciltiy she takes gymnastics. They do gymnastics (this place is very low key), archery, water activities in a small pond. Every Friday they do a field trip. Either water skiiing or a local amusement park. DD has chosen the amusement park this year.

DS will go to Y camp for a week. (It's $150, but I won a week when I bought $2 worth of raffle tickets for a fund raiser, I never win anything) They are doing a different theme everyweek and a field trip each week. He's going during "critter" week with a field trip to the zoo. His other camp will be chess camp ($138). The local chess center runs the camp during the summer and school holidays. They play chess in the morning then spend 2 hours at the park that they walk to and hike or play soccer. And then more chess in the afternoon. All of the camps run from roughtly 9 'til 4. The Y camp is nice because we can drop them off as early as 7 and pick them up as late at 6.

Beyond that DP does "mommy" school with them all summer where they will study things of interest to them and work on some of their weak areas. Then on Fridays they will go on Field Trips, the zoo, local spray parks etc.

As far as sleepover camp, it's a little too much for me but that's me. Most of the ones around here seem to be between $500 and $600.

Good Luck

 

[MDTerrapin]

You also might want to check into the prices. I've received many emails from area camps letting me know about discounts. They are hurting this year, I think. For example, out local Y camp, while not giving a discount (it is reasonable already) is letting parents extend their payments till September. Previously you had to pay up front.

I wish there were discounts here. All of the camps fill up by March.

 

[heartsy77]

My DD has attended camp a Christan horse camp for the last three years. This year she is doing the CHA program ( it is some kind of horse certification camp I guess lol!) It was 360 for a week! And that was booking it in Feb otherwise it was $380. They are very liberal with the payment plan and the earlier you book the cheaper it is. You place an 80 dollar deposit and the rest is due in upon arrival. Every year her grandparents pay 100 as a gift to my dd. This helps out a lot. If your child seems interested maybe grandparents, or aunts/ uncles etc. would help chip in lieu of a birthday or xmas gift. I agree it has given my dd a experience we never could have: an experience with horses an bible study ( we are not religious) . As a side note if you decide that you can't justify the expense don't feel bad they may have not liked camp. My other dd went one year with her sister so it was 320 $(then x2); she hated it and could not wait to come home to her mommy! Some kids don't like leaving their parents for that long.

 

[dougsmom98]

My kids go to Vacation Bible Camp from 9-noon for five days each summer. It is free at our local church and I also volunteer for the week. Besides that, this is the first time I am sending my kids to any other type of camp. My kids are going to a soccer camp put on by out local high school. It is 3 hours/day and it is only $50/kid and they get a free t-shirt and a soccer ball. They are also going to a similar basketball camp this year too. I don't feel like I need to send them to these camps, but have decided to do it this year to give them more exercise. It sounds like a lot of people in your area go to camps. That isn't really the case where I live. The area day camp is attended by kids who have working parents. I know many working parents that rework their schedules for the summer so that they can avoid the cost of camp.

 

[mitchwebb]

My daughters have always gone to the Girl Scout Day camp it was $50 a week and went up to $70 this year. It is 9am-3:30pm and is a blast. You do not need to be a girl scout to go but will have to pay the $10 fee to join when you sign up for camp. Two of my girls belong to GS and one does not.

The other camp the is reasonable around here it the Church Camps, again open to anyone and they run $50 for the week 8:30am to 12:30pm. It can take some searching but there are reasonable camps around.

 

[rparmfamily]

Most kids here don't do full sleepover camps but it seems that the kids that have SAHM do the 1/2 day camps (like my kids) which are like art camp, soccer camp, etc and those are 9-12 for a week. The other camp is the "daycare" camp and is 6-6. I do have a few SAHM friends who have used that camp for a week for a break though, and their kids had so much fun. (they go on lots of field trips)

This is the first summer my DD has gone to sleepaway camp but we do normally do the little 1/2 day camps, just for something fun, plus they learn something, like this year is Tennis.

 

[mzlee]

My DS13 has always done some type of day camp. The last couple of years he has been alternating between day camp and my dad's. Our park district has many day camps that you can select how many and which week you would like to attend. Last week i was able to get him into an all day basketball camp through the FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) for only $10 and they fed them breakfast and lunch. This week he's headed to an all day baseball camp that feeds him lunch. I didnt have to pay for this camp since it's through the high school where my DH coaches basketball. Then next week he's going on vacation with his grandma for a week. In July he'll be taking classes at the local junior college for two weeks during the the College for Kids program. That only cost me $75 for the classes and lunch for two weeks after getting a $100 scholarship credit. Then in August we will be heading to Disney for our vacation and then school starts back about 10 days after we return. I think it is good for kids to have some other type of activities instead of sitting at home all day in front of the tv.

 

[englishteacha]

Is camp a necessity? Not for everyone, but I will say that going to camp helped me become the person I am today. I went to sleep away camp one week each summer from when I was 13 till 17. At 17 I went as a CIT. At 18 I did a week volunteering there with my now DH. When we were 22, my DH and I started counseling there for 1-2 weeks each summer, and now are volunteer leaders of one week of camp. We leave for camp next Saturday, actually! Many of my best friends today are people I went to camp with, or who I've worked with at camp now I'm an adult.

I learned a lot about community living at camp, cooperation, respect, and independence. One of my roommates in college had never spent more than 1 night away from home or family until she left for college. She had so much trouble adjusting to having a roommate, sharing a bathroom with a dozen other girls, and having to stand on her own. I think my time at sleep away camp really helped prepare me for being on my own.

Camps are expensive. Even the church camps, scout camps and YMCA camps run several hundred dollars for 1 week of sleep away camp. My church always paid half of my camp fees, and my parents paid the other half. If church hadn't helped to pay, I wouldn't have gone. I wish every child could have the opportunity to attend a camp, at least once!

 

[disneymom2one]

I'm in agreement with everyone else. My daughter (13) just finished volunteering for a week at our church's VBS. That was free since she was a volunteer and she had a blast. This morning, she begins two weeks of camp at the college we teach at. That's followed by a week of camp (all day camps) at another college. She also has a final two week session at our college in late July. We also do some learning over the summer. We basically make a contract for the week of what I'd like for her to work on. We make it together. For example, she's taking US History next year (for 8th grade) so she's reading a chapter out of a history book every week. She's also learning to program in Python this summer so each week, I'll suggest a program to write. I also bookmark interesting sites and post them on Evernote (love that site) and she logs in and checks them. I get a lot of my sites from Click Schooling.

Anyway, yes I think camp is important. We haven't done sleepaway camp yet but we've done every sort of day camp since she was probably five years old. She loves them.

 

[rdevine10]

Its not a neccesaity, but, my 6 year old LOVEs it. This will be her 3rd summer of camp. But, its very cost friendly. 6 weeks of camp (from 9 to 12) is a total of $220, through our local parks and rec office. She will be too old for this camp when she is 8 years old.... at that point, she will do girl scout camp and sports camps.

However, that being said, ALL of her friends do the camp....we live in a very small town (only 30 kids in her grade)..... so if she didnt do camp, there wouldnt even be any kids to have playdates with!!!!!

And, all winter my 6 year old BEGGED me to to let her go back. Its what she wants to do over the summer!

 

[3boymthr]

For us it is necessary because I work mother's hours and need them for day care. But for you I'd say not necessary but definitely lots of fun, depending upon price. Check your local recreation department to see if they offer summer programs. We live a regional school district and can I say how much I love the local rec departments

My kids love summer camp they get to do so many things they wouldn't do on their own at home.

Our town offers a playground day camp on a weekly, half weekly or 14 day pass basis; You buy a pass good for 14 days at summer camp and can use it any time in the summer and can share the pass between multiple kids. This camp is VERY inexpensive. Full week costs $125 for the first kid, $110 for the second and $100 for the third. The price goes down from there for partial week. The kids don't have structred days but get to do crazy summer time games (drip, drip, drop is a favorite) and crafts, etc. Another town in our district offers more expensive directed camps but boy the stuff they do (Oldest DS is going to go whitewater rafting, hiking and camping in the White Mountains, go rock climbing and to a theme park).

We also do boy scout and cub scout camps. Boy scout is an overnight camp. Here they do archery, ropes courses, riflery and other boy type stuff.

ETA - I also love summer camp because it gets the kids out of the house so that when we ARE home the boredom doesn't set in as quickly, and because it gives the kids time apart from each other.

 

[PinkRhombus]

I absolutely LOVED going to camp in the summer. Mine was where you stayed the night for a week, and it was kids from other branches of our church in the state, and was great! I went every year from 5th grade, through high school, and counseled one summer between college semesters.

My oldest starts Girl Scout day camp...one overnight, though...next week. It was under $100, including bus transport from a local school.

If you can swing it...definitely go for it.