Sleep away camp costs!!

[frndshpcptn]

I went to sleep away camp for 5 summers. It was wonderful (although I was homesick the first year).

The camp is an all-girls camp in the Poconos area of PA.

I started at 8 years old (going into 4th grade I think) and went until I was 13. All the kids in my town went to camp (or it seemed that way at least!). I picked out my own camp from a number of ones to choose from and am so glad I went!

And, as an adult now, so thankful to my parents for thier financial investment to send me.

Update: Just checked and my camp is $9400 for the summer and $5900 for 1/2 the summer.

 

[JoiseyMom]

I am in Central NJ and my kids go to day camp for 8 weeks. It is almost 9k for the 2 of them, and that is with the early bird, fully paid, sibling discount.

I got blasted last year when I vented about my kids camp!!

My bff lives in LI, NY, and her day camps are just as expensive for her kids. Sleep away is even more expensive...

 

[Aisling]

They cost over $9,000 a child and most of the people have 2 or 3 kids that go. Plus the cost of clothes that have to have the camp name on them. I couldn't believe the expense. I'm glad that my kids don't want to go because I couldn't afford for one of them, never mind all 3

WOW!! With a price like that, I'm sure it's not a no-frills Spin & Marty camp!

 

[freckles and boo]

Wow. I clearly don't love my children enough. The total cost of their summer "enrichment" comes to about $560 for both kids. That is for zoo camp (one week day camp), drama camp (five week day camp), summer reading, and summer school. That does not include swimming lessons, which we will do if I can find some that fit into the schedule. Nor does it include our family road trip. If I had thousands of extra dollars sitting around they would go into the 529 plans.

 

[marcyinPA]

My boys go to a small camp in the Poconos run by our Presbytery. It's a no frills camp...no rock climbing (gasp!), no zip line (gasp!), no horseback riding (gasp!). They do the traditional fun camp things that we did before kids needed all that high tech stuff (swimming, arts and crafts...gimp!....archery, canoeing, Bible study, vespers, etc.). My kids LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE it. They would be crushed if they couldn't go. My oldest has gone every summer since second grade except for one summer, and my youngest has been going since first grade! The cost is $330 for five nights.

My 15 year old was hoping to be an LIT (leader in training) this summer, but he's just too busy. Next summer for sure!!

 

[clarabelle]

Maybe they can afford to do both? (summer camp and 529)
Summer Camps -seem to have some cultural and socio economic influences.
What you did as a child, part of country you live in, how much money you have.

 

[Tiger926]

I'm glad here in Canada, we've pretty much avoided the whole summer camp thing that you all do in the U.S.

I don't understand those figures at all - $9,000 for the summer. Both of my kids are in private school for almost the entire year, and it costs $16,000 for both of them, and that includes food, snacks, field trips, private music, lanugage lessons, etc.

I never got the whole sleep away summer camp thing - I went to day camps, and I enjoyed those, but I can't imagine sleeping away for the whole summer. My parents wouldn't have allowed it even if I wanted to go, and we had them available to us.

Interesting thread, Tiger

 

[EMom]

I went to sleep away camp for 5 summers. It was wonderful (although I was homesick the first year).

The camp is an all-girls camp in the Poconos area of PA.

I started at 8 years old (going into 4th grade I think) and went until I was 13. All the kids in my town went to camp (or it seemed that way at least!). I picked out my own camp from a number of ones to choose from and am so glad I went!

And, as an adult now, so thankful to my parents for thier financial investment to send me.

Update: Just checked and my camp is $9400 for the summer and $5900 for 1/2 the summer.

For $9400, three passports (one each for DH, DD and me) will be involved and "camp" will be no part of the equation. I could make a nice, looooong vacation to Europe with that much money, especially since we have FF miles.

 

[frndshpcptn]

For $9400, three passports (one each for DH, DD and me) will be involved and "camp" will be no part of the equation. I could make a nice, looooong vacation to Europe with that much money, especially since we have FF miles.

I'm going to venture a guess and say most of my friends from sleepaway camp probably did both a summer at camp PLUS a family vacation somewhere another time of year...

Looking at those numbers now I'm beyond grateful to my parents for sending me - knowing that it was definitely a sacrifice on thier part. I had no idea back then, though.

Still - I wouldn't trade it. I loved, loved, loved those summer at camp.

 

[Aimeedyan]

Are the summer long camps just common in the north east area? I've never heard of it until the Dis, really. The camps in my area are typically one week at a time and I don't know of any children that attend them all summer - usually they attend one a week or two out of the summer and that's it.

 

[krcit]

Are the summer long camps just common in the north east area? I've never heard of it until the Dis, really. The camps in my area are typically one week at a time and I don't know of any children that attend them all summer - usually they attend one a week or two out of the summer and that's it.

I don't know because I've never lived anywhere except the Northeast. I do know that everyone of the families I know that send their kids to camp are Jewish. My dd's friends who go to camp also go on several family trips a year. The kids who I have spoken to about it all LOVE it!! I don't know that I would send my kids for 8 weeks but I would do 4 if I could afford it and they wanted to go. I can't and they don't so it's a moo point(as Joey Tribiani would say)

 

[krcit]

I am in Central NJ and my kids go to day camp for 8 weeks. It is almost 9k for the 2 of them, and that is with the early bird, fully paid, sibling discount.

I got blasted last year when I vented about my kids camp!!

My bff lives in LI, NY, and her day camps are just as expensive for her kids. Sleep away is even more expensive...

Yes! I looked into daycamp one year and it was over 6k for the summer for 1 kid

 

[clarabelle]

I don't know because I've never lived anywhere except the Northeast. I do know that everyone of the families I know that send their kids to camp are Jewish. My dd's friends who go to camp also go on several family trips a year. The kids who I have spoken to about it all LOVE it!! I don't know that I would send my kids for 8 weeks but I would do 4 if I could afford it and they wanted to go. I can't and they don't so it's a moo point(as Joey Tribiani would say)

I don't think I would send mine away for the whole summer either. It is not common here. But same as you -anyone who I have ever talked to that did those kinds of camps loved it. My dd is going away for a week to a camp that has longer options. The kids there adore it. (Girls camp in the NC mountains)

If your kids want to go and you can afford it -I say go for it. I am a bit surprised at some of the negativity on this thread

 

[Longsx3]

I hope you don't mind me asking, but where is the marine biology camp and would you mind sharing the name?

Not the poster you were asking, but DD(13) went to Acadia Oceanography Camp last year...she loved it but prefers warmer water. This year she is going to UNC Wilmington for Soccer camp followed by Marine Biology.

We don't allow DD to go away for the enitre Summer; this year she will go to UNC-W for 10days, a week of Operation Purple Camp and she submitted an application for a Space Camp Scholarship through Air Force Youth Services so if she is selected she will attend space Camp as well.

 

[princessmom29]

I don't think I would send mine away for the whole summer either. It is not common here. But same as you -anyone who I have ever talked to that did those kinds of camps loved it. My dd is going away for a week to a camp that has longer options. The kids there adore it. (Girls camp in the NC mountains)

If your kids want to go and you can afford it -I say go for it. I am a bit surprised at some of the negativity on this thread

I think part of the negativity, at least on my part, stemp not from the idea of camp itself but from the cost. No way should it cost $9,000 to send a kid to summer camp. That is 1 1/2 times DD's school tuition. At that point it has becomes less about sending kids to camp and more about a status symbol, and i think that is what bothers me about the idea.

 

[clarabelle]

If they don't tell anyone how much it costs -or brag excessively about the fact that their children are going -then maybe it is just a good product?

Sometimes we spend a lot of money on things -because it is worth it to us and because we can afford it.

If I came on the CB and started giving someone a hard time about not spending money -doing something cheaply -then most people would call me a snob. I am not sure if the opposite is that much better.

 

[ruthgator]

A Ten day 'mini-session' at a local jewish sleep away camp here (GA) costs $1200. For 10 days. Can you belive it? (I'm jewish and have a 7 and 4 year old, so I've got a few years...) The 4 week session runs about $3600. For camp- no a/c in the cabins, etc...

For some reason, everything is more expensive when you are Jewish. And I am, so I can say it!!

 

[r1lissa]

DS 12 will be going to his first away camp this summer. The Marine Military Academy summer program in Texas is $3750 for a month.

 

[ticktock]

Are they Jewish? I ask because once I took all 5 of my kids to Starbucks, and an obviously Jewish woman (wig, skirt) couldn't believe my kids weren't in camp! Dd13 is going to a musical theater program for the month of July, just during the day, and it costs $1000.

ETA, if it makes your feel better, OP, we had 4 baseball games as well, plus a softball, soccer, and flag football game!

What does that have to do with being Jewish? Half my friends growing up were Jewish and I don't know anyone who wore a wig (unless they were going through chemo) and I don't recall the moms wearing skirts any more then the gentile moms.

 

[janets]

What does that have to do with being Jewish? Half my friends growing up were Jewish and I don't know anyone who wore a wig (unless they were going through chemo) and I don't recall the moms wearing skirts any more then the gentile moms.

I'm assuming the woman she saw was orthodox and therefore wearing a wig and skirt (since they will not show their hair and do not wear pants).