Sleep-Away Summer Camps

[OctoberNinth]

Remember that Disney Show Channel show Bug Juice? Well, the first camp they featured was Camp Waziyatah in Maine. It looked awesome. If you haven't seen it, they have some episodes on You Tube.

 

[Cool-Beans]

I love camp crap.

 

[DMickey28]

I only went to Day Camps when I was younger, I was too homesick! However I worked at a camp on the Cape for years that had a Day Camp section as well as an overnight camp. It was awesome. I can't wait to send my kids there for day camp or overnight camp, it's up to them!!!

My parents still live on the Cape so I plan on spending a good amount of the summer up there once the babe is born so maybe we can start with day camp!!

 

[Beth76]

That was me! Went to a fantastic all-girls camp in the Poconos for the summer (sessions were 4 or 8 weeks). The first summer was hard at first - but every summer after that I couldn't wait to pack my trunk and head up to camp! It was the best! Swimming, canoeing, archery, art, drama, etc. LOVED IT!

See that's they type of thing I want to send my boys to. Just like in The Parent Trap. I know the YMCA has a thing like that here in MO, but sending my children to the middle of po-dunk MO doesn't sound appealing. I don't know for some reason New England sounds much nicer.

 

[Anewman]

My kids do NERD CAMP for 3 weeks a year.

They have done Stanford, Lafayette and a few other Universities.

http://cty.jhu.edu/

 

[pixiechick]

DS, 11 did a week last summer. He came home saying he wanted to go back the next week. (Not at that price, honey!)

This year, he's going for two weeks. He's thrilled. I'm nervous, but sucking it up. Fortunately, they post pictures on their website daily. It was cool to be able to see that he was enjoying himself.

I can't imagine how my ipod/psp/ps2/tv addicted child would want to go through 2 weeks without any electricity. But he does!

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

I only went to Day Camps when I was younger, I was too homesick! However I worked at a camp on the Cape for years that had a Day Camp section as well as an overnight camp. It was awesome. I can't wait to send my kids there for day camp or overnight camp, it's up to them!!!

My parents still live on the Cape so I plan on spending a good amount of the summer up there once the babe is born so maybe we can start with day camp!!

What camp on the cape did you work at? The YMCA one? Or the 4H one by Popponessett? Or another one as we have SO many!!!

 

[barkley]

ds has'nt gone yet but dd has done 2 years at the same camp dh practicly lived at during his youth. the sessions are one week each (dd went 2 weeks last year) and incrdibly reasonable when you consider that it covers everything for a week (less than $300). the camp in in northern california and serves both boys and girls. the cabins house 8 campers and one counselor each and have a bathroom, shower and a mini kitchen (mostly for storing snacks and so if the counselor wants to whip up some hot cocoa they can-because there is a dining hall that does 3 full meals a day). the camp is set up in age groups and types-a kid can do base camp where they get to do some of everything, or do cowboy, indian, aquatics or other types of camps.

before dd went the first time ds, dd and i did 'family camp' which is a one week session where the entire family gets a taste of what camp is like for the kids that attend. structured activities, meals in the dining hall, campfire stuff....it's very popular and often sells out with families that have no intent on sending their kids.

the thing that realy impresses me is that the staff is incredibly well trained-and come back year after year. apparantly it is very competitive to get a job there-probably partialy because not only do they pay good wages, and treat the staff realy well, but if a college student is hired and will be attending one of the universitys that is run by the same church that owns the camp-they can get a 100% match for every dollar they earn that summer and earmark for attendance expenses the following school year.

dd won't be able to attend this summer because we are moving, but we learned that there is a similar camp run by the same church near our new home. it is timing out realy well for dd to check that one out-the day she starts school at our new home her school is going for a week long field trip at the camp where they will be able to use all the facilities. so i anticipate she will return home ready to select the week and type of camp she will be attending come july.

 

[Gurgi]

I'd stay away from the one where the guy in the hockey mask killed a bunch of people!!

 

[FinallyBoughtDVC]

My kids go to sleep away camp in Vermont (we're from Long Island). My son, almost 14, goes for eight weeks, my daughter, almost 9, goes for four weeks.

Very wooded and rustic. We (and they) absolutely love their camps. My son calls it his happy place.

 

[MrsPete]

My oldest will be going away to camp for her SIXTH YEAR this summer. She loves it and looks forward to it all year long. Last year she cried when I went to pick her up.

My youngest is going for the first time this year; I didn't send her quite as young as I sent her sister -- she wasn't ready until this year, but she is sooo excited!

Most sleep-away summer camps around here are one-weekers -- in fact, it's pretty tough to locate a two week session. Typically, parents drop off on Sunday afternoon and pick up on Friday afternoon. This is true of all types of camps: scout camp, YMCA camp, church camp, etc. We also have some day-care type camps; for example, we have one nearby that focuses on all types of water sports -- I'm considering sending my two waterbugs to that camp.

I know some kids who literally go to camp all summer long, but they tend to "patch together" a summer's worth of camp sessions. They go to scout camp for a week, then band camp, then back to scout camp for a different program, then to YMCA camp.

I am not aware of summer-long camps in the Carolinas (as in, the kid stays in the same camp with the same kids all summer long).

 

[Galahad]

Our sons both did several sleep-away camps - even in Florida. DS#2 is 16 and hoping to be accepted to spend most of the summer away at music camp.

 

[SoonerKate]

I went to sleep-away camp at Camp WeHaKee every year from the time I was 7 until I was 13. I started out with a 2-week session, and went for 6 or 8 weeks every year after that -- I loved it. I was never any good at waterskiing, but I'm still one of my only friends who actually knows how to canoe.

 

[frndshpcptn]

I went to Camp Timber Tops. They also have a boys camp (Oswego) and a co-ed camp (Pine Forest).

They offer four and eight week sessions - most campers start out around 8 or 9 and go until thier early teens. It's an amazing experience!

Many of our campers were from NY/NJ/PA - but we also had a good number of kids fly in from Maryland and Florida. If your kids want to go to camp in New England they can fly in and the camp will have counselors pick them up at the airport (that's how my friends from our of area did it). I 100% reccomend summer camp

 

[ilovejack02]

I am not aware of summer-long camps in the Carolinas (as in, the kid stays in the same camp with the same kids all summer long).

Camp Kanuga is in Ashville and WONDERFUL, but the longest it lasts is 14 days. I cant wait to my little guy is old enough to go.
My stepson never went, his mom was always to overprotective to send him. He missed out on so much. I have such fond memories of camp.
I usually hit 2-3 camps a summer. I always bummed i never got to go to Space Camp in Huntsville, hopefully DS can go.

 

[tkd lisa]

I went to camp for a week each summer for my middle school years, it was a church camp and was very small. We have a really nice sleep-a-way camp about 10 minutes from where we live, here is a link if you are intersted to see what one is like http://www.campfriendship.com/CampFriendship-Web/DesktopDefault.aspx

That's the camp my DS went to last year. He really likes it. It's just out of my budget this year, since I'd have to pay for airfare too.

One of the things that's particularly great is that they follow up. About 2 weeks after the camp season, the director of the challenge camps (the area he was in) called and asked whether he'd be coming back, and if there was anything he liked or disliked about the program.

 

[Reflection]

My daughter will be going away to camp in August. This is sixth year she's been attending this particular camp, and she looks forward to it every year.