Summer Camp questions

[Fabinva]

Do your kids attend full day summer camp? if so how many weeks?
My kids have not attended summer camp before and wondering if they will get tired or bored after few weeks.
My other options are to bring a sitter home or take them to one that stays home most of the day with ocassional field trips to parks and community pool.

 

[2disneyboys]

It depends on the summer camp. some are just babysitters (could get the same effect w/ a private babysitter at your home) and others are much more. both my DS's go to a summer camp that is hosted by the private school they attend during the school year. They NEVER get bored. There is activities planned every day and a offsite field trip once a week. Examples ofplaces they went last year on field trips... the beach, on a dolphin watch cruise, movies, zoo, waterpark, hiking. None of the "boring" field trips they go on during the school year, yet, they still come back with things they learned. You just have to get specifics from the camp director on what they do and then maybe ask for some parent references to get their perspective as well.

 

[james'mommy]

My son goes to summer camp that is run by his Taekwondo school. It runs from 9-2. It keeps him away from the tv and keeps him active. They go swimming every week and they usually have a field trip every week. It also means he can train 5 days week and I don't have to worry about dragging him to classes all summer. I'm not really sure if he likes it. Taekwondo is just a way of life for him. He's been doing since he was 3. But I definately think camps are better than babysitter.

 

[scrapquitler]

My daughter (currently in 7th grade) has attended Girl Scout Day Camp for the last 6 summers, and will be attending again this year. You do not need to be a girl scout troop member to do, you just pay the $10 Girl Scout Registration and you can go to the camp, and that makes you a Girl Scout.

Camp is from 8:30-4:00 daily. Over the course of the summer there are 1 and two week session for a total of 7 or 8 weeks (depends on how the weeks and school calendar fall). This year, I think a 2 week session costs $300 and a 1 week session costs $150. They provide FREE bus service to my town, and the stop is about 1/4 mile from my house...our stop is the first on in the AM, last off in the PM, so she is on the bus for almost an hour each way, but she doesn't mind. When she was little I drove her (20 minutes to the camp from home).

At camp, they hike, swim, do crafts, sing, sports, etc. They are outside all day unless it is raining, then they go into the lodge and do activites in there. Last year, my DD got Red Cross Babysitter Certification as part of one of her camp activities During the Two week sessions they have an overnight for girls entering 4th grade or older.

My daughter loves it, and usually goes for the whole summer.

 

[islangrl]

How old are your kids?
My 2 oldest have been going to some kind of summer camp since first grade.

They average about 4 or 5 weeks each summer. They usually do 3 different camps.
One camp for each of their sports, then a YMCA camp where they do every camp activity that you can think of, and a camp at a local park that is like a nature camp...they learn about the environment, do native american crafts and come home exhausted and filthy. They also go to a half day VBS at our church for one week.
They love them all. Yes, they are tired at the end of the day, but not because of boredom.
I guess it depends on their ages, but I think camp is a great experience. They learn things that there just isn't time for during the school year, it keeps their bodies and minds active and and they make lots of new friends.

 

[debster812]

DS will be 12 this summer, and has been attending some type of day camp since he was 7. From 7-10 he went to 4 2 week sessions at our local YMCA. We are very lucky that we have a great facility right here in town, with a great camp program.

Last summer he went to 2 sessions of Y Camp, 1 week of soccer camp, 1 week he spent with my SIL and her 2 boys, and he hung at home for a couple of weeks (spread out).

This year, he'll probably do one session of Y Camp (they have a new rock climbing program this year), and 2 or three soccer camps, and a golf camp. That is, if I get a job. If not, he and I will be hanging at home, and he'll probably do one soccer camp, and the golf camp.

 

[Fabinva]

My kids ages are 8 and 6, should be ok in an all day camp and thinking to try for 3 to 4 fours this summer. In was not an issue before as husband worked late night shifts and was able to spend most of the day with them.
Thank you for the replies and ideas

 

[shelly3girls]

My kids stay with a sitter in our home during the week while we are at work. We still have them attend activities such as my middle DD goes to one week of dance camp. My older DD attends skating camp but not the extended hours (12-4). This is a great compromise for us. We love that they are home during the day and can have play dates but still do activities they enjoy. I think the kids will enjoy summer either way, I would do whatever makes your life easier. For us it meant not having to drive them to the sitter every morning.

 

[NJ2Boardwalk]

My daughter (currently in 7th grade) has attended Girl Scout Day Camp for the last 6 summers, and will be attending again this year. You do not need to be a girl scout troop member to do, you just pay the $10 Girl Scout Registration and you can go to the camp, and that makes you a Girl Scout.

Camp is from 8:30-4:00 daily. Over the course of the summer there are 1 and two week session for a total of 7 or 8 weeks (depends on how the weeks and school calendar fall). This year, I think a 2 week session costs $300 and a 1 week session costs $150. They provide FREE bus service to my town, and the stop is about 1/4 mile from my house...our stop is the first on in the AM, last off in the PM, so she is on the bus for almost an hour each way, but she doesn't mind. When she was little I drove her (20 minutes to the camp from home).

At camp, they hike, swim, do crafts, sing, sports, etc. They are outside all day unless it is raining, then they go into the lodge and do activites in there. Last year, my DD got Red Cross Babysitter Certification as part of one of her camp activities During the Two week sessions they have an overnight for girls entering 4th grade or older.

My daughter loves it, and usually goes for the whole summer.

That sounds exactly like the camp my DD15 goes too. She has been going since she was 5 and absolutely loves it there. This year she is doing a CIT program to become a counselor next summer.

As to the OP - I think it depends on the camp, but I would definately talk to the camp director about it. See if they have an open house and take your kids to that, to get more information and see the camp.
HTH!!

 

[gymboqueenkaylee]

My daughter is only 3 (will be 4 this summer) and we are sending her to a couple of half day summer camps three times this summer (three individual weeks). I think she needs to interaction or she will start to drive me a little nutty. She is doing a week long camp at a School here and then two weeks at dance camp (ballet) where she already attends for ballet and tap.

 

[PatsMom]

My DD did two summers (eight weeks each summer) at Girl Scout day camp and loved it. She had swimming lessons and lots of other great activities. Each two week session had a one night sleepover that was the highlight of the session. I can't remember her exact age but it would have been the summers between fourth and fifth and fifth and sixth grades. They had extended sessions which meant I could pick her up late so I could make the camp hours match up with my work hours.