Talk to me about summer camp

[Kevin'sMom]

Do any of you have experience with educational summer camps? There seem to be a plethora of them, from musical theatre to violin to magic to soccer.......but: are they fun, are they cost effective, are they really educational? My son is 10 and has never been to camp, so I am thinking it is about time, but I would really like the low down on the actual experience from some of you who know.

[Dmmetler]

It honestly depends on the camp and who runs it and works at it. The person who teaches my DD's homeschool science lab class, which has been wonderful, does the same units in 1 week camps that they do in the long semester, and if they're as good as the class, they'd be a great camp (My DD hasn't done them because they're the same topics as in the class). I've been a theory teacher for the local college's music camp for pre-college students and for Suzuki institutes, and I'd say they're both worth the money if you have a child who really enjoys music and is serious about it because of the number of hours of instruction you're getting in that week's time and the level of instruction.

 

But I'm not signing DD up for the "Nature camp" because, in reading the description and talking to the staff, it really sounds like it's "Play on the playground, do short hikes, and do crafts with natural materials". For another child, that might be fine, but for my DD, that would be frustrating, because it's not going to give her what she wants, which is actual encounters with animals in the wild.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kevin'sMom]

I think anything we can do at home, such as nature crafts etc. is not what I would be looking for. The science camp sounds really interesting. I am going to have to travel and stay somewhere for anything other than a church camp. What about cost? How are the camps actually set up? Is it more like school or more like the camps I remember as a child? That would be more like toasting marshmallows and singing around the campfire etc...after the day's activities.

 

Does anyone have experience with camps near Athens or Atlanta? Madison?

[Sarah CB]

It really depends on what you're looking for.  There are a ton of traditional summer camps near us where kids go and do outdoor activities, have campfires, play games, and sing songs.  All my boys went to that type of summer camp last year.  We also attend a Suzuki camp as a family and the boys usually do one other music camp as well.  Not all camps are equal and you have to look into each one to see what is offered, who is running it and what you'll get out of it.

[kentuckymom]

As many people have said, it really depends on the content of the camp and who is running it. The Lexington Children's theater hosts week long "theater school" day camps. Starting at age 8, they can attend full days camps during which they learn and mount a short play. This includes learning lines, making costumes, helping make scenery, etc. They've been a wonderful experience for my creative child who puts on plays with his friends in his spare time. 

 

There are lots of other "camps" in town that just involve a lot of free play and taking "field trips" to pools and such. They're a boon to parents of school age children who need summer childcare, and they can be a good experience for kids who just want to get out of the house for a week, but your child isn't going to learn much, if anything.

 

I recommend zeroing in on camps that concentrate on something that is of interest to your son. Ask questions about what exactly they do. Talk to parents whose kids have been, if you can. Camps can be a great experience and worth the investment, but your child isn't going to have a neglected childhood if he never goes to camp. If you don't find one that fits your criteria, don't worry about it.

[madteaparty]

I view summer camp as an opportunity to intensely focus on items I am not giving sufficient attention at home(while having fun, as well). He is doing programming camp for 1 week, tennis camp for at least 4, and we're taking 2 international trips one of which involves daily French study for 3 hours at a time. Keep in mind my DS has no intense hobbies/passions. These are all picked by me. When he does, I will cater.

[SeaConquest]

My oldest son will be at the Jewish Community Center day camp in San Diego all summer. He's doing 2 weeks of a science camp, 4 weeks of Spanish, 4 weeks of musical theatre, and 2 weeks of Lego/Robotics camp. They swim every day as well. He's really looking forward to it, as am I.

[nmoira]

Our eldest does two camps per year run by our local science museum and finds the experiences to be rewarding. Judging by the tidbits she lets drop in the months afterward, they fit in a surprising amount of teaching without the sense its being shoehorned in. Last year she did a camp at San Juan Island and a traveling camp on the Olympic Peninsula. This year she's leaning towards astronomy and volcanoes & caves. Each typical day has integrated recreation with a fun but optional activity (kids like my DD who need down time like my can choose to use this time to decompress) in addition to campfires and the like. She finds the middle school camps more fulfilling than she did those for younger kids, probably because her fellow campers are more likely to have a strong interest in the material covered.

[AnIslandGirl]

My dd10 has done a few of the programs through SIG (Summer Institute for the Gifted). They are offered at college campuses throughout the country (Harvard, Yale, Berkley, Columbia, etc.) We love the academic focus, and having like-minded campers for her to be around.

http://www.giftedstudy.org/

 

Edit: Here's the Emory University information in Atlanta, http://www.giftedstudy.org/Residential/emory/

[Donna]

My dd and ds16 do a Celtic music camp every year and I go along with them and do some volunteer work at the camp while they take classes. There are classes in many different instruments and in different Celtic traditions plus dance and singing. The campers are mostly adults but my kids love the instruction, concerts, dances, and late night music sessions. It is their favorite week of the year! 

 

Dd has done a number of Suzuki Institutes and music camps from weekend workshops to 1-2 week long camps. She enjoys the intensive music classes and meeting other kids who share her love of music. I have always felt like we got our money's worth. My oldest does wrestling camps every summer.

 

This year dd is doing a 10 day camp with Irish musicians and dancers where they put together a Broadway/Riverdance-style show then perform it at the end of camp. She is really looking forward to it.

[TGHEALTHYMOM]

We have had Theatre workshop camps and Music camps offered in the nearest city.  They do look great but we absolutely could not afford them.  

Our Church is offering to pay half of summer camp this year so that will be for us!   Maybe next year!

 

Science and Art Museums also offer educational days if you have one close by I would check that out too if you can't find a "camp".

[...................]

It seems to me that there are two types of camps:

 

There are the run of the mill community center and YMCA camps.  THese usually do a specialized activity in the morning (you sign up for hte type of activity such as arcery, basketball, fencing) and then in the afternoon they play games at a local park.  Twice a week they go swimming at the YMCA pool. 

 

To me, these camps sound like they are more of a drop off for people used to dumping their kids off at school.  You will get your run of the mill public school kids whom I myself have observed because the YMCA uses our local park as their afternoon park.   The kids curse, they make farting noises, they are rude, annoying, and they don't necessarily listen to their camp counsellor.  Our YMCA keeps them busy with different sports, so that is good.  But they don't watch them closely so you have no idea what garbage your child will be hearing, or listening to.

 

THen there's the mula camps.  These are run by high end tech companies, universities, or such and they cost a fortune.  The one I'd like my son to go to next year is 1700.00 for the week.  But he might actually learn something and make connections as well as the fact that he might actually meet some like minded kids.

 

To me, I would either go for a very very expensive camp or none at all.  If I choose classes run in the afternoon at least my kids won't be there all day long, and they will have some fun.  Also, they are likely to be with kids whose mothers are slightly more involved, being that a parent has to drop the child off during hte work day, meaning they probably have a stay at home mom or dad.  

 

I really thought long and hard about it and just decided we will be proactive with getting together with our homeschool friends instead.  :o)

[...................]

Cost in my area-

 

Community Center Camp - Approx 250/week depending on the activities you choose.  

 

YMCA Camp- approx 300.00 per week depending on the acvtivity you choose.  Plain YMCA sports is closer to 220 and going from the YMCA to Visiting a Horse ranch for basic lessons is 4x during the week is 450.00.  I would think a JCC would have similar fees.

 

"College for Kids: by the community colleges - these are about 500/ week but they look very boring as they are all academic focused, and the academics aren't totally amazing either, and the kids don't play or do any sports.  Not my idea of summer.

 

Teach or University Run Specialty Camps- these are more like 1700/week.  You can also drop kids off early, pick up late and they provide all meals.

 

So...the feels will depend on where you go.  

[nmoira]

There's a third kind... at least around here. Our science museum residential camps run $500-700 for five day camps, and up to $950 for 12 day field studies, hikes, and documentary studies. This includes transport to as far away as northern California and Banff.

 

Though if either kid were to stick with French, I'd totally be in for footing the bill here:

 

http://www.canoeisland.org/

[Peaceful Isle]

My girls love camp, but we have only done church related camps.

[nerdybird]

I haven't done anything except Vacation Bible School with my older kids until this year. DD has been wanting to go things with other girls and it has been hard to make that happen so far. We move a lot and right now, we live 45 mins-2 hr away from most her friends from dance. There aren't many girls her age at our church. There is only one other girl in her TKD class, but she is older and not "best friend" material.

 

Soooo...her dance school happens to be sponsoring a camp for girls ages 8-14 this summer. It is in another state, about 4 hours from where we are currently living. Several of the girls from her dance class are attending. It seemed like the perfect way for her to spend some time with other girls, doing something that she really likes. It is 2 weeks long and she just barely meets the age cutoff. (Her 8th birthday is exactly a week before she is scheduled to leave!)

 

It was $600 for the actual camp, other fees for transportation. We are driving her to and arranged for another parent to bring her home since we will be in the process of moving yet again around the time she is scheduled to come home. The owners of the dance school gave us a small scholarship fund to help us pay the remaining costs. This will be our first kid to leave the nest for anything other than hospital stays. Scary, but also exciting. :)

 

Anyway, if you are considering camps, you are *probably* a bit late to the game. Most day camps cutoff enrollments in late March/early April. We were lucky to get 2 of our boys into summer swim lessons at the local community center. They were nearly full in mid-March. Had to wait for one to meet the enrollment age to enroll him. Sleepaway camps and church camps are a bit different. Costs vary and some are pretty expensive.

 

Just my 2.5 cents. :)

[tabinfl]

It really does depend on the camp's facilities and staff. My kids are going to art camp again this summer at a local fine art center, and it's amazing -- each day they do different types of painting or drawing, 3D art, and clay along with outdoor play & other just-for-fun activities. I was amazed last year at the quality of the artwork my kids brought home (my son was barely interested in art at all before camp, and did some really nice work!), and the camp art show at the end of the summer was full of gorgeous pieces by kids of all ages.

 

Our local performing arts center has a similarly excellent theater camp. The "college for kids" camp, on the other hand, left me pretty disappointed. There was very little educational (or even interesting, according to my kids), and they had far fewer fun activities than the outdoorsy camps around. I've heard from other parents that some of the sports camps are disappointing as well -- half an hour of the sport and the rest of the day being led around doind games, arts & crafts, etc. by bored high school & college camp counselors