Do you send your children to summer camps??? What have you found to be the most benificial? Do you send them to day camps or sleepover camps???? I have already started to get notices in the mail for summer camps. We put our kids in Karate Camp, aweek long day camp, soccer camp a half day week long church based camp, a nouther church's week long sleepover camp and also the week long day camp they have. My kids have always enjoyed going to the camps since I work most of the summer. I like the church based camps as the kids always come home with good thoughts and feelings. My oldest son has expressed an interest in a science camp near us but not sure if we can swing the fee....800 dollars for 1 week. The good thing is we can claim them on our income tax the following year.
So my question to all of you is if you put your kids in camp how was the experience...any negatives what were the positives? Would you put them in again? What kind of price does it cost in your area. do you like camps that focus on one thing like music or science or do you prefer just an all around good camp?
hugs debbie
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Guard well your spare moments. They are like uncut diamonds. Discard them and their value will never be known. Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
My kids attend the local YMCA day camp and they love it. They beg to go everyyear. they have swimming twice a day, have different clubs they can join. They take a field trip every week. Sometimes as a full group some times different places by age groups. This is my oldest daughters last year she can attend. This summer she will be a junior counsler. She was last year as well. Starting next year she can go in as a paid junior counsler. She has already decided she wants to work with the drama club. Normally the cost would be $75.00 per child per week but since I have a disabled son I am only charged $10.00 per week for all four of my children. The program runs all 9 weeks of summer.
I am not sure if this is the same everywhere but here in Michigan, the St. Vincent De Paul camp has kids from the inner-city and kids from the suburbs who go to camp for free for 1 week. Lea went last year and loved it. She'll be going back this year.
That is wonderful that she will get to go for free....how wonderful.
I just signed 2 of my kids up for a sleepover camp....135 each. they do alot and my kids loved it last year. It is only 10 minutes away so if I need to I can be there to get them. I also signed them up for a soccer day camp it was 35 dollars each. They will also go to karate day camp all 3 and that is 140 dollars each. There is a church camp for 1/2 a day for 1 week that is free or by donation and my youngest 2 usually go to it. It is within walking distance which is nice.
So they will have a full summer. My oldest is doing some babysitting and travelling with a friend who go carts. He will be part of the pit crew this year so that will help keep him busy.
Hugs Debbie
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Guard well your spare moments. They are like uncut diamonds. Discard them and their value will never be known. Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Do any of you send your kids to either day camps or sleepaway camps? My ds really seems to like basketball (6) and he is now hitting the age where he can attend. It would be 1 week for $100.00 9-4. I think it could be good for him but I dont want to be a pushy mom making sure he is ALWAYS busy in an activity! Do I let him attend or just let him enjoy going to the pool and hanging out with me, his brother and best buddy? (he is in my daycare) Not sure what to do. However I have to say I love the YMCA for trying to keep kids busy but again I dont want to be too busy!
Lee moved your post over here to where we already had a thread on summer camps.
My kids love summer camps and ask to go to them. They like to be busy so we divide the summer up with some weeks of camp and some without. When they are not at camp they always complain they have nothing to do. LOL
I am sure he would love a week of baseball camp...did you ask him if he wants to go??? He will stil have lots of time to relax in the summer.
Hugs debbie
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Guard well your spare moments. They are like uncut diamonds. Discard them and their value will never be known. Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
My older 2 only went to 4-H overnite camp for 1 week each summer. The youngest (7) is artistic so last summer I sent her to 2 weeks at our local Art League and she loved it. She also went to 4-H day camp where big sis was a counselor for 1 week. The kids raise and show livestock so the rest of their time is spent working with and showing market projects. Down time is great for tapping into their own imagination I feel so don't overschedule.
My girls have almost always gone to one day camp or another. Our town has a free day camp for kids 7-14. You pay for insurance and 2 camp t-shirts( a total of $55 for the summer) I sent my older DD there when she was in 2nd and 3 grades. The town camp provides bussing and activities all week from 10-3. They take them bowling one day and on a trip to an amusement park or a water park another day. The bowling and trips cost extra.
Both my girls loved Girl Scout day camp. It was the best experience for them. Lake swimming, canoeing, hiking, camping, firebuilding, cooking, ELC and sports. etc. I worked at the camp, so my younger DD was able to attend from the age of 3 in a Pixie program. It was inexpensive ( @$135/week for an 8 hr day)
Last year I sent my younger DD to a weight loss sleep away cnmp, and if I didn't work there I would never have known how horrible it was. I worked as a barter for tuition. It costs $1000/week to send kids to that camp, ( NOT a typo.. I said $1000/week!!) and kids from all over the world go there~ This camp was run so CHEAPLY, and was so badly misrepresented.. I'd never recommend any kids to that camp.
I went to both day and sleep away camps as a kid from the age of 8-18; and loved the experience. I'm not sure what the girls will do this summer. My older DD wants a full-time job, and the younger DD wants to get involved with a summer theater program.. I guess I'd better decide soon.
Sorry that last years camp was not a great experience....I guess they all can't be...my kids did a theatre camp 2 summer agos and had a great time.
Hugs debbie
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Guard well your spare moments. They are like uncut diamonds. Discard them and their value will never be known. Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
My dd goes to Girl Scout Camp that is one week with one night spent overnight. She really enjoys it and meeting new people. DS will have his first overnight Boy Scout camp this summer. The past years has just been a Day Camp.
While they enjoy their time at camp they enjoy their free days at home too. The not getting up at a certain time each morning and rushing to this and that. They go out and play with some of the neighbor children, biking, swimming or just coming up with games.
So I believe while a camp or two is okay I don't want to schedule their whole summer. By outdoor play they have to use their own imagination to not be bored.
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Post Card Angel
Children have never been very good at listening to their parents, but they have never failed to imitate them. Baldwin ~
so last summer I sent her to 2 weeks at our local Art League and she loved it. She also went to 4-H day camp where big sis was a counselor for 1 week. The kids raise and show livestock so the rest of their time is spent working with and showing market projects. Down time is great for tapping into their own imagination I feel so don't overschedule.
