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It's about that time...

picture from: http://carlislechristian.org/camp/

A Summer To Remember

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by: Ariel Williams

Summer camp is great program that was started to give young kids a fun place to go for the summer and stay active while their parents are at work. It’s a place where you make lifelong friends and learn even when you’re not in school. According to the American Camp Association, Each year more than 11 million children and adults attend camp in the U.S. and more than 12,000 day and resident camps exist in the U.S., 7,000 sleep away  and 5,000 day camps. So what’s so great about it?

Rebecca Wolf, ‘16, has been going to a sleep away camp called Surprise Lake Camp in Cold Spring, NY for almost nine years. It’s the home away from home aspect and the loving, family feeling she gets when she’s at camp that keeps her coming back. She says, “my father attended this camp as well, along with my brother and sister, so being at camp just feels natural to me.” Sleep away camp can help you learn how to survive away from your parents for a while and be more independent. Wolf has had all positive experiences to take away from her camp and any negative just helped her learn more. She described that she once spent the night in the woods and when she woke up in the middle of the night to a raccoon standing pretty close to her and how “without that experience [she] would not know how to deal with the wilderness and wild animals.” Getting to talk to and meet so many new people is one of Wolf’s favorite things about Surprise Lake Camp. There were some downsides to it though. She explains, “I won't sugar coat it, the food isn't ideal...One of my friends worked in the kitchen, and he once told me not to eat the meat loaf because they forgot to refrigerate it overnight, not that I was going to eat it anyways.”  These campers have a busy and packed schedule, starting as early as 7:30 and ending with long, fun nights. Wolf says that, “ I would send my kids to sleepaway camp so they can experience the amazing experiences camp has to offer.”

La'Shelle Bryan, ‘16 went to day camp at the South Mountain YMCA from age 5 to 15 and absolutely loved it. Bryan explains how, “the environment was welcoming and I gained many long time friends...it has helped me build my personality into something wonderful and has taught me core values I will always need/use interacting with people in life.” She wouldn’t change anything about her experience at camp and appreciated the great staff there. A normal day for Bryan included playing lots of games and activities in the park, then a nice cool down of swimming and activities before going home. Bryan never went to sleep away camp because her mother didn’t want her gone for so long and it was generally more expensive. Bryan explains, “If I have kids, I would like to send them to the same camp [i went to]  because I want them to have the same experiences that I did as a child”

Demi Mullings a 16 year old who lives in Manchester City, United Kingdom has never been to a summer camp before.  In the UK they do have camps, but they’re more like sleepaway camps and they’re very expensive. Mullings has never heard of any type of camps in Manchester, most of them are farther scattered in England. Much different from the United States where there’s a summer camp or daycare center around every corner, parents in the UK don’t really  inexpensive day programs to rely on in the summer if they have to work. When asked why, Mullings said, “ I think there’s [really] no camps in England because there isn’t any woodland around and because of funding.”

She would have really liked to go to one as a kid and knows that they’re a great place to learn new skills, meet new people, and have fun. Mullings adds that if she lived in America, she’d definitely send them to camp because she thinks it would be a great experience for them.

If you have the chance to send your kids to a camp this summer, it’s highly recommended that you do. Any camp, whether it be sleep away, day camp, or a specific type like sports, dance, science...etc, your child will learn important skills and gain amazing memories they’ll remember their whole lives. Make this summer, their best summer yet.