Traditional Summer Camp

 
Karate camp, soccer camp, basketball camp, cheerleading camp, band camp, dance camp and art camp – what ever happened to just regular, traditional summer camp? Do they still exist? How do we find one? The answer is yes, they very much still exist and we'll show you how to find one.

Fifteen years ago there were mostly traditional summer camps. The concept of specializing in one particular area didn't really start becoming popular until the last 5-10 years. With more kids participating in extra curricular activities, those specialized camps help the child excel in that particular area.

Conversely a traditional summer camp doesn't focus on any one area. They do all the traditional camp stuff – horseback riding, hiking, camp fires, swimming, silly camp songs, skits, showers without the benefit of hot water, lumpy bunks, chilly nights and playing tricks on the counselors. Now that's fun!

The best way to find a good traditional summer camp is to ask friends and coworkers. Word of mouth referrals usually end up working out quite well. If that doesn't prove fruitful, check with the YMCA. YMCA camps run all summer long. Campers start as young as kindergarten and go as old as high school students. Sessions are broken into age group and themes.  

The YMCA offers theme weeks for their traditional summer camp sessions. The activities are varied and general but the week is designed around a theme such as a luau, patriotic, circus or any number of themes which offer fun décor, dress and food!

Churches often sponsor traditional summer camps. They are generally not exclusive to membership of that particular church or denomination – anyone can attend.  oth the YMCA and church camp programs are designed like any other with the exception both have chapel at some point in the day.

Most people should be able to think of at least one camp within driving distance. Some communities have three or four larger summer camps within a 100 mile radius. Call that camp and ask for some information, then drive out to take a look. 

The Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts are good places to look into traditional summer camps. Some areas may restrict summer camp to those who are members in the scouts. If that is the case, then perhaps your child might be interested in participating some of the scouting activities throughout the school year.

More and more today summer camps have their own website. Most of the information you'll need is generally included on the web page. There should be plenty of photos, a list of activities, the history and mission statement of the camp and many times an application. You may learn about some camps that you did not know existed. 

Go to Google and type in "traditional summer camp [your State]." If you do that with your state listed in the search words you will find a variety of different websites. You may also find some news releases or other testimonies about that particular camp.

The traditional summer camp programs have been around for decades. They're here to stay. You just need to be a little creative in seeking them out as the specialized camps tend to be more visible in their marketing efforts.