Displaying items by tag: Sleepaway Camp

Sleep away summer camps can be a wonderful Christmas gift for a number of reasons. These camps provide children and teenagers with an opportunity to have a fun and rewarding summer experience away from home, while also giving parents a break from the daily responsibilities of caring for their children. In addition, sleep away camps can create lasting memories and build family traditions, making them a great gift for children and teenagers.

One reason why Residential Summer Camps can be such a wonderful gift is that they provide children and teenagers with a chance to have a fun and rewarding summer experience away from home. At these camps, children and teenagers can participate in a wide range of activities, such as sports, arts, outdoor adventure, and more. These activities can help children and teenagers learn new skills, make new friends, and develop independence.

For example, a child who enjoys sports might have the opportunity to participate in soccer, basketball, or other team sports at a sleep away camp. This can not only help them improve their athletic skills, but also teach them valuable lessons about teamwork, sportsmanship, and perseverance. Similarly, a child who enjoys the arts might have the opportunity to participate in drama, music, or visual arts at a sleep away camp. This can help them develop their creative skills and express themselves in new and exciting ways.

Another reason why children's summer camps can be such a wonderful gift is that they provide parents with a break from the daily responsibilities of caring for their children. For many parents, raising children can be a challenging and demanding task, and it can be easy to feel overwhelmed or stressed. Sleep away camps can give parents a much-needed break from these responsibilities, allowing them to focus on their own needs and recharge their batteries.

For example, a parent who has been feeling burnt out from work or caring for their children might appreciate the opportunity to take some time for themselves while their child is at sleep away camp. This can give them the chance to relax, pursue their own interests, or simply have some time to themselves. Additionally, sleep away camps can be a great way for parents to reconnect with each other and spend quality time together, as they are no longer responsible for the daily care of their children.

Finally, sleep away summer camps can be a great way to create lasting memories and build family traditions. Many people have fond memories of their time at sleep away camp, and these experiences can be a wonderful gift to give to a child or teenager. For example, a child who goes to sleep away camp might come home with new skills, stories, and memories that they will treasure for years to come. Additionally, sending a child to sleep away camp can be a great way to start a family tradition that can be passed down from generation to generation.

Overall, sleep away summer camps can be a wonderful gift for children and teenagers, as they provide a fun, educational, and rewarding experience that can help them grow and develop. Whether children and teenagers are interested in sports, the arts, or outdoor adventure, there is a sleep away camp that can meet their needs and interests. By giving the gift of a sleep away summer camp, parents can provide their children with an experience that they will never forget, while also giving themselves a much-needed break.

See if Swift Nature Camp is the right camp for your camper. www.SNC.Camp

COVID has been a crazy time for all of us. Yet,  summer camps are in full swing for 2021 and the demand is amaingly high. Despite SNC safely running last year, we have seen a huge jump in early registrations. Some camps have raised rates or start wait lists. Camps do have a limited capacity and it is not easy to add more beds especially when we are all distancing our selves. Here is a recent article about overnight summer camps in the North-East.

Competition for summer camp spots is heating up, despite many uncertainties

By Andy Rosen Globe Staff,Updated February 9, 2021, 8:58 a.m.

After nearly a year of living in close quarters, families are snapping up scarce spots at Massachusetts summer camps, anxious for their children to be able to spend time in the fresh air with peers ― away from home.

Operators of day and overnight programs say they are doing all they can to restore camp activities that last year were canceled or severely curtailed in an effort to prevent spread of the COVID-19 virus. But the planning comes with a huge asterisk. State public health authorities have not yet released rules for how programs can be run safely — nor have they said whether overnight camps can open at all.

Many camp operators say they have no choice but to move forward as though the season will take place, hoping to avoid another year of lost revenue.

“The risk here is great,” said Matthew Scholl, president of the Massachusetts Camping Association. Scholl, who also runs the Becket-Chimney Corners YMCA camps in Western Massachusetts, said camps must start preparing now for the upcoming season. He said he has had productive conversations with state public health officials, but camps are still awaiting authoritative information on how many children they’ll be able to accommodate, what the rules will be, and what kinds of programs are acceptable.

Camps in New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont are feeling more confident about overnight programs, because those states allowed such programs last year, according to Michele Rowcliffe, executive director of the New England branch of the American Camp Association, an industry accrediting organization. Last year, it took state and federal officials so long to develop safety guidelines that many camp operators decided there wasn’t time to implement them, and remained closed. Massachusetts and Connecticut last year enforced outright bans on overnight camps.

Camp operators say it’s too soon to guess how the total capacity for campers in Massachusetts will compare with previous years. Some camps and summer programs are waiting for the state to act before opening up registration. Those that are going ahead with sign-ups are keeping their programs small for now, hoping that they can offer additional spaces once they find out about mandated restrictions. That’s made summer camp slots almost as precious as a pre-pandemic ticket to a Taylor Swift concert.

“We had nothing last summer, and we cannot repeat that again this summer,” said Dr. Nicole Christian-Brathwaite, a psychiatrist who lives in Hyde Park and is trying to find a camp for her boys, ages 4 and 6. The best guaranteed options she can find cost the family a total upward of $8,000 for the season. She is getting used to the idea that she may have to pay more than anticipated, but recognizes that some other families don’t have that option.

“I just worry about the ongoing disparities that kids of color and kids from low-income environments are going to experience,” Christian-Brathwaite said. “If it’s difficult for us ― how much harder is it going to be for parents who haven’t been employed?”

Camp operators say they are optimistic that the outlook will improve as the season draws nearer.

“Hang tight, because we’re hopeful that there’s going to be some adjustments,” said Eric Arnold, executive director of Hale, which runs day sessions and overnight camping at its 1,137-acre property in Westwood.

Beyond the questions surrounding state regulations, Arnold said, the organization is still waiting to hear from groups it partners with on free or reduced-price programs — such as school systems and community centers — that have not yet decided whether they will offer such assistance this year. He said the organization is holding back many slots in its camp programs for people who don’t have the ability to pay.

At the YMCA of Greater Boston, demand for summer camp programs is on the rise. James Morton, chief executive of the organization, said registration for overnight camp is 31 percent higher than it was last year at this time — when the threat of COVID-19 was still not fully known. Day camps also are reporting higher interest than last year.

The Boston YMCA runs overnight camps in New Hampshire, but is eagerly awaiting details on what it must do to operate its day camps closer to home. The nonprofit enrolled about 1,500 children in 2020 and wants to double that number this summer. It also plans to add additional summer learning opportunities for students who may have fallen behind at school.

“This summer is probably the most important summer that we’ve ever experienced in our 170-year history,” said Morton, who believes camp can help children overcome the isolation they may have felt at home. “Here’s an opportunity for us to mitigate some of that by providing young people with every opportunity to interact with other young people so that we can help them recover some of the social-emotional skills they might have lost.”

Boston Centers for Youth & Families, run by the city, typically begins registration in March for its summer day programs, but it is still waiting to see how many of its programs it will be able to restore for this summer. Last year, it served about 3,000 kids through online and in-person programs, the department said. In a normal summer, about 4,600 young people participate in in-person day offerings.

Last year, many camps said they struggled to attract families because of concerns about COVID-19.

Crossroads, a nonprofit that offers overnight and day camps in Duxbury and Brewster, last year scrapped those programs in favor of a partnership with BCYF to offer day programs at sites in the city. Only about 400 people signed up for 1,000 spaces.

This year, parents seem to be more comfortable with the pandemic safety protocols that camps have put in place, said Simon Hess, president of Crossroads. It surveyed families of high school-age participants about whether they were interested in attending camp this summer. Only two of 63 said they wouldn’t come under any circumstances.

But when the Duxbury and Brewster camps open as expected this year, he said, they will only be able to serve about 320 people — down from 1,000 in a normal year — because of the need for social distancing and other protocols.

Delicia Stephens, a South Boston educator whose two children have been involved with Crossroads for years, said her 11-year-old daughter, Sanyrah Andrews, is eager to participate this summer after taking part in the BCYF collaboration last year. But Stephens said she’s not planning to shop around for a different camp if her daughter does not get a spot at Crossroads.

“If that happens, then she won’t go anywhere,” Stephens said. “I’m only willing to send her to the Crossroads program. Because I trust them. I know them.”

So you have done all your homework, You have been planting the seeds with your new camper. You have talked about camp, done a sleepover and looked at websites. You have even taken an assessment of your child's needs and wants,  and you tried to match those with the proper summer camp. For instance our Nature Camp is the best for those kids who still like being outside and off the screen. So now you have picked the Right Camp- the mission meets yours and the dates work. Often, parents think all they have to do is now pay a deposit and they are off to camp. As an Overnight Summer Camp Director, I suggest you scour the website to answer the below questions or email to get the answers, ya might even do that crazy thing and pick up a phone and call. Not all camps are equal. A side note, as a camp director it is some what terrifying to me how few parents these days call to talk to a Camp Director. Most just see a few pretty picture and they are good to go. Not the best decision. Mu goal is not to scare you but, here are things to think about.

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• *What is the camper to counselor ratio for the majority of the day? How many staff total at camp? What are the ages of Counselors?
  

• *How do they handle supervision of children, discipline issues? What is the discipline policy? When do they send a camper home?
  

• *What age groups will be combined together? Do younger children mixed with older children? How are activities different for different ages?
  

• *What is the schedule for the program, what will they be doing each day? What is planned or free choice? How much non-active time?
  

• *What are the  qualifications of the Counselors? What about training. Do they have First Aid and CPR?

• *Are staff  up-to-date on criminal background checks?

• *What is the policy for handling injuries and illness?  Who is at camp to give care?
  

• *Do the campers go swimming or near water? Do campers take swim proficiency tests? Are there a lifeguards on duty?
  

• *What insurance does the program carry? Do they have liability insurance?

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• These are all great things to think about. at Swift Nature Camp we have a Summer Camp Parent Answer Page that helps parents make a very informed decision. We believe we want you to have too much information so you KNOW you made the right decision.

Ever heard of Google Earth? Well, it lets you find everywhere! Including Swift Nature Camp! Can you find it here? A hint look at the bottom of the photo and you will see town...Maybe even the Village Scoop Ice Cream Shop. From there, go north and to the West. Still not sure? Try signing up for google earth and take a fly by. If you don’t know where to look try just typing in Swift Nature Campand it will fly you right to camp. It is so much easier than taking the bus.

So be sure to go to Google Earth and download the special program.
It’s cool to see camp from this view...Maybe this is what it is like being an eagle in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. So tune in to google earth and be you’ll be amazed.

Wisconsin! When you hear that state mentioned, I'm sure you imagine cows, Harley Davidson motorcycles and the beautiful capitol of Madison. Yet, north of all that is the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Filled with all its natural beauty. In the sky you can see eagles all around swooping down to catch a fish in a nearby lake or stream. If your quiet you might just hear a loon or a wolf in the background. This is what America looked like 100 years ago. Until you experience the simple beauty, you can’t begin to imagine what you will find there. 

Children thrive in Wisconsin Summer Camps.Camp offers your child a chance to...

A Perfect Summer Camps.

Camp is not just about fun

A venerable tradition