Best summer programs for kids

Camp Wigwam for Boys offers a well-rounded, classic menu of camp activities in the great outdoors, with a mix of creative, competitive, and exploratory options. The activities offered at Camp Wigwam for Boys include basketball, sailing, tennis, soccer, golf, sewing, waterskiing, rocketry, and arts and crafts.

The camp occupies a white sand beach on the lakeshore, as well as a large pine forest. Campers also take part in hiking and rustic camping in the White Mountain National Forest.

Boys ages can attend, and most return year after year. The combination of affordability, accessibility and quality of experiences are also the reasons for Camp Wigwams top ranking in the list of camps for 13 year olds near me — or us, for that matter.

Of all the shortlisted sleepaway summer camps , only a few were dedicated to science-minded campers. Most camps either emphasized sports or adventures, perhaps both, because summer is supposed to be about fun, fun and more fun. Both are exotic adventures that are sure to make memories that last a lifetime, but the Land and Sea program stands out the most for its unique setting and programming. The camp is held on the Big Island of Hawaii, with its unique geology, topography, flora and fauna.

Campers learn through activities, media, and lab exercises, and explore the natural setting as well, visiting the shoreline, mountains, waterfalls, rivers, ocean, and streams.

Here, kids ages learn science through hands-on adventures. They study world-class mineral collections and explore beaches made entirely of minerals to understand mineralogy. They snorkel and collect specimens to understand marine life.

They also get to practice the creative arts, including videography, photography, drawing, painting, and music. Camp Caribou is an all boys camp that has been in operation since , and is ACA accredited. It occupies an entire peninsula, taking up 1.

The camp setting is just 5 miles from the town of Waterville but feels secluded; it is surrounded by woodland and is the only camp located on the entire lake. The camp takes boys per session, ages , and offers a wide range of activities backed by extensive facilities and resources. The campus is home to a spacious 10,square-foot gymnasium, as well as athletic fields, a ropes course, 11 tennis courts, 3 soccer fields, 2 baseball diamonds, a lacrosse field, archery range, skating rink, rifle range, a golf course and driving range, and whiffle ball diamond.

Even picky parents will find it among the best summer camps for 12 year olds and above because of the safety and security measures in place including a well-trained medical team and counselors. Plenty of resources means plenty of activities at Camp Caribou. On the lake, campers can water ski, swim, bounce on a water trampoline, sail, canoe, kayak, row, go tubing, go stand-up-paddleboarding, fish, and windsurf. On land, they can try woodworking, skate hockey, arts and crafts, hiking, do a ropes course, zip line, rock climb, and play traditional sports like soccer, wife ball, basketball, softball, golf, riflery, archery, and tennis.

Camp Caribous is also our top pick for the best overnight summer camps and because of its overnight excursions through an extensive and well-equipped wilderness tripping program, with trips spent camping, hiking and canoeing.

Greylock is one of the most longstanding and prestigious boys camps in the Northeast, and is known for its high quality programs in sports. This all boys camp is located on acres in the Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts, on the shores of Center Lake. The camp serves a total of boys between the ages of , with the younger boys placed at a junior campus and the older ones on a senior campus.

Across all ages, Camp Greylock emphasizes structured programming and personal attention, with camp counselors and coaches helping boys improve their athletic performance and build skills in teamwork and sportsmanship. The camp has extensive facilities, with especially extensive sports fields and centers.

These include two miles of mountain bike trails, a multi-tiered ropes course with zip lines and climbing walls, 15 tennis courts, 10 Basketball courts, 5 Baseball fields, 3 Soccer fields, Flag Football fields, a skate hockey rink, an archery range, a Lacrosse field, a putting green, 12 Golf driving cages, a golf course, a fencing room, and a weight room.

On the water, the camp has facilities for sailing, fishing, swimming, waterskiing, wakeboarding, canoeing, and boating. Outside of sports, this boys camp has a spacious arts center equipped with kilns and woodworking tools, two indoor movie spaces, and an indoor and an outdoor theatre.

With a wide range of traditional team sports and classic camp activities, this boys camp has something to engage everyone. Yet another excellent summer camp for science geeks is the Space Camp.

In Space camp, girls and boys practice teamwork, experience flight simulations, complete practice space missions, and learn all about how astronauts work. You can buy a book of classes for a discounted rate.

The in-person classes are currently closed due to Covid restrictions, but Jessica is trying out online making music classes for children up to 6 years old. Classes are available in French and English. Due to Covid restrictions, only private instruction classes are available currently. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. A range of special-need services for children with educational, developmental, emotional, or behavioral difficulties is becoming more available in Cambodia.

Get a quote for expat health insurance. Admittedly this is a photo of work exhibited at Kampot Art Gallery. Perhaps you prefer to send your children to a faith-based summer camp. There are numerous faith-based options across the United States to choose from. Some parents with financial difficulties wonder if there are options to send their child to summer camp. There are some camps that offer scholarships or discounts for some circumstances while other camps are specifically geared towards serving children whose parents would otherwise not be able to send them to summer camp.

Parents should view the website of these camps or call the camp to find out more about incentives offered to families with low or moderate incomes. To determine current pricing at each of these summer camps, make sure the pricing is current.

You can call the camp for exact pricing for the current camp season. Remember that choosing the right summer camp is an individual family choice and that the best camp for your friends or neighbors may not be the best camp choice for your children. If you have more than one child to send to a camp, it is not unusual for parents to send their children to different camps. One or more of these picks for 50 best summer camps in the United States is sure to prove a great choice for your children to have an amazing summer camp experience.

If your child is seriously ill, requires specialized care or has other special needs, there are wonderful opportunities available that may allow your child to enjoy the adventure and experience of summer camp just like other children do.

Specialty camps meet the needs of some families, giving children with special needs the opportunity to experience camping while receiving expert care from medical professionals and other experts.

Children with special needs are given the opportunity for developing lasting friendships, having fun and meeting other children with their same or similar conditions. Camps that serve both boys and girls in co-ed camping facilities traditionally offer programs that separate girls and boys while at camp, yet bring them together for some activities or meals.

The Cheley Colorado Camps serves young people from throughout the U. Located in and around the Estes Park Valley and surrounded by breathtaking mountain views and forests, Cheley Camps serves boys and girls, divided by gender and age group, starting at age nine years old.

Individualized attention and encouragement and many group activities give campers the opportunity to experience unforgettable fun activities.

Participating in mountain biking, river rafting, horseback riding, hiking, backpacking and art are just some of the available opportunities, along with challenge opportunities. During challenge opportunities, campers learn team-building, cooperation and leadership skills while developing self-confidence and enjoying the fun challenges.

When the day is done, campers have the opportunity to build bonds while gathered around the evening campfire. Many campers return year-after-year to Cheley Colorado Camps.

Camp Killooleet serves boys and girls ages years of age. The owners say that nearly all the campers return to Camp Killooleet each year until they reach the age limit. Children are housed in small groups of the same gender and experience the beauty of the nearly acres and private lake while at Camp Killooleet.

In addition to bringing their bicycle or renting one so that campers ride to all the activities at the flat campus, children can explore local nature sites, canoeing in the Adirondacks, caving and rock-climbing. Situated just two hours northwest of NYC and three hours north of Philadelphia, Camp Weequahic offers a traditional camping experience with a twist for campers from second to the eleventh grade.

Whichever option your family chooses, Camp Weequahic features continuous fun and learning experiences for your children. In addition to traditional types of camping activities, campers can also opt for specialty camps in the arts, sports or adventure.

Campers also enjoy a variety of water activities and venture out on trips to nearby venues. Raquette Lake Camps is one of the oldest camps in the United States and now boasts second, third and fourth generations of Raquette Lake Camps alumni. Although housed in different facilities, boys and girls regularly socialize. Sisters and brothers get together for lunch weekly. A variety of land and water activities engages campers, challenging them to reach their potential and discover how to become independent, responsible adolescents.

Campers enjoy learning new skills, improving existing skills, experiencing emotional growth and developing new friendships. Campers learn to accept and respect every camper, regardless of background or upbringing.

The diet at Raquette Lake Camps is nut-free, and the staff can accommodate most food allergies. Raquette Lake Camps staff and campers wear uniforms during their sleep-away camping experience. It is a unique summer camp in that it provides an awesome experience for the entire family to vacation and experience camping together.

Family members enjoy traditional camping activities such as nature walks, fishing, swimming, and boating as well as a variety of age-appropriate recreation activities for children beginning at age three, all the way to the teen years. Parents will enjoy activities specifically geared for for them as well, and there is plenty of family fun at this resort facility where families return again and again.

Falcon Camp, situated in Carrolton Ohio offers boys and girls a great camping experience with the option of 2, 4, 6 or 8-week camping session. There are events and activities separated by gender, but plenty of co-ed activities for your child to enjoy while at Falcon Camp, considered one of the premier summer camps of the Midwest.

Campers will experience traditional camping fun and have the ability to choose some activities to participate in. Trail Blazers Camps has been serving campers and their families at the acre complex in Sussex County New Jersey for over years. Trail Blazers, in Montague New Jersey, offers both sleep-away and day camps.

The Trailblazers sleep away camp serves boys and girls in small groups, offering a new unique experience each day of the camping experience. Believing that every child should be afforded the opportunity to attend summer camp, Trail Blazers has scholarships available for families who would otherwise not have the money to send their child to camp.

Scholarship amounts vary, with the information available from the Trail Blazers administration. Camp Pinehurst offers a variety of camping experiences for boys and girls ages 6through age Camp options include sessions that last either 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 weeks. Located in the natural wooded setting of High View West Virginia in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Camp Tall Timbers is an award-winning camp that serves boys and girls as young as age seven.

The Family Weekend gives parents the opportunity to join in the fun of camp life at Camp Tall Timbers. Camp sessions last from one to three weeks. The sleep away camp at Mountain Camp Woodside features spectacular beauty throughout the 63 acre campus, boasting an Olympic sized pool, gymnasium, sports fields, modern dorms and other amenities.

The camp serves boys and girls ages 7 to Campers are encouraged to engage in new activities and make new friends. Campers learn a variety of new skills, establishing independence and fostering emotional growth.

Campers as young as six years old enjoy the beauty and natural surroundings of Camp Towanda nestled in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. Camp is for all levels of camping experience and interests, including first-time campers. In addition to traditional camping activities, campers have the opportunity to participate in gymnastics, lacrosse, roller skating, martial arts, water skiing, water aerobics, computer graphic design and culinary instruction, just to name a few.

A variety of trips, special activities and optional experiences and clinics completes the well-rounded camping experience at Camp Towanda. Founded in Both boys and girls from ages six to sixteen will enjoy all that Camp Hilltop has to offer campers coming to one of the camping sessions, ranging from two to eight weeks long. The Hancock New York camp is located close to the Catskill Mountains, offering spectacular views, a wide range of camping activities, experiences and amenities to campers.

The structured, safe, non-competitive environment and the fact that campers bunk with children entering the same grade in the fall may appeal to parents and campers wondering about the environment of the camping experience at Camp Hilltop. Typical camping activities along with fun challenges give campers the fun experiences of sleep-away camping while learning independence, confidence, and teamwork.

The strong sense of community and family often brings campers back to Camp Lakota every year. Iroquois Springs is a summer camp where campers ages six to sixteen have outstanding opportunities to engage in a wide variety of activities and safe, healthy challenges. All campers have the opportunity to shine at Camp Iroquois Springs as they develop self-esteem, learn to make efforts and develop healthy attitude skills.

Campers enjoy many indoor and outdoor activities and events at Camp Iroquois Springs where you can choose a three week or six week camping session for your child. The core values of excellence to do your best, empowerment to be your best, community to show your best, along with fun, safety, and environment guide the decisions, activities, actions and expectations of campers and staff in a safe atmosphere.

Campers learn to appreciate and celebrate themselves and to appreciate and celebrate others. The staff helps first-time campers overcome homesickness and the Kupugani Multicultural Camp also offers a discount to families with first-time campers. Campers also experience archery, water sports, and other traditional camping activities. With a focus on team-building, Rawhide Ranch offers campers the opportunity to learn new skills and create lasting friendships.

Camp Walt Whitman allows each camper to experience the ultimate in summer camping by participating at their level. Campers learn to improve existing physical skills while developing new skills in sports and activities while focusing on personal development in areas such as leadership, teamwork, and responsibility.

Lifelong bonds are formed as new friendships develop while experiencing the camaraderie among Walt Whitman Campers.