Summer Camp: Yay or Nay?

I am a big fan of summer camps for kids, especially once they move out of the early elementary grades. Children become so accustomed to being constantly engaged at school that they often have difficulty adjusting to all the “down time” of summer break. While they enjoy a reprieve from the rigid schedule of school, they become easily bored. I find it impossible to keep my oldest child, Norah,...
...as intellectually engaged during the summer months as I would like for her to be, and though she would never admit it, I know she gets tired of watching endless episodes of “Shake It Up” on the Netflix queue.

Over the past couple summers, Norah has attended a Lego Robotics camp and an Engineering camp, both of which were held at her elementary school. In 2012, she attended Girl Scout camp, and she plans to do it again this summer.

In addition to breaking up the long weeks of heat and boredom without being too pricey, the beauty of summer camps is that they allow kids to experiment and create without even realizing they are learning a whole heck of a lot.

Contributed by Carrie Vittitoe, parent-writer, Today's Family magazine.


Do you send your children to summer camp?  If so, what are their favorite camps?