DESCRIPTION:
Tent camping with your family can be one of the most rewarding experiences you’ll ever have as a traveler. Something in act of being away from home and then setting up your shelter together as a group — organizing your gear, your kitchen, cooking and working together: it’s always fertile ground for creativity, improvisation, mishaps, comedy, bonding. It gets people out of their comfort zones and into places and scenes they wouldn’t have found otherwise. It can be one of the greatest “classrooms” for everyone in your family.
Trend Alert: Summer Camp For Family
Best Places to Visit:
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Tripp Lake Camp in beautiful Poland, Maine describes itself as “one of the finest girls’ camps” in the area. Located on picturesque Tripp Lake, the camp is “nestled among majestic evergreens,” according to its website. Tripp Lake Camp was established by Eva Rosenheim in 1911, and today it promises “a culture built on timeless values.” The camp places importance on forging new, lifelong friendships, explaining that its campers – aged seven to 16 – “gain confidence from navigating new situations… [and] emerge self-assured, caring and well-rounded.” One camper seems to agree, saying, “Without this place I would only be one percent of who I am today.” Activities include archery, basketball, soccer, equestrian pursuits, kayaking, canoeing, waterskiing, and art and theater options. Tripp Lake Camp is certified by the ACA (American Camp Association) and also runs a winter program in Armonk, New York.
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Timber Lake Camp – Shandaken, New York: Timber Lake Camp in Shandaken, New York is one of five renowned and esteemed TLC Foundation sites on the East Coast. Surrounded by New York’s Catskill Mountains, the 500-acre ACA-certified camp is described as “the perfect setting to learn, share and grow with friends of a lifetime.” Timber Lake – which was founded in 1962 – features girls’ and boys’ campuses and accepts campers aged seven to 16, with 480 individuals per session. The camp emphasizes healthy eating, offering fruit and salad at all lunch and dinner sittings and a menu “designed to provide nutritious meals that children will enjoy.” Timber Lake’s activities include land sports, aquatic sports, outdoor adventures, and creative and fine arts programs. According to one regular, “While the rest of the world wants you to grow up, Timber Lake allows you be a kid.”
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Camp Takajo – Naples, Maine: accredited Camp Takajo in Naples, Maine describes itself as “one of the finest boys’ camps” in the state. Camping enthusiast Morty Goldman set up Takajo in 1947 “to create a well-rounded summer program in which each boy could develop independence and self-reliance in a nurturing, supportive environment.” Divided into three age-specific sub-camps, Takajo accommodates boys from seven to 15 years of age and is set in beautifully wooded lakeside surroundings. Activities include water sports, exploration of hobbies and skills, and pioneering. Takajo prides itself on its ability to build character through its focus on tried-and-true values like honesty, decency and empathy, and it attempts to help instill each camper “with a strong moral compass.
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River Way Ranch Camp – Sanger, California: This Sanger, California-based youth getaway aims to “challenge individuals and influence the future.”River Way Ranch Camp caters to seven- to 16-year-old boys and girls and is hailed by both parents (Mom’s Best Award 2011) and visiting international staff (CCUSA Spirit Award 2011) as one of the best camps in the nation. Based at the Wonder Valley Ranch Resort and Conference Center, its activities range from martial arts and mini-bikes to horse jumping, riflery, archery and soccer. Arts and crafts endeavors include photography, yearbook design and digital graphics, while River Way’s lake program offers campers fun pastimes such as kayaking, sailing, swimming and “raging rapids waterslides.”
Simple Tips:
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Now is not too early to start packing: Most summer camps publish a camp packing list months in advance. The earlier you begin tossing supplies into a big box or the corner of your kid’s room, the less last-minute scrambling you’ll have to do. Now is not too soon to begin the search for the sunglasses and bandanas.
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Pack old clothes and gear: Any summer camp worth its salt is tough on clothes and gear. pack old, worn clothes. Pack towels, sheets and pillowcases you don’t mind throwing away. If the cabins are rustic, I might make an exception for a good-quality sleeping bag(staying warm and comfortable at night is crucial to one’s happiness at camp).
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Involve your kid in every step of the packing: Your kid will be in charge of her stuff after you drop her off at camp, so she needs to knowexactly what’s in her bag(s) and where it’s packed.
