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Question of the Day – Kids and Summer Camp
By JLP | April 16, 2008
Here’s today’s question(s) of the day:
Do your kids attend camp during the summer?
If so, how many and how much do they cost?
Our boys like to go to basketball camps. Last year they went to two basketball camps. I don’t remember exactly how much we spent in total but I think one camp was $125 for the two of them and the other was $130 per kid plus snacks (I think). They also attended a church preteen camp that was away from home. I think all together we spent somewhere in the neighborhood of $600 last year on summer camps.
This year, we are looking to spend about the same amount and possibly a little more. I don’t mind sending them as long as they are getting something out of the experience and are enjoying themselves.
I attended ONE camp the entire time I was a kid and that camp was AFTER I graduated from high school. My parents just didn’t have the funds to send us kids to camp. Besides, I’m not sure I would have wanted to go. I was pretty much a homebody. My boys are a lot different in that respect.
What about your kids?
Topics: Kids and Money, Question of the Day | 10 Comments »
April 16th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
My son’s attended a variety of camps. He goes to camp for Scouts usually, but his dad’s church pays for that (otherwise I think it’s a couple of hundred dollars). He’s done wrestling camp as well, which wasn’t too bad. (Although that was just a day camp.) I think camps are a good experience.
April 16th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Most traumatic week of my life as a kid was daycamp when I was 11. I had less to do with the camp and more to do with some other events…but I have horrible memories of that whole week.
I’m also a homebody, which is why they didn’t send me before or since.
April 16th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
No kids, but when I was in high school, I attended debate camp for 3 summers. I think they ran for about $600 – $1200 each summer. I basically spent 6 weeks each summer working my butt off, and paid for the privilege. But it was important to me, and I appreciated my parents subsidizing my interests.
Of course, I could argue that my success in high school debate helped me get into an Ivy League college, which then parlayed into a high-paying job straight out of school. A couple of the kids at my high school who had grades and test scores comparable to mine didn’t get accepted at any of their top-choice schools because they spent all of high school studying instead of becoming interesting people. Debate definitely helped define my depth of character, and I think the $3,000 for camps (plus additional money on travel, appropriate clothes, food at tournaments) was money well-spent.
Besides the long-reaching effect of debate camp on my education and personal development, I also made friends there that I still keep in touch with. Throw kids together for a couple of weeks without parents, and they form bonds that last a lifetime. Priceless.
April 16th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
My parents were too poor to send me to camp. But they did send me to every free vacation bible school they could find. And it was there that I discovered that free week-long church campships were awarded to whomever could memorize the most bible verses. I spent at least two weeks at different church camps every summer after that. One summer, I went to three: Catholic, Baptist, and Foursquare Gospel. I had a great deal of fun though not much of the religion really stuck.
So yes, I do send my children and grandchildren to sleep-away camps where they can spend at least a week. Most are through Campfire or Scouts, occasionally through a church. Prices vary but I do think they are worth it.
April 16th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
I don’t have kids, but I went to summer camp every year for 9 years growing up (age 8 to 16), and so did my 3 siblings. Price is currently around $3000 I think, and that covers room, board, and all activities for a month.
I CANNOT RECOMMEND SUMMER CAMP HIGHLY ENOUGH.
Whether it’s sports camp, church camp, or general “summer camp,” it’s a time when your kids can be in a different (but safe and stimulating and nurturing) environment and blossom as individuals.
At my camp (Camp DeSoto) there is no TV, no radio, no cell phones (no phones at all, actually), and certainly no internet connections. There is only you, the other campers, the counselors, the great outdoors, and endless activities, events, and competitions.
I grew as an individual and developed meaningful relationships during that month every summer more than during the other 11 combined.
April 16th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
I went to a few different camps when I was a kid. The ones I liked were tennis camps (so only during the day)–I imagine this is similar to your basketball camps. I liked it because tennis is my favorite sport and there were well-defined activities.
The ones I didn’t like were a weeklong spring break camp, which involved random activities. I don’t really like meeting new people, so if it isn’t in some controlled environment (the camps had us just do whatever we wanted) I find it horrible.
I also didn’t like a weeklong “extreme sports” camp which involved staying away from home. I prefer staying at home because I don’t enjoy sleeping in large rooms with tons of people. Also, kids aren’t very nice in general, so if you are at all different you will get teased.
April 16th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
My kids attend summer camp for one week every year and it’s the highlight of their summer. They absolutely LOVE IT. They would forgo almost ANYTHING to keep going to camp.
I went for 3 summers in grade school and I liked it, but not nearly as much as my kids do.
Cost is about $450 per and it lasts one week. Right now my 8 year old son doesn’t attend, but both of his teenage sisters do. We’ll start sending him in 2009. He cannot wait.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Sleepover camps are a great place for teenage child molesters to get some practice.
Take a bunch of homesick nine year-olds, add a perverted 16 year-old counselor and, Voila.
Hey, just my personal experience.
April 17th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Every summer from 6th grade-11th grade, I went to a swim camp at a big university (with awesome swim coaches) for a week. The cost was about $500, which included 3 practices a day, 3 meals a day, and a dorm room. I have to admit that I really enjoyed these camps. They did really improve my technique….hm…
April 17th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
I’ve worked for a local Scout camp for the past five years (as the business manager) and can’t recommend the experience enough. There are camps available for anything your child may be interested in from sports and music to general recreation, both sleep-away and day camps. There are often “camperships” available either through the camp itself or through sponsoring organizations which can help fund these activities.
Our program is a week long ranging between $140-$200 per week depending on time of registration (early bird special), camping options (cabins vs. tents), and type of registration (individual “Provisional” Scout or Troop registration). This included lodging, instruction, meals, t-shirt, and camper patch. There were minor fees depending on which classes the campers signed up for, to cover the cost of supplies (skiing cost $20 for the week to cover the cost of gas, whereas art cost $5 for supplies, and things like sports, wildlife, and swimming were free).
Growing up, I attended several music camps, church camps, and annual summer day camps (cheaper than most individual childcare, it was a way for my parents to give me something to do while they worked) and say that some of my best experiences came from summer camps.
If it’s something you can afford (or if you can find the sponsorship), it’s definitely something I’d recommend doing for your child. It can be a great opportunity for new friends, experiences, and character development.
(Sorry if this reads like an advertisement… It’s been my job…and life… for the past five years, but it’s something I truly believe to be a worthwhile experience.)