2016 Summer Camp Recommendations and Reviews

[Anonymous]

DS, 6, liked Junior ROCS well enough. He's shy and they made a good effort to help him fit in/get involved.

[Anonymous]

Triple C Camp in Ashburn - not a fan, at least for the pre-K age. Kiddo is not really a "hard to please" one but complained about being bored a lot & the location did seem not as interesting as other camps more in the outdoors.

Treehouse for Creative Kids in Ashburn - liked theatre program & kid seemed happy with it. I'd recommend it for a week, but would not do for more than a week since they don't take them outside at all. That's fine for a half day program but not so much for all day for weeks at a time.

[Anonymous]

My rising 1st grader is having a great time at Audubon. They seem to be playing more regular games (like capture the flag) and going out less in nature than I would like (which is really different from their preschool program, where all they did was wander around the woods) but DS is happy and it's possible that his reporting is selective.

[Anonymous]

SportFit Camp in Bowie has been good. The kids are outside all day. Activities include swimming onsite at the club pool, playground, themed weeks, crafts, obstacle courses, etc. They keep the kids busy!

[Anonymous]

My kids are loving Kids After Hours Traveling Teens Program. They come home exhausted and happy every day.

[Anonymous]

Kids Set Sail in DC got rave reviews from DS. The week included a capsize drill (!), which he loved, and ended with a regatta. Great coaches, too! We'll definitely be doing this camp again.

another vote for KSS -- my kids had a great week! DC DPR camps have also been great, without breaking my budget.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kids Set Sail in DC got rave reviews from DS. The week included a capsize drill (!), which he loved, and ended with a regatta. Great coaches, too! We'll definitely be doing this camp again.

Looks very cool. Can you drop off your kids earlier than 10:00 AM? Many thanks!

[Anonymous]

My 8 y.o. DD loves Calleva and Valley Mill.

[Anonymous]

Are there any "woodsy" camps similar to Camp Sonshine or Sandy Spring (or I guess Calleva & Valley Mill but less nose bleed expensive) in VA outside the beltway?

[Anonymous]

Another for Sidwell! Liked how organized it was, and the many options. No stories of blood in the soccer camp--I never get much info from my DS, but no complaints. My kids also love the voyagers options and my DD really thrived in Machine sewing (came home with a skirt, shirt, sewn with patterns, plus bags and pillows that she designed herself!)
On the downside, and this is for all camps--I'm quite tired of 3pm being considered a "full day". For those of us with 2 working parents, the added cost of aftercare and the pain of it only going til 6 is very frustrating.
This is our first summer with Sidwell and we'll be back.

[Anonymous]

"On the downside, and this is for all camps--I'm quite tired of 3pm being considered a "full day". For those of us with 2 working parents, the added cost of aftercare and the pain of it only going til 6 is very frustrating. "

+1. It's just a way to make the base cost seem less. Since the sticker tag gets separated from the real cost of using the program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"On the downside, and this is for all camps--I'm quite tired of 3pm being considered a "full day". For those of us with 2 working parents, the added cost of aftercare and the pain of it only going til 6 is very frustrating. "

+1. It's just a way to make the base cost seem less. Since the sticker tag gets separated from the real cost of using the program.

Well, as someone with an au pair as child care I'm glad it's not till 5 where I'd be paying for care I don't need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child love Spanish Summer Camp at Waterfont Academy and he is learning!!! They go out regularly on field trips, splash pads, and to the playgrounds. They have themes for each week and get the vocabulary in each of these areas and science experiments to get even more new vocabulary. Learning, fun, and safe - awesome!!!

Where is this academy- can you please send the website?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"On the downside, and this is for all camps--I'm quite tired of 3pm being considered a "full day". For those of us with 2 working parents, the added cost of aftercare and the pain of it only going til 6 is very frustrating. "

+1. It's just a way to make the base cost seem less. Since the sticker tag gets separated from the real cost of using the program.

I'm a former camp manager, though I didn't set hours or prices for my camp. 3pm was "full day" because that's what the kids are used to with school. For an active camp--which most are--the kids were ready to go home/have the downtime of aftercare by 3:30, when the pickup period ended. Most of our campers went home by 3:30, though we did have 2-10 in aftercare until 6, depending on the week. The time is for consistency of schedule, not to pad the price.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids Set Sail in DC got rave reviews from DS. The week included a capsize drill (!), which he loved, and ended with a regatta. Great coaches, too! We'll definitely be doing this camp again.

Looks very cool. Can you drop off your kids earlier than 10:00 AM? Many thanks!

Unfortunately there isn't before or after care. I believe the earliest you can drop off is 9:30.