2015 Summer Camp Reviews and Recommendations

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell Summer is going very well. I was also pleased with its cost. You won't like it if you want a strong swimming component for little kids, but we don't care about that and the water play suits us fine. We love it!

This is our 3rd summer and will stick with it for the forseeable future. The cost can't be beat.

We did the half-day explorers camp at Sidwell Summer and it was not great. It was cheap but that's about all that could be said in its favor.

We did the Explorers camp at Sidwell for the first time - usually just do soccer - and my son loved it. This is a kid who isn't that in to camp - he wanted to go back again this summer. So...your experience may vary

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Week 1 -- 10 year old DD at Camp Winona Girl Scout sleepaway camp. Very reasonably priced for sleepaway camp and she absolutely loved it.

13 year old DS at Calleva kayaking (the one based here, not High Adventure) -- he loved it and begged to do it again.

7 year old DD at Calleva Explorers -- I have to say, meh. It really didn't seem to live up to the adventure/explorer theme from her description. She has one more week to do so we will see if it's better the second time around.

Weeks 2 through 7 - six weeks at Valley Mill for all three -- fabulous. We love Valley Mill and I think it's a very well-run camp that gives kids exactly the kinds of summer camp experiences they should have (outdoors, lots of activities, skill-based accomplishment cards). I love the convenience of bus pick-ups and drop-offs and the fact that all three of my kids have their own groups and aren't together.

I hear Valley Mill is great and would do it next summer. One question -- for water stuff, I'm worried about swimming safety. Do you know how much swimming is done for 7 year olds?

There is a pool and there is also a lake. For the lake they always have to wear a PFD, and there is at least one lifeguard on shore as well as the counselors out in boats. Pool has lifeguards. I believe there is a swim test as well as instructional swim. I would call and ask though.

[Anonymous]

Burgundy Farm Summer camp for 9, 7, and 5 year old -- 8 weeks for all of them. Reviews from all 3 kids say it was awesome. The counselors were warm and friendly. Lots of different activities through the various sessions. Nice balance between indoor and outdoor play. Daily swim classes. We have our kids in private swim lessons, and our private instructors said that all 3 kids made huge leaps in their skills.

We'll probably do it again next year, as it was so convenient to be able to drop all 3 kids off at one camp location.

Burgundy also has before care and after-care for working parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please provide reviews and recommendations (or camps to avoid) for 2015. The threads in previous years have helped me out but sometimes worry that the info is dated.

So far, we haven't done any camps, so I don't have any experiences to share yet but will do so as the summer goes on.

thanks!

Links to previous years threads:

2014 Summer Camp Reviews and Recommendations
http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/393886.page

2013 Summer Camp Reviews and Recommendations:
http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/314047.page

2012 Summer Camp Reviews and Recommendations:
http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/248167.page

If you are up to over seas camp experiences, my nephew attended a camp In Germany, and had a fantastic time.
I believe there are also camps in Ireland, Spain and other European countries. Worth to check it out>
www.campeurope.us

[Anonymous]

does anyone have experience with Beauvoir's Outward Boind camp for rising first and second graders?

And,mid you did a specialty camp, please note which ones were mediocre and disappointing,

[Anonymous]

Steve and Kate was awesome for my 5yr old in Alexandria. She loved it. We will do it again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:does anyone have experience with Beauvoir's Outward Boind camp for rising first and second graders?

And,mid you did a specialty camp, please note which ones were mediocre and disappointing,

For rising K, science seemed good. Woodworking was all gluing with none of the tools promised in the description.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:does anyone have experience with Beauvoir's Outward Boind camp for rising first and second graders?

And,mid you did a specialty camp, please note which ones were mediocre and disappointing,

Both of my children have done Outward Bounds and had a ball! Lots of age-appropriate, cool field trips, includes exploration of Olmsted Woods and the Bishop's Garden by the Cathedral, and a cookout for families with Smores. DC 2 enjoyed it just as much as DC1 had in an earlier year.

FWIW, our family found this camp to be very well run. Many mornings the camp director was out front greeting campers by name. Our counsellors were involved and enthusiastic, and I got several unprompted stories and reports about certain wonderful CITs. We will go back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell Summer is going very well. I was also pleased with its cost. You won't like it if you want a strong swimming component for little kids, but we don't care about that and the water play suits us fine. We love it!

This is our 3rd summer and will stick with it for the forseeable future. The cost can't be beat.

We did the half-day explorers camp at Sidwell Summer and it was not great. It was cheap but that's about all that could be said in its favor.

We love Sidwell Summer this year but I agree half day Explorers wouldn't be that good. The a Explorers need a full day to make it around to all the "good" stuff, plus, most kids in Explorers are full day so I believe half day kids are put in a group that's more transient. We only do specialty half days and it works great!

[Anonymous]

My 8 year old son LOVED the zoo camp.

[Anonymous]

DC Dept of Parks and Recreation. You get what you pay for. We will not be back

[Anonymous]

DC did one week of Gymkhana at UMD and loved it. The camp is very well run, and besides gymnastics, they go to the pool every afternoon except Friday when they get ice cream from the dairy and put on a performance for parents.

DC also did a week of Art Camp at the STAMP at UMD which was just ok. DC liked it but seemed to like it mostly because they allow electronics, which I did NOT like. Also, pick up and drop off was a pain.

Currently at Creative Kids Camp which I thought sounded really cool but DC is just meh about. Aftercare is just a big room with kids running around, very chaotic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Son is at CASA at Sheridan (CLK) and really loves it. It is well supervised and seems like a fun setting.

my son is on his 5th year at CASA and still loves it....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 8 year old son LOVED the zoo camp.

My son loves zoo camp too...has been going for several years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Son is at CASA at Sheridan (CLK) and really loves it. It is well supervised and seems like a fun setting.

my son is on his 5th year at CASA and still loves it....

I will agree that it does seem well supervised. However, I sense it's a camp that assumes everyone is a repeat customer that knows the ropes (PP states her son has been going for 5 years). Well, at some point, your repeat customers age out. They really should make a tiny bit of effort to help new families in their program understand what's going on. We showed up this week. A gal let's us in the front door and immediately turns her back on us and walks away. So I say, "excuse me, we're new to camp...could you help us figure out where we need to go?" It was just a bad first impression. Then yesterday we receive an email informing us that on Friday camp ends at 1 pm...two hours earlier than the normal 3 pm dismissal! This was never disclosed when registered so now I have to take off work with very little notice to my employer in order to be there for my child. Plus, my child doesn't seem scarred or anything from experiences at CASA this week but I get no real feedback from him or anyone else about camp and what they're doing all day. OK, enough venting. Not impressed with CASA at Sheridan. I thought the point of these guest weeks was to cultivate new children to the program...I just don't see that they make the effort to see if new families are liking it.