Family camps

[Anonymous]

Anyone been to family camps? They have camps out there that are specifically camps that your whole family can attend. Meals are in a communal area and activities are sometimes planned. It isn't the outdoor camping that you gather your family with. Any? We have some friends who wants to camp but our way of camping might seem too rustic and too much work for them.
So, i heard about family camps but never been to it.
Thank you.

[Anonymous]

My kids sleepaway camp offers family camp weekends. It's just like going to summer camp. The kids are broken into age groups and go off to do activities with a counselor. The adults are left to their own. They sometimes have adult scheduled activities like yoga, swimming, pottery.

Meals are in the dining hall and there is evening entertainment inline with summer camp.

Families sleep in the cabins which have a shower and toilet. Different camps offer different amenities when it comes to cabins. Some have A/C/heat, some have bath houses for both showers and toilets, some have toilets in the cabins but showers in the bath house. Depends on the camp.

[Anonymous]

We used to live in LA and we looked into this one

https://www.idyllwildarts.org/summer/familyweek/

but sadly we never did it - totally booked up very far in advance, only one week offered during the whole summer

would still love to do it

[Anonymous]

We go to the Deer Valley YMCA family camp in PA. http://www.deervalleyymca.org/

It is as you describe-- communal meals, planned activities and free time. In the mornings, kids go off with their counselors for supervised activities while the parents can either have free time or participate in something like a volleyball game, hike, sailing lessons, etc. They have week-long sessions all summer plus weekends -- Memorial Day, Labor Day, and some other fall and spring weekends.

We started going when our kids were 3 & 5, did the full week for a few years and then switched to Labor Day because the week wasn't working with other demands for our vacation time. Kids are teens now and still look forward to our annual trip.

The challenge is that it's hard to get a spot since the return rate for campers is >90%. You'll have the best luck getting off the wait list for the 1st or last weeks of the summer. Which is actually good because those weeks tend to have more new families for that reason.

Also, one caveat that's a problem for some people but not us, is that the camp is alcohol-free.

[Anonymous]

Has anyone tried YMCA Camp Letts closer to D.C.?

[Anonymous]

We go every year - GREAT once your kods are a little bit older, and can be independent. By this I mean 7 or so. There are activities from dawn until dusk (and nightime/party/SMORES activities too), and as long as you are comfortable with them going out and about by themselves with the group, you're fine. If you're not comfortable with them swimming with the lifeguards, then you'll need to do everything with them. That's fine too, it just depends on what you are looking for. It is definitely more on the rustic side. I would say it's not great for toddlers and younger. Be aware, it's Camp. You're sharing bunks with other people, or campingin tents. One more thing, I would imagine the Memorial Day Camp is full by now, but there are usually spaces in the Labor Day Camp.

We love it!

[Anonymous]

We have been doing Deer Valley for three years and absolutely love it. We are not generally outdoorsy people and love our more luxury vacations as well. But Deer Valley is just something really special.

[Anonymous]

OP needs to go to the travel forum and do a search there. This has been discussed a lot, including my own post about Deer Valley, which I really, really wanted to love but did not.

[Anonymous]

If you are Jewish, Pearlstone Center (north of Baltimore) offers a Family Farm Camp. It is wonderful! They have kosher food and pluralistic Shabbat options.

[Anonymous]

We did a great family weekend camp at the Chincoteague Bay Field Center on Wallops Island, marine science focused activities, nice dorm accommodations with a/c