How much do you spend on camps per summer per kid?

[Anonymous]

I am floored by the cost of keeping kids out of the house and entertained all summer. Before this year, we lived near family and in the midwest.
How do you balance it all out? Are there other options for kids too old for full-time daycare?

[Anonymous]

It varies by year. In ES it would not be more than about $4000 for 2 kids the whole summer because we'd go away to see family overseas for part of the vacation.

As they got a bit older this crept up (they are MS now).
I think $5000-6000 for local camps recently.

People pay a lot more, especially those who send to sleep away camps for the whole summer - 10 weeks or whatever at $1000 per wk x 4 kids

It is insane.

[Anonymous]

I usually max out my FSA, which until recently was 5K. About 4K was on summer camps and the rest on spring and winter break camps. Most we do are $350-550/wk, depending on whether a bare bones camp, or private school or specialty camp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I usually max out my FSA, which until recently was 5K. About 4K was on summer camps and the rest on spring and winter break camps. Most we do are $350-550/wk, depending on whether a bare bones camp, or private school or specialty camp.

Oh and this is for one kid. We’ve found that you get what you pay for.

[Anonymous]

We usually pay $350-600 per week for 8-10 weeks. Two kids, but one of them is now a teenager and won't be going every week, just a couple of specialty camps. When both were young, we spent $6-9K per summer. Now it's more like $3-5K.

[Anonymous]

We’re paying about $3,500 for one kid, and I’m pretty frugal about camp, ie not paying $500 a week like many people I know. Money comes out of my FSA, so that helps.

I was shocked when I moved here and realized people spent that kind of money. It’s nuts. I can’t bring myself to even consider sleep away camps.

[Anonymous]

$600/week for 5 weeks of half day sports camp plus daily tutoring. 1 week of Calleva sampler $590. Will split w spouse work from home and entertain w pool/playdates/staycation/vacation the other 4 weeks. So total estimated cost about $4000 for 1 kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I usually max out my FSA, which until recently was 5K. About 4K was on summer camps and the rest on spring and winter break camps. Most we do are $350-550/wk, depending on whether a bare bones camp, or private school or specialty camp.

Same here for 1 kid too

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I usually max out my FSA, which until recently was 5K. About 4K was on summer camps and the rest on spring and winter break camps. Most we do are $350-550/wk, depending on whether a bare bones camp, or private school or specialty camp.

Same here for 1 kid too

This is us. We find that the camps through Fairfax Park and Rec are good, they range between 350-500. Our criteria are pretty basic, DS is safe and well cared for, he has fun, and he learns something a few weeks. He chooses a variety of camps that are STEM based, art based, and outdoor running around.

[Anonymous]

During non Covid times we do about 6 weeks of camp to break up the summer and the average cost is the low $300s. Some are closer to $400 but like our church does a Bible camp and it’s only $120 ( for all day 9-4) so that balances out a week of a more expensive camp. This year we are doing 3 weeks at Camp Sonshine for $305 a week and joined a pool instead of doing more camps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I usually max out my FSA, which until recently was 5K. About 4K was on summer camps and the rest on spring and winter break camps. Most we do are $350-550/wk, depending on whether a bare bones camp, or private school or specialty camp.

Oh and this is for one kid. We’ve found that you get what you pay for.

Totally disagree.

My kids have done ridiculously expensive summer camps in Maine and (DH wanted them to go it's a thing for his family), not worth it. The grounds were nicer and maybe bunks were slightly nicer, that's it. Everyone drove up in a fancy car or helicoptered or flew private jets in didn't matter. Staff same period. It's not like these camps pay staff more than the cheaper camps. They are not run any better than a good one at even half or a third the price

If I had it to do over again my kids would have skipped those expensive ones and I would have donated those monies. W

[Anonymous]

ES kid. $200-$500/week. The expensive one for us is a tennis camp that runs through the weeks in the summer where most camps don't.

Most of the camps run at private day schools will be over $500/week and for generally fewer hours of coverage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I usually max out my FSA, which until recently was 5K. About 4K was on summer camps and the rest on spring and winter break camps. Most we do are $350-550/wk, depending on whether a bare bones camp, or private school or specialty camp.

Oh and this is for one kid. We’ve found that you get what you pay for.

Totally disagree.

My kids have done ridiculously expensive summer camps in Maine and (DH wanted them to go it's a thing for his family), not worth it. The grounds were nicer and maybe bunks were slightly nicer, that's it. Everyone drove up in a fancy car or helicoptered or flew private jets in didn't matter. Staff same period. It's not like these camps pay staff more than the cheaper camps. They are not run any better than a good one at even half or a third the price

If I had it to do over again my kids would have skipped those expensive ones and I would have donated those monies. W

+1 Anyone who thinks they are getting what they paid for has drunk the cool aid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I usually max out my FSA, which until recently was 5K. About 4K was on summer camps and the rest on spring and winter break camps. Most we do are $350-550/wk, depending on whether a bare bones camp, or private school or specialty camp.

Oh and this is for one kid. We’ve found that you get what you pay for.

Totally disagree.

My kids have done ridiculously expensive summer camps in Maine and (DH wanted them to go it's a thing for his family), not worth it. The grounds were nicer and maybe bunks were slightly nicer, that's it. Everyone drove up in a fancy car or helicoptered or flew private jets in didn't matter. Staff same period. It's not like these camps pay staff more than the cheaper camps. They are not run any better than a good one at even half or a third the price

If I had it to do over again my kids would have skipped those expensive ones and I would have donated those monies. W

+1 Anyone who thinks they are getting what they paid for has drunk the cool aid.

PP here, that’s been my experience with day camps. I can think of a couple day camps we did that were cheaper, but they basically were unstructured babysitters. Aftercare was basically kids sitting at a table. I’ve heard even worse for some DPR camps in DC.

[Anonymous]

All we have planned now are the Nike esports camps that run around $450 per half week session. Not sure what else we will end up cobbling together but he really needs to take this summer as an opportunity to get more competitive.