We were able to get by with the less expensive generic Rec center (county subsidized) camps when DS was young but as soon when he turned 9 he thought they were boring (did not like crafts and silly games). The specialty camps offered cost significantly more and many don't offer aftercare so we need to plan for extra vacation time off $$$ to leave early for pick up. The basic sports camps are still affordable.

Last year we were able to leave DS home alone all day, unsupervised with his iPad (LOL), so we selected fewer, better, interesting but more expensive camps to engage him... coding, robotics, nature, advanced basketball.

a lot of camps pre-pandemic were always $500/week. but i am seeing price increases - camps that now cost more like $700/week for full-day with extended care

I have noticed camp prices creeping up. When my oldest was young, if I got creative, I could try for about $200/week. Since then I have gone to being a SAHM so I do not need the camps for childcare, but I still check out some because my kids like to do some here and there for enrichment. But yowza! No thanks! For $400-$500 per week I will “enrich” my kids myself, thanks! We are still doing Girl Scout day camp, though, and since I chose to volunteer, the prices are lower still.

There are a lot of "enrichment" half-day camps in the $200 - $250 per week price range for kids with a SAHP. The camps that are $400 and $500 are all day and sometimes include aftercare for families that need childcare from 8:30 - 5:30.

I have noticed camp prices creeping up. When my oldest was young, if I got creative, I could try for about $200/week. Since then I have gone to being a SAHM so I do not need the camps for childcare, but I still check out some because my kids like to do some here and there for enrichment. But yowza! No thanks! For $400-$500 per week I will “enrich” my kids myself, thanks! We are still doing Girl Scout day camp, though, and since I chose to volunteer, the prices are lower still.

It’s not just camps. My kid’s private music lesson was $30 / 30 minutes pre-COVID and is now $50.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Camps that I have paid $425 a week for in the past are more like $465 or $485 a week this summer. Definitely creeping up, but I also get that they need to pay higher wages because it's getting harder to attract and keep workers.

And inflation - don't forget inflation. Facility costs are the same, gas for transportation and food for feeding the kids is not.

Plus material costs. At the camp I run, everything from markers to pool noodles is more expensive this year.

"are" - markers and noodles are all plural, so it's not "is" it's "are"

Wow, you are a real peach!

"IS" is properly used as it applies to "everything"

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Camps that I have paid $425 a week for in the past are more like $465 or $485 a week this summer. Definitely creeping up, but I also get that they need to pay higher wages because it's getting harder to attract and keep workers.

And inflation - don't forget inflation. Facility costs are the same, gas for transportation and food for feeding the kids is not.

Plus material costs. At the camp I run, everything from markers to pool noodles is more expensive this year.

"are" - markers and noodles are all plural, so it's not "is" it's "are"

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Camps that I have paid $425 a week for in the past are more like $465 or $485 a week this summer. Definitely creeping up, but I also get that they need to pay higher wages because it's getting harder to attract and keep workers.

And inflation - don't forget inflation. Facility costs are the same, gas for transportation and food for feeding the kids is not.

Plus material costs. At the camp I run, everything from markers to pool noodles is more expensive this year.

Anonymous wrote:Camps that I have paid $425 a week for in the past are more like $465 or $485 a week this summer. Definitely creeping up, but I also get that they need to pay higher wages because it's getting harder to attract and keep workers.

And inflation - don't forget inflation. Facility costs are the same, gas for transportation and food for feeding the kids is not.

Camps that I have paid $425 a week for in the past are more like $465 or $485 a week this summer. Definitely creeping up, but I also get that they need to pay higher wages because it's getting harder to attract and keep workers.

Tweens and teens eat far more than a newborn, need to be exercised more, require more supervision, need specialized activities that are also expensive like ballet/archery/soccer training, and of course - have the same liability.

So yes - its going to be higher than daycare. Welcome to parenting - a money drain from birth to graduate school.

Some day camps with transport are over $650 / wk
I believe some sleep away camps way exceed $1k / wk.

We are doing camps like Congo and Marymont and it hitting $500/week that is worse than daycare. Has it always been this expensive??