Not budget or nearby, but my friend really likes this one: https://www.mslodge.com/family-camp

We’ve been to Tyler Place in VT. A lot of people really love it. We didn’t love it ourselves but YMMV.

Anonymous wrote:Deer Valley is not expensive at all. It is a Y camp! But it is hard to get in, since families return year after year. Once you have gone once though, it is easier. They have a ton of “clean cut” activities . It is very relaxing, your kids will make friends and be outdoors—busy all day. I highly recommend it (but now, more so than when your kids are older).

+1 to all of this. Deer Valley was FANTASTIC when my kids were those ages. And I recall that a week there for my youngest was cheaper than a week at daycare or local summer camp!

That being said....you will not find a lot of diversity. We have gone two different weeks (families tend to go the same week for years) and there was only one non-white family at each of them. It is actually something DH and I discuss when we are there because it is so unusually white.

But I encourage you to go anyway. The people are welcoming and non-rednecky.

Deer Valley is not expensive at all. It is a Y camp! But it is hard to get in, since families return year after year. Once you have gone once though, it is easier. They have a ton of “clean cut” activities . It is very relaxing, your kids will make friends and be outdoors—busy all day. I highly recommend it (but now, more so than when your kids are older).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does your family have any special interests? Religious affiliation?

No religious affiliation, but are comfortable with inclusive religious communities (Quaker, Episcopalian). Interested in arts, nature, low key activities. We’re crunchy liberals. I saw one camp in VT that looked good (Common Ground) but couldn’t abide paying thousands of dollars to rent camp.

* tent camp

Anonymous wrote:Does your family have any special interests? Religious affiliation?

No religious affiliation, but are comfortable with inclusive religious communities (Quaker, Episcopalian). Interested in arts, nature, low key activities. We’re crunchy liberals. I saw one camp in VT that looked good (Common Ground) but couldn’t abide paying thousands of dollars to rent camp.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Uh, I think this is actually a rich white person thing. I mean, I took my kids my family Space Camp, but New England WASPy summer camp? That's...going to be a hard sell to someone who's already hesitant.

OP here. Fair enough. He’s pretty used to the WASP-y New England vibe (where he went to college) but more concerned about rednecky vibes.

Rednecky vibes are not an issue in this kind of activity.

We go to an all-inclusive dude ranch out West every year. We call it camp because it totally is a family camp even if it's technically called a ranch. Camp activities, bonfires, arts and crafts. They have a kids club and everything.

Does your family have any special interests? Religious affiliation?

We went to Deer Valley ever summer from our kids early childhood to early teens. It is a great, relaxing vacation. My kids really liked the freedom to run around with friends that they don't get at home.

The population is definitely very White. They also say grace (actually group sing grace) at all the communal meals so a non-Christian might feel excluded. I think most campers are from PA + DC area. Other than the grace part it isn't religious. There is a non-denominational chapel on the property and a Sunday service is provided but IME very few attend.

Anonymous wrote:Uh, I think this is actually a rich white person thing. I mean, I took my kids my family Space Camp, but New England WASPy summer camp? That's...going to be a hard sell to someone who's already hesitant.

OP here. Fair enough. He’s pretty used to the WASP-y New England vibe (where he went to college) but more concerned about rednecky vibes.

Anonymous wrote:We went to one last summer in VT and it was not all white and WASP-Y. People from all over the US, and many races/ethnicities represented (though definitely majority white)

Do you mind sharing which one?

We went to one last summer in VT and it was not all white and WASP-Y. People from all over the US, and many races/ethnicities represented (though definitely majority white)

Uh, I think this is actually a rich white person thing. I mean, I took my kids my family Space Camp, but New England WASPy summer camp? That's...going to be a hard sell to someone who's already hesitant.

I had never heard of these until reading this forum. Kids are 9, 6, and 6 and I think it sounds like a solid vacation, especially since our kids seem like they will be a little too timid to go to sleep away camp on their own when the time comes. I’d be open to Deer Valley (if we can get in) but also interested in hearing about other favorites, including in New England. Budget is important, since we would also want to do another non-camp vacation during summer. Also interested in diversity. My husband is a person of color and skeptical of family camps as a “white person thing.”