I'm one of the PPs whose son goes to TTG- the private company.

Teens To Go is terrific - my son has gone last 3 years. The counselors seem great. In terms of safety, at water parks/lakes they take swim tests

At amusement parks they are on their own but have check ins and a buddy system. My DS is a teen so I trust him to be on his own.

The owner is terrific and he's around a lot.

Almost 13yr old has become a fortnight master. Many championship wins. Thank you. We’re so proud.

Anonymous wrote:13yo DS is not in DC area and has only 2 months of summer holiday.

1:1 tennis and surfing lessons for the two weeks that he is in town. The rest of the day is a combo of video games, plus a commitment to read at least 1h per day. Honestly, school was really intense with exams even last week. He’s burnt out and needs to veg.

Otherwise:

1 wk Outward Bound
2 wk trip with extended family
2 wk residential tech camp at a UK school
1 wk visit 1:1 with just me to the English countryside (including falconing, fly fishing session)

.. then back to school.

I'm a parent of a younger child lurking in this tweens/teens forum. Out of curiosity, where do you find out about camps abroad? I like the idea of tacking on a family vacation there after. And dare I ask how much these sorts of camps cost? UK or francophone areas would be great.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another vote for Teens to Go =- my 13 year old loves it.

He also goes away for sleep away camp, does Calleva and two weeks of sports camp for his sport.

(but it's been a few years since he would agree to go to a regular type day camp) Just start looking for some older looking options plus get other stuff done (tutoring if necessary, SSL hours, work, whatever)

When you all are talking about Teens to Go, are you meaning the private camp that goes to amusement parks and water/nature areas every day? The initial person who brought up Teens to Go seemed to be talking about a county program?

If you have experience with the private Teens to Go, can you tell me a little bit about how the logistics work, especially where safety is concerned?

I am the original PP. This is the camp by child goes to. There are 30ish kids in the group and they typically divide up into 3 groups with 2 counselors per groups when they are in bigger places (water park (ie. one group will do big slides, one will do moderate ones, and one will do wave pool/lazy river.) When they are at the trampoline place, etc I don't think they are in groups, but just go do what interests them. I haven't had any concerns with safety. The counselors are great and most are young teachers in Montgomery/Howard county. My child adores going to camp and after being out last week (they are closed 1 week of the summer) was itching to go back and "do stuff."

http://www.outrageouscamp.com/masters-5th-up/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, why doesn't she want to go to sleep away camp?

There are so many great opportunities and a chance to get away from the dirty city air.

My kid as a tween did

Sailing camp onThe potomac near National Airport

Sleepaway for 3 weeks every year until old enough to be a CIT, then he did that.

Back woods sleepaway camp where he learned camping skills.

Sleepaway on the Chesapeake with more sailing

Yeah, my tween brought home bedbugs from her sleep away camp...and we've now spent a fortune in time and money getting rid of them. Good times.

I truly wish I hadn't read your post.

Anonymous wrote:OP, why doesn't she want to go to sleep away camp?

There are so many great opportunities and a chance to get away from the dirty city air.

My kid as a tween did

Sailing camp onThe potomac near National Airport

Sleepaway for 3 weeks every year until old enough to be a CIT, then he did that.

Back woods sleepaway camp where he learned camping skills.

Sleepaway on the Chesapeake with more sailing

Yeah, my tween brought home bedbugs from her sleep away camp...and we've now spent a fortune in time and money getting rid of them. Good times.

OP, why doesn't she want to go to sleep away camp?

There are so many great opportunities and a chance to get away from the dirty city air.

My kid as a tween did

Sailing camp onThe potomac near National Airport

Sleepaway for 3 weeks every year until old enough to be a CIT, then he did that.

Back woods sleepaway camp where he learned camping skills.

Sleepaway on the Chesapeake with more sailing

Anonymous wrote:Another vote for Teens to Go =- my 13 year old loves it.

He also goes away for sleep away camp, does Calleva and two weeks of sports camp for his sport.

(but it's been a few years since he would agree to go to a regular type day camp) Just start looking for some older looking options plus get other stuff done (tutoring if necessary, SSL hours, work, whatever)

When you all are talking about Teens to Go, are you meaning the private camp that goes to amusement parks and water/nature areas every day? The initial person who brought up Teens to Go seemed to be talking about a county program?

If you have experience with the private Teens to Go, can you tell me a little bit about how the logistics work, especially where safety is concerned?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She is too old for camp. Mine stays home by himself. He is 11. He has a phone to contact me. I prepare his food so he just has to heat it up. Most of the kids in the neighborhood are home by themselves too. No one does camp. They bounce around to each other’s houses. If I stay home one day, then I take them all out to local places like skyzone, movies, etc. the other parents/ older siblings do the same. In addition, we do two family vacations for a week long each

She's not too old for camp just because your son doesn't go to camp.

+100. Idiot PP’s oh-so-definitive statement made me laugh out loud.

My 11 year old told us this summer that he hates the generic day camps so this will be the last summer of that. He wants to do sports camps only so we’ll focus on that going forward.

Masturbate... Johnethan disappoints me 2-4 times a day with his harmful habit. *Nuzzles (sadly)*

I have a 10 y/o DS who has been fine with day camps this summer. One outdoorsy one, one sports one, one generic day camp in which the kids are in groups by age. He has liked some more than others but has no interest in sleep away camp and we only know 1 family doing that.

I can't imagine him being home all day every day next summer...especially bc I have a younger kid who would ask to do the same, and who has hated camp.

Middle school summer school. 2 weeks overnight (2 different camps) camp, swim team (casual, b team), tutor, day camp 3 weeks, basketball once a week, lots of time at the pool w friends, reads nightly, 1 week New England beach, long weekend eastern shore. Will see Hamilton. He’s very fortunate in my eyes. I wish we had relatives he could visit. We don’t.

Teen turned 13 this year and he no longer enjoys day camps unless they are sports related, even with those he's ended up outside all day long on some of these really hot days and he has told us he's done with summer camps. We have a few more sprinkled in this summer but next summer we will look into volunteering experiences instead. He doesn't like staying home for days on end by himself when we work so looking for ways to keep him busy not bored with down time sprinkled in.

Anonymous wrote:What about for tween or teen when don’t have money to pay for camps?

If you don't have money for camp, then you don't go. But if you do and want to go or parent's think it is best, then there are plenty of options around, just have to research and ask around.