Summer camp can be the highlight of a kid’s year. Swimming, singalongs and making s’mores by a campfire. What could be better?
While some kids head to day camp, other kids spend weeks at a sleepover camp.
But not all kids get to go to camp. Some parents just don’t want their kids gone for so long. Other families just can’t afford camp.
Not campbound this summer? There still are plenty of ways you can have a camp experience with your siblings and friends.
That’s right. Do-it-yourself summer camp. “You don’t need anything — it’s really up to your imagination,” says Theresa Salus of the Girl Scouts of Chicago.
Have you seen crowds of kids lined up near your local park district field house? They’re probably part of summer day camp.
Day camp is different than sleepover camp. Kids usually arrive around 9 a.m. and leave around 3 p.m., although some camps offer an extended day program that starts earlier and ends later.
Nieka C., 10, of Chicago has been going to the same YMCA day camp for the past five years. She says the campers start their day at 7 a.m. with breakfast before moving on to indoor games and activities.
“Then, we go outside and do exercise, we play jump rope. I like to jump double Dutch; that’s my favorite thing,” Nieka says.
After outdoor play, Nieka says the group goes swimming three days a week. When they’re not in the pool, the campers garden and go on hikes. At some camps, kids go on weekly field trips, to the zoo or water parks.
After all the activities are done, the campers have quiet time. Jharvae M., 9, of Chicago says he uses that time to read.
Day camp is all about keeping busy, whether it’s with books or games. Jharvae says kids who want to have their own day camp at home shouldn’t just lounge around and do nothing. “Don’t play video games,” he advises.
Instead of taking out the GameBoy, Nieka says kids can make their camp by following the same structure as a real day camp. She says she does this on weekends when she’s misses camp. “It’s boring in the house — but when we’re at camp, it’s fun. We do activities and things,” she says.
Kids can start their DIY day camp with breakfast. After you eat, bring your siblings and friends into the back yard for games and contests. Jharvae says his camp has competitions; last year he ran a race and won.
Day camp doesn’t have to be an outdoor thing — Nieka says she often works on her cursive handwriting. “I’m going into 5th grade and it’s time to practice it,” she says.
Want to broaden your camp experience? Try re-creating a sleepaway camp at home.
For the last seven years, Catherine S., 14, of Chicago has spent a week at a Girl Scout camp in Wisconsin, where she slept in a cabin and swam in a lake. Catherine says overnight camp keeps kids a lot busier than day camp. “They have to keep you occupied the full time,” she says.
Last summer, Catherine also went to a day camp at the John G. Shedd Aquarium for a week. This summer, she’s heading to Sea World and Busch Gardens for a two-week sleepover camp where she’ll learn about animals. “I really like animals, and I’ve always been interested in marine life,” she says.
Her camp this year is all about animal education, but Catherine says most sleepover camps are for fun and games. She says kids can do a lot of the same camp activities at home.
One easy thing kids can do is to make “puppy chow,” a favorite camp snack. “It’s Corn Chex cereal with melted chocolate, peanut butter and powdered sugar all mixed together,” Catherine says.
Besides making cool snacks, most overnight campers explore woods and spend much of their time outdoors. Kids at home also can have a nature experience, even in the middle of the city. “You can get out in your community park and hike around,” Salus says.
Kids at sleepover camp also swim in lakes or pools. Salus says kids can round up their friends and walk to the local pool, or get together at the house of a friend with a pool. Once you’re done swimming, she recommends doing arts and crafts, a common camp activity.
“Look around your house and see what’s in your recycling bin and what you could do with it,” Salus says. “Decorate an old bottle to be a vase.”
And if it’s raining, Salus says kids can perform plays with their friends. Campers often act out skits and have to use their imagination — not props or costumes — to tell a story. Kids should “forget you live at home” when coming up with skits and rely on your imagination.
Have some camp-style fun in your back yard
No DVDs, no video games and no back-to-back episodes of “That’s So Raven.” When kids go to camp, it’s a different type of entertainment. Campers keep busy with sports, crafts and activities. Want to have camp-style fun at home? Here are four real camp activities:
Nature hike: Head to your local park and walk among the flowers and bugs. Or take a field trip to Garfield Park Conservatory (300 N. Central Park Ave.) or Lincoln Park Conservatory (2391 N. Stockton Drive). Both places are free, open every day and filled with exotic plants.
S’mores: Building a bonfire is off-limits, but you can still have s’mores. First, ask a grown-up for help, says Theresa Salus of the Girl Scouts of Chicago. Have the adult toast a marshmallow over the family grill. Once the marshmallow is toasted, squish it between a graham cracker and a chocolate bar.
Crafts: Get a friend and make each other bracelets. “Friendship bracelets are always a big thing we do at camp,” Salus says. All kids need is string or yarn to braid tightly into a bracelet.
Singalongs: Salus says singing is big with campers, “whether it’s around a campfire or in a group.” Many camps have their own special songs. Some are silly, some are sentimental. Kids at home also can write their own camp songs to sing.
