A reader question:
What are the best Maine summer camps for children?
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Pine Island, Kieve and Chewonki are ones to consider. Somerset for girls only if that's the preference.
ReplyDeleteEnlist. Boot camp is free!
ReplyDeleteMy Uncle Buck really got cheated. He was in the Navy only two weeks before being sent to the Pacific. Why, a farmboy can scarcely learn to brush his teeth and salute in that span of time. They should have given him a voucher or something. I've always believed he settled in Illinois after the war so he could be as close to the Great Lakes boot camp as possible.
DeleteHurricane Island…tough but enriching (Outward Bound)
ReplyDeleteI used to love Tellatonda Mountain. We'd play softball games against other camps, and everybody would sing our fight song, "Go, Tellatonda Mountain!"
ReplyDeleteI went to Camp Wyanoke in New Hampshire. We would ask "why an oak?"
DeleteI'm a former attendee at a coed camp in New Hampshire and trip counselor at a camp in the Adirondacks. If it works for kids, I strongly endorse it. A few basic decisions - 3 1/2 weeks or 7, single-gender vs. coed, are worth thinking about. Also, if your child thrives doing certain activities, whether it's sports, music/theater, arts, water activities like sailing, skiing, canoeing or kayaking, trekking in the woods, or something else, choose a place where they have good options that play to their strengths and preferences.
ReplyDeleteIt's worth a trip to do a little 'shopping,' visit a few places to get an idea of what day-to-day looks like there. Good camps are happy to oblige and may look for days that aren't big all-camp activities that could limit the directors' ability to spend a little time with you and your child(ren). Call ahead to figure out good days to visit.
Our son went to Caribou, an all-boys camp in Winslow, near Waterville. They offer a lot, but sports is a significant focus, which suited our son well. He had a great experience there. The same family has owned/operated the camp for a long time, transitioned the daily responsibilities to their children, particularly one of the daughters and her husband (former program director) a couple of years ago. Very well-run. He made some lifelong friends; he's 25 and still keeps in touch with some of the now-young men he met there.
Our two daughters went to Fernwood Cove - all-girls, in Harrison, which is a little north of Sebago and Long Lake. Fernwood Cove has two sessions, like most camps, except the kids only do one session or the other, not both. The 3 1/2 week model worked better for them and for us because it made family vacations easier, and because they wanted to spend more time on particular activities, like swim team at our local pool or week-long soccer camps. They had great summers there. Both connected with former camp friends at U of Michigan.
Final observation: overnight summer camp isn't for everyone. My spouse tried but just didn't enjoy them. Some children prefer being closer to home or have such a strong affinity for certain things that they do better immersing themselves in that...and most Maine summer camps offer a somewhat more general experience - they all learn to swim, experience the outdoors, and do some arts or arts-related things.
Suggest the reader visit Maine Camp Experience (dot com). I started researching camps when we brought our daughter home from the hospital and right now she is spending her fifth summer at a fantastic camp in Maine.
ReplyDeleteMy advice is that it is not enough to take a simple recommendation from another parent. Parents need to do a lot of research - visit all the websites (they tell you a lot!), speak with the directors, figure out your questions and ask them, show up at the off-season slide shows. Especially if they are new to summer camps in general, parents need to consider what they are looking for, and what would be best for their child. There are different types of camps - single sex, coed, sport-oriented (especially within boys camps), more rustic, less rustic, use a uniform, do not use a uniform. Personally, I wanted a camp that was girls only, had a uniform, and was primarily rustic. Others want something else.
Lastly, there are great camps in many places all over the country. Personally, I wanted a camp in Maine, New Hampshire, or Vermont, and there are plenty to choose from. But please don't limit yourself to thinking only Maine has great camps.
Enjoy the process and good luck!
wearing uniform clothing and making electric hairdryers, flatirons etc. unavailable by having no electricity in the bunks was a positive part of the experience for our daughters.
DeleteI can't speak to what it's like now, but my time at Camp Kieve was among the most formative and enjoyable in my entire life. I learned the true meaning of team-work, how to get along with a group and a profound respect for nature and other people. Plus we had extreme amounts of fun.
ReplyDeleteI loved my summers at Wyonegonic in Denmark, ME - oldest girls camp in the country.
ReplyDeleteSo many wonderful choices!
ReplyDelete