Minnesota Parent asked Facebook fans, “Are you sending your child to camp this summer, and where?” Here’s what they had to say.
We plan to sign our two kids up for a week, maybe two, of YMCA day camp. We are also going to the [Minnesota Parent Camp] Fair at Como Zoo to see other ideas. — Lisa Thompson, Robbinsdale
Summer camps are great! My 9 year-old daughter will go to horseback riding camp and my 16 year-old son will go to basketball camp. It’s smart to fill long summer days with constructive activities! — Christine Lienke
Camp is something I definitely start thinking about right about now with my kiddos driving me crazy from being cooped up! Girl Scout or Y camps are definitely in their future, as are the Minneapolis Parks awesome programs — they’re cheap and accessible for younger kids.
I might also try to facilitate some kind of preschool camp on my own! With five young kids, it’s a challenge to be able to coordinate camp schedules, but I’m thinking that I’m
going to … possibly try to coordinate with other parents of preschool boys for my own “camp” experience for the four boys (4, 3 year-old twins and 1.5). Anything that entertains them and keeps me sane is awesome … especially if I don’t have to spend the
day driving and bucking/unbuckling! — Betsey Matas, Minneapolis
Camps are usually a huge part of my budget, as a single disabled mother. However, I try to find many camps that offer financial assistance. This summer we are doing two weeks of Camp Kota, through Bloomington’s Summer Spectrum. We always and will again this summer, do one week of Vacation Bible School, through our church, St. Micheal’s, in Bloomington. We are also going to try Minnesota Institute for Talented Youth — a two-week program. As an only child, filling his summer up with a variety of camps always keeps him busy and having fun! — Jill Tellor, Bloomington
My daughter goes to acting camp at the Chanhassen Dinner Theater each summer. — Jennifer
I plan to enroll my younger child in Camp Invention during early enrollment with the early bird discount and I am looking for a clay art camp/drawing camp for my older child. — Heidi Burns, Stillwater
Every year I sign my children up for a summer-long program called “Wild Within,” located in Ely, Minnesota, where we live. Wild Within is a Mon. through Fri. program that focus on a combination of wilderness skills such as shelter building, orienteering, and survival skills, as well as personal growth skills such as leadership, goal setting, and positive conflict resolution. My children have learned so many wonderful things such as spider and tree identification, canoeing, bog walking, etc. They do a nature hike every day and learn about the woods around them while they hike. It’s a terrific group of people who run this program and my children have participated for several years. They love it, and the people running the program, and look forward to it every summer. — Heidi Brandenburg Pierson, Ely
Yes, we usually sign our 11 year-old up for some type of day camp. Afton Alps had a great golf camp he enrolled in last year, and he will probably do that one again. Also he usually enjoys Science Museum of MN day camps, so he might sign up for one of those as well. He has also enjoyed the day camps from Minnesota Institute for Talented Youth, so depending on the classes offered and the weeks scheduled, he might be interested in that also. — Kathleen Taylor
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