HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT FIT FOR SUMMER CAMP
COURTESY OF METRO CREATIVE
Millions of adults have lots of great memories of summer camp. The right summer camp keeps kids engaged during a time of year when parents may be all too familiar with the phrase, “I’m bored.”
Finding the right summer camp can be challenging. A range of variables, including budget, availability and accessibility, must be considered before making a decision that’s right for each family. As summer camp season approaches, families can consider these tips to narrow down their options for prospective campers.
Involve children when narrowing down your options. Kids will be the ones spending time at camp, so it’s best to include them in the selection process. Camps cater to various interests, so kids who play musical instruments might get more out of a band camp than they might out of a sports camp. Some kids also might thrive on a more structured camp, while others may benefit from one that offers a range of activities each day and lets kids choose which ones they want to participate in.
Seek recommendations. Family members, friends and neighbors can be great resources when looking for a summer camp. That’s especially true for families who have never sent a child to camp before. Ask around about each camp you’re considering. Fellow parents may offer insight into the structure of the camp, its atmosphere, the attitude of staff members, and additional information that might be hard to glean from an open house.
Determine your budget. Budget is a notable variable, as some camps may cost thousands of dollars for a single session. If that’s beyond your budget, then you can narrow your focus to less expensive offerings or consider sending children for fewer weeks or even half days (when camps allow it). While it can seem as though all camps are budget busters, that’s not the case. Many local government recreation offices offer affordable summer camps. Local churches also may offer camp options that won’t stretch parents thin. The earlier parents begin exploring their options, the more likely they may be to find a camp that won’t break the bank.
Avoid making it all about cost. Safety should be parents’ foremost priority when choosing a summer camp. When exploring options, ask about staff and staff training. Are adults on staff, or is the camp predominantly staffed with local high school students on summer vacation? Even if a camp is staffed exclusively by adults, ask about the safety requirements necessary to be hired. That’s especially important at camps where kids will be swimming and engaging in other physical activities that can lead to accident or injury. Even free play outside in summer can be dangerous if temperatures rise and staff members are not trained to spot the signs of dehydration or heat exhaustion.
Millions create lasting memories at summer camp every year. Finding the right place for kids to spend the summer requires careful consideration of a host of variables.
JAM OUT THIS SUMMER AT MAINE FIDDLE CAMP
COURTESY OF MAINE FIDDLE CAMP
Maine Fiddle Camp is an outdoor Maine summer camp experience. Campers stay in rustic bunkhouse cabins without electricity or in their own tents or RVs. Youths stay in cabins but may stay in tents with their family if they wish. All campers have convenient access to bathrooms and hot showers.
Good music and good food are elegantly combined at camp. The wholesome meals and snacks are eaten outdoors under tents, and classes are also held mostly outdoors. Mornings are spent in classes, with campers grouped by ability for small group instruction. Afternoons offer time for special-interest workshops, to practice on your own or with a friend, or for non-musical fun such as swimming. In the evenings there are concerts, dances, coffeehouses, and variety shows featuring performances by both staff and campers, all under the big tent, as well as jams for various levels, and sometimes other activities. Spontaneous jams are apt to happen almost anywhere, at any time, as campers enjoy swapping tunes and sharing the music they are learning in their classes.
Musicians of all ages and ability levels are welcome at Maine Fiddle Camp. Children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult. A weekend or week at Maine Fiddle Camp makes a great family vacation. Rates are affordable — it’s twice the camp for half the price! Scholarships are available. Space is limited — early registration is encouraged. Tunes are taught by ear, in the traditional manner. Prior to each year’s first session, a new collection of tunes is posted on the website in both sound recording and sheet music formats and campers are encouraged to take advantage of this valuable resource year-round.
Maine Fiddle Camp focuses on the traditional dance music of the ScotsIrish, French, and Scandinavian traditions as they’ve evolved in Maine. Our large staff of traditional musicians play and teach fiddle, piano, guitar, banjo, mandolin, cello, bass, penny whistle/flute, mandolin, accordion, harmonica, vocals, and more, in workshops, performances, jams, song swaps, and dances.
THIS SUMMER CAMP IS UNLIKE ANY OTHER IN MAINE
CLASSIC CAMP FUN. REAL-WORLD CAREER EXPOSURE. AND A WEEK YOUR KID WILL NEVER FORGET.
COURTESY OF GREENLIGHT MAINE
There’s a particular kind of magic that only happens at summer camp — campfire conversations that stretch past bedtime, friendships that form in a single afternoon, and a feeling that something important just happened, even if nobody can quite explain what.
Greenlight Maine has always believed that feeling doesn’t have to stop at the treeline.
This July 12–17, Greenlight Maine Summer Camp offers kids ages 8–14 a week-long experience that delivers everything families love about traditional camp — plus something you won’t find anywhere else in Maine: genuine, hands-on exposure to the world of careers and entrepreneurship.
Kids will spend the week doing what kids do best — exploring, creating, and collaborating. But woven throughout is something quietly powerful. Real career paths. Real business thinking. And the early sparks of “I could do that someday.”
For parents, the timing couldn’t be better. The window between ages 8 and 14 is when kids begin forming their first real sense of what’s possible for them. An early, low-stakes encounter with the world of work — delivered in a fun setting by people who are genuinely passionate about Maine’s next generation — can quietly reframe how a child sees their own potential.
This isn’t a business boot camp. It’s summer camp, with a spark.
Greenlight Maine Summer Camp | July 12�17 | Ages 8�14
Parents have lots of options at their disposal when choosing summer camps for their children. Competition for summer camp can be fierce, as camps only have a limited number of openings, many of which fill up quickly once enrollment begins. So it’s in parents’ and kids’ best interest to identify their summer camp options early so they can be ready to pounce when enrollment begins.
Sports camps
Sports camps are wildly popular. Sports camps tend to specialize in one sport, like basketball, soccer or football, and may be overseen by a local high school coach and his staff. These camps are a great way for kids to have fun playing a sport they love, and also serve as a great opportunity for young athletes to learn the fundamentals of a given sport and fine-tune their existing skills or, in the case of less experienced children, develop new ones.
Outdoor-centric camps
Sometimes characterized as adventure camps or nature camps, these offerings tend to be centered around physical activities that bring children into direct contact with the great outdoors. Kayaking, rafting, zip-lining, hiking, and rock climbing are just some of the outdoors activities children may be introduced to over a typical summer at outdoorcentric camps. Some outdoor-centric camps also teach survival skills, and many pride themselves on preparing campers to take on leadership positions on outdoor excursions.
Arts camps
Arts camps may introduce children to activities like painting and drawing or performance arts like theater and dancing. These camps also cater to kids with ample experience in artistic pursuits, and some may specialize in a particular one. So arts camps can be great for both newcomers and more experienced children.
STEM camps
STEM camps incorporate activities that focus on science, technology, engineering, and math into each day’s offerings. Campers may be part of teams that design and build robots. Coding a website also may be a project campers take on at a STEM camp. Parents concerned that STEM camps keep kids indoors for much of the summer are urged to ask staffers how much time kids spend outside and away from screens while enrolled at the camp. Many STEM camps make a concerted effort to offer ample outdoors time, but it’s best to ask prior to enrolling a youngster in a STEM camp.
Religious camps
Religious camps are another popular option. These camps emphasize faith-based teachings and spiritual activities but also tend to incorporate more traditional camp experiences, like outdoor play and other pursuits, into their daily schedules. Religious camps may be offered to congregants and non-congregants alike, so parents can look around for religious camps even if their current house of worship does not host a camp of their own.
DISCOVER THE WONDERS OF NATURE
Let your child discover the wonders of nature at Maine Audubon’s Fields Pond Audubon Center Day Camp this summer! Each day offers a fresh opportunity to learn about wildlife and habitat in Maine. From exploring hidden trails and tracking wildlife to engaging in hands-on nature activities, campers will not only discover the beauty of the natural world but also unlock their own curiosity, creativity, and passion for conservation.
New this summer: campers will be grouped by age. Songbirds will be campers entering 1st-3rd grade and Raptors are campers entering 4th-6th grade. Every week, we dive into a new theme—from bird feats to the mysteries of water to the connection between nature and art. Campers will study aquatic life in the pond, investigate pollinators up close, and learn how to be a steward of these special wild places. We’ll spend lots of time outdoors, do hands-on science projects and creative art activities, and learn about wildlife and habitat from Maine Audubon’s experienced environmental educators.
But don’t just take our word for it! Here are some of our favorite comments from our camp families last summer:
“I loved being able to send my daughter to a camp where she had fun learning. It was way more than just childcare and it’s an experience she will never forget.”
“My children loved the hands-on learning, and being able to do the programs and projects.”
“You have such kind staff members and this is such a wonderful camp!”
Scholarships are available, and Maine Audubon members get discounts.There’s also easy parking/drop-off just seven minutes from downtown Bangor!
sign up at
COURTESY OF MAINE AUDUBON
PUZZLE TIME!
WHERE ARE THEY GOING?
