Minnesota Parent Camp & Programs Guide 2022

GUIDE

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Camp & Programs

Our best-laid plans.

Welcome to the long lazy days of summer!

A bit early you say? Not according to the American Camp Association, which recommends beginning your camp research the fall before. But let's be real, not too many parents do that!

Not so lazy, but definitely long, you say? Man, we hear you. Planning for summer vacations is one of the great challenges of modern parenting.

A friend of mine worked hard last year to piece together a summer schedule for her kindergartner that covered all ten weeks of vacation, exposed her to a variety of activities, and, most importantly, didn't break the bank. It was a master juggling act, accommodating her husband's and her own work and travel schedules, as well as her older son's activities. She and her family miraculously kept all those balls in the air - until one Monday morning in August when she and her daughter pulled up at the day camp. And it was empty. Wrong week!

She can laugh now, but her daughter certainly wasn't laughing at the time. I'll have to ask her what the two of them did for the rest of the day. I bet I know what her reaction was: "Sorry, kiddo, no science camp for you today. No art camp or nature camp, either. You and Mom are going to get some ice cream. Then we're going to the park.

You will find some fantastic ideas for summer activities in the guide, plus links to our online Camp Guide - and we hope somewhere in the midst of them all an extra day or two with your kids will fall into your lap.

-T

SENDING them off with

CONFIDENCE Helping your child make the most of summer camp +Talk about all the exciting things she will do and the friends starts before she even packs her bags. The Girl Scout she will meet. This will help her look forward to camp and to Council of Greater Minneapolis offers these tips: expect fun.

BEFORE CAMP, DO: +Involve her in making decisions about camp. This encourages +Tell your child you expect she will be successful. This her autonomy. builds her self-confidence.

DURING CAMP, DO: +Send her upbeat letters that ask about what she is doing at camp. Focus on her success and the opportunities at camp +Send her a care package. This is the ultimate treat! Include magazines, games, sunglasses, and joke books. Don't send food; it's likely to invite mice or raccoons into her belongings.

DURING CAMP, DO NOT: -Send her letters telling her how much you miss her or reporting bad news. Try not to worry or upset her. It is also normal for family members to deeply miss their camper. If you are concerned about your camper, contact the camp director or assistant camp director to discuss how your child is doing.

-Worry if she sends you a sad letter early in the week. It is common for campers to write very lonely letters to their parents on the first night at camp before they've had time to make friends. In most cases, girls have settled into the camp routine and are having a wonderful time by the time parents receive these heartwrenching letters. If you are concerned that something is abnormal or wrong, call the camp director and ask her to check on your daughter.

Sending them off with confidence...cont. +Let her pack her own suitcase. This will ensure she is prepared and will make her feel confident about her readiness. +Tell her you will write to her. This will reassure her that you will be thinking about her when she is gone. +Say goodbye cheerfully. She will feel more confident and relaxed.

BEFORE CAMP, DO NOT: -Dwell on the topic of homesickness. This may make her anticipate unhappiness. Homesickness happens to campers of all ages. Even the most experienced camper can become homesick during her stay at camp.

-Make her promise to have a good time or to write to you. This may put undue pressure on her. Girls that are really busy having fun may not have time for writing.

-Tell her how much you will miss her. She needs to feel like you want her to have this experience. Free her to enjoy herself.

-Tell her you will come pick her up if she has any problems. This can diminish her confidence that she will succeed in spending time away from home and that she is capable in solving her own problems.

-Tell her she can call you. This may be against camp policy and will make her more upset if she is unable to do so.

Find the Girl Scout Council of Greater Minneapolis online at girlscoutsmpls.org.

Great GEAR for the great

OUTDOORS Leave the phone and the tablet at home. Pack this great outdoor gear instead.

OFF! FAMILY CARE INSECT REPELLENT Not only does this repellent have the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended level of DEET for children (7 percent) it's sweat-resistant, waterproof, and has Aloe Vera to protect skin from sun exposure as well.

Collapsible, Foldable & Portable Water Bottle 20oz BPA Free This big bottle collapses down to just a few inches. Perfect for camping, climbing, and sports.

It's durable and leakproof they are made of rugged modern silicone material and features a tight-fitting lid with a sip spout for added convenience. Perfect use for all needs while away at camp!

GearLight LED Head Lamp with Adjustable Headband Headlamps have one giant advantage over regular flashlights: hands-free movement. This water-resistant model won't short out if out in the elements and boast 10 hours of light. The head straps fit snugly and the light tilts to shine brightly on camp fires, trails, and tents.

Great GEAR for the great

OUTDOORS

cont.

oaskys Camping Bag Curling up snuggly in a beloved sleeping bag can help ward off homesickness. A soft nylon taffeta shell keeps the warmth inside the bag, and an outer bag holds all the essentials of camp close at hand. The bag can also unzip to work as a blanket and comes with its own stuff sack. Best of all: it comes in 13 colors.

Wildlife Lined Journal These pocket-sized journals are just right for both first-time and veteran campers who want to record all the experiences of their summer away from home. Tough and durable, these notebooks thrive in back pockets, backpacks, and damp tents! Plus, they come in a variety of colors and animal options. Adorable!

Champion Manuscript Backpack These packs are ideal for short day trips and hold all the essentials in a variety of easy-toaccess compartments.

Kids can stash gear with quick grab pulls, use side compression straps to pack close to the body, ad enjoy easy movement with padded back panel cushioning - this could be one of the most important pieces of gear for campers on the move.

Container Grid Tote Packing toiletries in Ziploc bags for transport is smart; walking to the showers carrying a wad of plastic bags is not. We found this container on Amazon. It is a convenient plastic caddy that will hold all the bathroom basics required for cleaning up after a long, hard day of summer play.

Caddies come in colors that both boys and girls will approve of!

Check out our website for our full Summer Camp Directory.

Edina/Minneapolis Code Ninjas Kids STEM Coding Center https://www.codeninjas.com/mn-edina

612-324-7836 edinamn@codeninjas.com Prior Lake/Savage Code Ninjas Kids STEM Coding Center https://www.codeninjas.com/mn-prior-lake 612-324-4263 priorlakemn@codeninjas.com Code Ninjas Kids STEM Coding Centers teaches kids ages 515 how to code through a game based and robotics curriculum. Our flexible, year-round program is offered daily after school, and on weekends where kids can be dropped off for 1 or 2 hour learning sessions. Here in a FUN safe and inspiring environment, they’ll learn to code, build and play their very own video games with the help from our awesome Code Senseis. Problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration, perseverance, improved math, logic and reading are just a few of the skills kids gain working through our proprietary 9belt coding curriculum. Turn that screentime into something productive and see your child’s confidence soar as they complete each belt in a quest to Black Belt! Kids have FUN, parent see results!

Summer, Winter, Spring Break and Non-School Day Camps are also offered along with Parent Night Out Events, Friday & Saturday Evenings, Clubs like Dungeons and Dragons, Rocket League, Epic Gamers, along with Birthday Parties, Boy and Girl Scouting Events, School Fundraisers and more are just part of the additional FUN that can be found at our Code Ninjas Kids STEM Coding Centers!

Summer Camps ages 5-15 are Full-Week Camps, both Half-Day and Full-Day options with available lunch packages. Upcoming camps for ages 7-15 include Modding with Minecraft, Moviemaking with Minecraft, Intro to Roblox Development, Robotics with LEGO, Composing with Code, 3D Design & Print, Code your Own Arcade, Become a YouTuber, Inventors with Makey Makey, Code Your Own Robot in Minecraft, Next Level Roblox Development, Program and Play in Python and more! Juniors ages 5-7 camps include JR Adventures in Game Design, JR STEM Discoveries, JR Inventors and more!

www.avid4.com/

More and more parents are joining their kids at camp.

together!

Remember your favorite campfire songs? It's time to dust those off and get ready to sing them again - with your kids. Rather than packing the kids off for a week or two, more Minnesotans are choosing to go to camp together.

Canoeing on a placid lake, the silence punctuated only by the sequels of city kids spotting their first loon. S'mores and singing around the campfire. Arts and crafts (both with and without Popsicle sticks). Testing what you're made of on a 55-foot climbing wall. If these sound like typical kids' camp activities, you're half right. But if this sounds like way too much fun to reserve for kids only, join the crowd. Every year, more parents decide to make going to camp a family experience.

"It's like going to an all-inclusive resort, with more rustic accommodations," says one parent who went to camp with her kids for the first time last year and is already registered again for this summer.

You can learn a foreign language, spend a night in the wilderness, learn about bird migration, race your tween across the lake ... or just compete for the last piece of the pie. If you like the idea of camp, your hardest decision might be narrowing down the good choices to the best one for your family.

Why choose family camp?

Before you leap...

Some parents opt for family camp as a way of Along with the normal questions about activities, rates, checking out a facility before sending a child alone. and accreditations, you'll want to find out: Others go to camp with their children because the kids Are meals included? They aren't always; at Camp du are too young to go off to camp by themselves. But Nord, for example, there are a variety of meal plans. most parents cite the togetherness factor as their main Is there time alone for parents? It varies. "We're reason for choosing a family camp, says the camp pretty adamant: when the children's doing director of Camp Lake Hubert for Girls, a traditional something, they have to be with at least one parent," camp 10 miles north of Brainerd, which runs one week says one Camp Director. The opposite is true at of family camp every August. "What's most important to Camp Thunderbird, which even has babysitters parents is the connection they make with their available. children," they say.

Is a cabin a cabin? No. There are "sleeping cabins" Sometimes it's the "spaces in togetherness" that and "tents on platforms" and "fun facilities" and enhance family time. According to Carol Sigoloff, former probably a few other variations on the theme. Some co-owner and co-director with her husband Allen of have full indoor plumbing; others will require you to Camp Thunderbird, a traditional camp in Bemidji. "The hike a ways to use the outhouse or take a shower. community tone is wonderful, and everyone in the Make sure you understand what you're signing up family can do their own thing with supervision for the for. kids. We have a daycare-type program for the little Who's sleeping in my cabin? Sometimes it's just your ones; their parents can drop them off and do their own family...and sometimes it may be as many people things." that can fit in the cabin. Some families love getting to David and Laurie Allen of Blaine whose family includes know others; for more private types, that can be a 5-year -old twins and a 7- and 9-year-old, have spent drawback. many summers at YMCA Camp du Nord, just outside If you have younger kids and are wondering if they're the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. ready for family camp, you might want to get them "It's extraordinary," says David Allen. His family likes started while they still think hanging with Mom and/or the combination of togetherness and adult-only time du Dad is cool. "Our heaviest concentration of families is Nord offers. "Family camp offers so much. It gives us those with children ages 5 through 14," says du Nord's some vacation time alone with Laurie and I, as well as director. "There's kind of a bell curve that falls off when family time together. Other vacations wouldn't offer that they are older." But just wait...someday they'll probably or the range of activities," Allen says their kids love the be parents, and you may just get to go to camp with counselors and kids-only activities. The Allens were both them again. "There's a trend toward grandparents active in the YMCA during high school and college. They coming to family camp," they said. heard about du Nord from a friend and have committed to it ever since. "I imagine we'll keep coming back as long as we all want to," he said.

A not -so-new trend Camp Lake Hubert's camp director adds that the all"Family camps are more and more in demand," says in-one aspect of camp provides respite for busy families Martin Graefe, director of year-round programming for used to running from place to place and don't worry Concordia Language Villages. Concordia, which has an about schedules." international reputation for excellence in language immersion, has been around since 1967, and offered its first family week, in Finnish over 10 years ago. Today, Family camp offers so much. It gives us Concordia offers ten different languages at family some vacation time alone with Laurie camps throughout the summer, as well as family fun and I, as well as family time together. weekends in the fall, winter, and spring. Its family other vacations wouldn't offer that or the programs are offered at its location near Bemidji. range of activities.

Camping professionals agree: "We are seeing more -David Allen, father and camps offering the family camp option," according to the Northland Chapter of the American Camping Camp du Nord camper Association (ACA), a trade association camp professionals. ACA accredits more than 2,400 camps nationwide. Camps meet a variety of health, safety, and programming requirements in order to carry the ACA stamp of approval. There are over 90 ACA-accredited camps in Minnesota; over 30 of them offer some sort of family camp experience. "Camps sometimes start by offering (family camp) one week or even a weekend," they say.

Although ACA approval is considered the gold standard for camps, it's important to note that it is not the only method of ensuring a quality camp experience.

ACA membership is strictly voluntary, and some nonACA camps may meet or exceed ACA standards.

cont...

It is interesting to note the trend of families wanting to stay in cabins. In the earlier years of our camp, we had families roughing it, wanting to get back to nature. Now we have demand of (accommodations with) full facilities.

Camp du Nord is unique in that it offers only family camp. They are one of six YMCA family camps in the country. They have been around since 1961. Camp du Nord is a traditional camp with optional wilderness features.

Because of du Nord's longevity, they are in a good position to monitor trends and the trend for family camp is growing. They continue to see a trend towards family camp each and every year and love seeing families return every summer for a chance to get away with each other.

Camp is Camp If you'd like to dip your toe into family camp, there is a wealth of options to choose from. Just about the only thing you can't find are plush, resort-style lodging. Camp is camp. That doesn't always jibe with parents - or kids - who want all the conveniences of home, but in the North woods. "Some families want the plush resort," noted Jones, "We offer nice cabins with three families per cabin, and each family has its own sleeping room."

It's interesting to note the trend of families wanting to stay in cabins," says the camp director. "In earlier years of du Nord, we had more families roughing it, wanting to get back to nature. Now we have a demand for (accommodations with) full facilities." Du Nord offers a wide range of accommodations, from bring-your-own tent to cabins with showers, and

and everything in between. For some families, the idea of roughing it is a deal-breaker, they said. "When people call to sign up, the first (accommodations) to go are full facilities. If they can't get that, they work their way down...or say, 'oh, that's too bad' (and don't come)."

Camp doesn't always have to be a week or two long for there to be plenty of time for fun, discovered the Juliene and Lachlan Dunlop family of Mendota Heights. Schedules made a longer family vacation impossible, Julienne said. What did work was a threeday Family Fun weekend offered by Concordia Langauge Village. When the Dunlops sign up, Lachan went along to be a good sport; he had no experience speaking French and wasn't sure he'd like it. Julienne, on the other hand, used to teach the language, and their two children, now 13 and 11, had studied the language, too. To everyone's surprise, Lachlan had as much fun as the rest of the family. Julienne attributes the program's success to "their ability to make it fun for everyone" and to using language breakout sessions to teach by level, from beginner to expert speaker. And if the proof's in the pudding, the Dunlops are having seconds: they'll be back at another Family Fun weekend this winter.

Whether you want time together or time alone, you can find it at family camp.

Find the: heart starfish ball popsicle hat shell ice cream sun sandcastle

newsflash:

CAMP IS GOOD FOR KIDS

Life lessons are learned relatively quickly at camp. In many ways, summer camp is a microcosm of the outside world, or a fast-motion take on the relationships and changes kids face year-round.

Even from a developmental standpoint, experts recognize summer camp as an amazing place.

Kids and parents needn't worry. The fun is still there. So are the lakes, the friends, the food, the games, and the unforgettable first summer crush.

However, camps today are more and more committed to creating experiences that help kids develop confidence, social skills, and leadership.

To see how this is working, the Search Institute, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit research organization, teamed up with the American Camp Association (ACA). The two conducted the largest study of camper outcomes ever in the United States, with more than 5,000 families and 80 camps participating.

The results show something that parents have always suspected: Camp is good for kids.

Dr. Scales, a developmental psychologist and senior fellow at the Search Institute, has a 25+ year relationship with the ACA and was part of the advisory committee directing the research. He calls accredited camps "a social institution that is working" and says camps are changing to reflect new and ongoing research in child development.

According to Scales, schools are often too enmeshed in political pulling and pushing among federal, state, and local bodies to serve kids the way camps can. Schools also overemphasize individual work, he says, and kids from ages 7 to 15 really need team experiences, which promote closer connections among kids, teach cooperation, and prepare them for the future wherein they will have to work with teams. Good schools recognize the importance of teams, so they're often structured more like camps, says Scales.

Most importantly, camps build a positive identity.

"It doesn't change willy-nilly overnight," says Scales.

Some kids take a long, long time to change, but trying new things and having an experience while doing it changes the way kids see themselves.

At camp, there's often a social and developmental safety net that lets kids do that.

Scales points to many more camp benefits: A child who doesn't think of herself as athletic or strong can claim a rock wall, conquer an obstacle course, and learn to swim or dive.

She can be part of a team and contribute in competition.

Through interaction with other kids, children develop social skills. In their new surroundings, kids learn self-reliance and independence, discovering skills they didn't know they had.

And, they can have fun doing it.

Camp is good for you

The ACA/Search Institute study showed that camps help children: become more confident and experience increased self-esteem; develop more social skills that help them make new friends; grow more independent and show more leadership qualities; become more adventurous and willing to try new things; and realize spiritual growth, especially at camps that emphasize spirituality.

We cannot wait to see your students for the Lyric Arts’ 2022 Summer Camp Season!

it right PACK

TIPS ON PACKING AND GEAR

Clothing

Plan ahead: Think about how long you'll be living out of a backpack, duffel bag, suitcase, or trunk Follow the rules: Review the packing list provided by your camp Label everything: Use laundry pens, as well as iron-on or sew-in labels Avoid sore feet: Break in shoes and boots before camp begins

T-shirts/tank tops Shorts Long pants Jeans Jacket Raincoat Sweater Sweatshirt/sweatpants Swimsuit Dress clothes (check with camp) Pajamas and robe Underwear

Headgear

Footwear

Baseball cap Sunhat Scarf Bandanna Eyeglasses or contact lenses Sunglasses Swimming Goggles

Boots Tennis shoes Sandals/flip-flops Dress shoes (check with camp) Socks

Bed and Bath Towels Sheet Pillow Sleeping bag Laundry bag

Bathroom Kit Brush & Comb Shampoo Bar soap (in a case) Toothbrush (in a case) Toothpaste Deodorant Insect Repellent Sunscreen Lip balm Shaving gear Feminine products

Gear Books and magazines Flashlight and batteries Frisbee Water bottle Writing paper/journal Check with camp on policies for electronics, musical instruments, sports equipment, and special gear.

List courtesy of the American Camp Association, ACACamps.org

summer Camp DIRECTORY ONLINE