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Mudda, Hello Fadda, Many of us have both good and bad memories of going away to summer camp. Like the kid at Camp Granada, we started out homesick but ended up having a great time. Boy Scout Camp, Girl Scout Camp, YMCA Camp, the experiences were similar. Some of us didn’t have the pleasure of an overnight stay, but there were all sorts of local day camps run by churches, schools and municipalities that brought us day campers a little taste of the camping experience.
Some of the counselors were teens and for those of us without older siblings it was one of the only times we got to hang out with these “almost adults.” There was always one or two we had crushes on and a few whom we feared. Breaking the rules, whether it was sneaking over to the boys’ or girls’ tents, sneaking food or sneaking into town, was part of the overall experience. Camp Memories
We came back with songs and stories, but best of all, we came back with new friends. Many boomers today wish for the same experiences for their kids and there are lots of camps to chose from. Nowadays, there are more themed camps with specific curriculum devoted to the arts, music, sports or hobbies, religions or academics. Still, there are plenty of just plain fun camps from which to chose as well. — Betty |
Here are a few sites that feature kids camps: The American Camp Association site is a great place to start. Off to Camp, a book with a site by the same name, offers great tips for choosing a camp and preparing your child for the experience. Summer Camps.com has a good selection organized by type (day, overnight, travel) and theme (art, music, academic). Kids Camps.com has much the same organization of camps as Summer Camps. Camp Page features camps organized by boys, girls and coed and offers several wilderness and adventure teen camps. And a book on the history of summer camping: The University of Minnesota recently published a history of summer camps in America called A Manufactured Wilderness: Summer Camps and the Shaping of American Youth, 1890-1960, by Abigail A. Van Slyck
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For
overnight campers, accommodations were usually cabins, although
some roughed it with tents. Gathering all the camp gear and clothing
was fun, even if having your mother sew your name in your underwear
wasn’t exactly dignified. Activities started at what seemed
to be the crack of dawn and went on well into the evening and
included hiking, swimming, archery, horseback riding, crafts and
a variety of games.
We
brought back memories and lots and lots of craft items. Woven
potholders, little leather money pouches sewn together with leather
or plastic thread, woven plastic thread key chains, and necklaces
strung of plastic pony beads…these were some of our camp
mementos.