February 2008
Begin Planning Now for a Summer
Overnight Camping Experience
Overnight camp may be your child’s first taste of true independence. That’s why finding the right camp for your child is your best assurance that his or her first experience will be a positive one.
What is the right age to send a child to overnight camp? When I asked Chris Pierce, executive director of YMCA Camp Orkila, and Todd McKinlay, resident camp director of Hidden Valley Camp, both gave the same answer: It really depends on the child, but in most cases the 7- and 8-year-olds seem to be having the most fun at camp because children of that age are interested in almost everything offered.
It’s also never too late to start. Overnight camp offers school-age children the opportunity to forge new friendships, explore the outdoors and learn to be responsible for their own needs. Camp programs are tailored to the different interests and maturity levels of younger and older campers.
Most of the general-interest camps featured in this article offer residence (multiple overnight) options for first- through 12th-graders. Most offer specialty programs, such as horsemanship, marine biology or rock climbing, in addition to or within the general camp program.
HIDDEN VALLEY CAMP
Tucked up against the foothills of the Cascade Mountains is Hidden Valley Camp, an independent summer co-ed resident youth camp. It has been run by the same family since 1973, though the camp has been in existence since 1943.
Bob McKinlay, co-owner with wife, Nan, has more than 50 years’ experience working with youth campers, including 20 years with the YMCA. He works closely with family member Todd McKinlay, the resident camp director, whose qualifications are also outstanding.
With a commitment to a small-group emphasis, the camp touts a ratio of seven campers to one counselor. Todd McKinlay explains that this is how they can closely manage and pay attention to the kids, “…from their physical needs, like taking showers, to other kids and all aspects of their daily lives.”
The living groups, housed in large tents on raised platforms, travel together to activities, accompanied by the college-age counselor who lives with each group. With three long sessions ranging from 12 to 21 days, campers have the opportunity to do some serious bonding. More than 60 percent of Hidden Valley’s campers are return campers.
Hidden Valley Camp is located 45 miles northeast of Seattle, near Granite Falls. A permit with the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest provides access to fantastic hiking trails and overnight trips in the mountains.
A pond and water trail on Purdy Creek offers opportunities to kayak, canoe and fish. There is also a swimming pool. Twenty stalls accommodate the camp’s most popular activity – horseback riding.
Campers have meals in an open-air dining hall. Shelters
and lodges provide rainy day activity space along with the craft barn,
which has a theater in the upstairs loft.
Hidden Valley Camp is relatively small, with only 117 campers and 10 camper
leaders per session. Sessions are geared to campers 7 -16 years old, and
there is a camper leader program for 11th-and 12th-graders. Visit the
Web site www.hvc-wa.com
for more information. Call 425-844-8896 or e-mail hiddenvalleycamp@earthlink.net
for a brochure and application.
YMCA CAMPS
Camp Orkila
Generations have sent their young ones off to Camp Orkila on Orcas Island
in the San Juans. This 100-year-old camp is huge and packed with exciting
programs.
Executive Director Chris Pierce explains that the lifelong relationships
formed at camp are not just with friends. As the largest property owner
on Orcas Island with 280 acres facing President Channel and the Canadian
Golf Islands, Camp Orkila encourages a healthy relationship with the outdoors.
From horseback riding to open air bunkhouses on the beach, campers are
offered a vast buffet of outdoor activities.
Surrounded by water, Orkila’s campers can paddle, sail, row or even
cruise on the Kwahnice, a 44-passenger cruiser. If your little fish can’t
get enough swimming in the icy saltwater of the Puget Sound, the Junior
Olympic-sized outdoor pool should satisfy.
Orkila has kept pace with campers partial to wheels by erecting a premier BMX bike track. There are special sessions during the summer for BMX and skateboard camps, where a portion of the day is devoted to the dedicated sport and the balance of the time includes traditional camp activities.
Other specialty camps include horse-packing trips, marine biology and ultimate-Frisbee. Traditional Camp II, the program for grades seven to 10, challenges teens to take the next step in outdoor adventure and participate in climbing and overnight getaways.
If the words “adventure” and “challenge” cause your child to retreat, fear not. Camp Orkila’s philosophy is “challenge by choice.” Campers choose the degree to which they want to participate in any event.
Satellite Island, a 100-acre island owned exclusively by Camp Orkila, is the destination for overnight adventures and traditional primitive camping. Orkila also offers Twin Lakes, a 10-acre mountain camp at the base of Mt. Constitution, the tallest peak in the San Juan Islands.
The schedule for Camp Orkila is lengthy. Registration for 2008 has started. Register online at www.seattleymca.org (select “Youth” at top, then choose “Summer Resident Camp” from menu on the left) or call 206-382-5009 for an application and brochure.
Camp Colman
YMCA Camp Colman is located 90 miles south of Seattle on a forested peninsula
above Case Inlet. With 150 campers, it is approximately half the size
of its sister camp, Camp Orkila. Because of this, Camp Colman is sometimes
recommended as a good alternative for younger children or first-time campers.
There are plenty of activities for campers to enjoy on a smaller scale. Kids can take the giant slide into the saltwater lagoon, shallow enough for the sun to warm the ordinarily chilly Puget Sound waters. Overlooking the lagoon are tree-house style cabins, each with its own bathroom – another nice feature for new campers.
A day at Camp Colman might offer a ride on the 75-foot pendulum swing or a shot at the camp’s ropes course. But every night, as it has since 1912, will end with the same closing camp song, “Tell Me Why.”
For camp and registration information, see listing for Camp Orkila.
GIRL SCOUT CAMPS
With three residential summer camps in Western Washington, the Girl Scouts extend the opportunity to attend camp to any girl who wants to go. Membership in the Girl Scouts is not required. However, registration includes the cost of joining the Girl Scouts ($10) for those who aren’t already members.
Girl Scout camp is a good value – it is less expensive than most other camps while providing similar opportunities and activities in an all-girl setting. The Girl Scouts also offer scholarships, if needed. “We want every girl to have a chance to be a Girl Scout and to get a chance to go to camp,” says Dorothy Nelson, communications and marketing coordinator for the Girl Scouts of Western Washington Council.
Each of the three camps offer similar activities, including horseback riding, water sports and plenty of opportunities to enjoy nature through hiking and exploration. They also provide the chance for girls to learn valuable life skills, make new friends and develop new interests.
Camp River Ranch
Merely 45 minutes from Seattle in Carnation, Camp River Ranch’s
435 forested acres surround Lake Langlois and include a section of the
Tolt River on the north side. Campers’ accommodations include covered
wagons, open-air rustic cabins or A-frame structures. There is also a
horseback riding program.
Camp Robbinswold
Camp Robbinswold sits on the Olympic Peninsula, 10 miles north of Lilliwaup
on Hood Canal. The 431 acres include a freshwater lake and more than a
mile of saltwater beachfront. Campers stay in open-air rustic cabins.
The spectacular rotunda is a circular open-sided building used for campfires,
rainy day activities and folk dancing.
Camp St. Albans
Camp St. Albans is located on 411 acres near Belfair, 16 miles southwest
of Port Orchard. This camp offers yet another freshwater lake, Lake Devereaux.
Girls stay in open-air cabins and tents. The entire camp feels rustic,
in that the majority of the camp does not have electricity.
Specific program information and pricing was not available by the deadline for this story. Updated Web site information and brochures should be ready by Feb. 1, and registration will also begin at that time. Check out www.girlscoutsww.org (select “About us” from menu at top, then “Camp Properties” from menu at left) or call 1-800-541-9852, ext. 143.
CAMP FIRE USA CAMPS
While there are actually five Camp Fire USA overnight camps in Western Washington, I mention only the two closest to Seattle. Each of these camps is represented by a different chapter of Camp Fire USA, and they are run completely separately. Both camps offer programs of varying lengths for first through 12th grades.
Camp Killoqua
Camp Killoqua, near Stanwood, covers 185 acres of forest, wetlands and
waterfront. Campers live in cabins, tents or A-frames, depending on their
age and program. The activity schedules vary, as each cabin group is responsible
for determining its own preferences.
Sessions run between three and seven days. Within the regular
array of traditional camp activities, specialty programs like Dance Camp
invite campers to spend two hours of their day learning to swing dance
or do the Charleston followed by an evening dance with a DJ. There is
also a specialty horse camp program.
Register online or visit the Web site, www.campfireusasnohomish.org,
for applications and information or call 425-258-5437. Save $20 by registering
by April 16.
Camp Sealth
Register now if you are interested in this popular camp located on Vashon
Island. Camp begins with a festive boat ride on the chartered “Goodtime
II” from Fisherman’s terminal in Magnolia to Camp Sealth.
A mile and a half of beach and 400 acres provide ample room to host the long list of activities offered at Camp Sealth. Highlights include special focus sessions such as culinary arts and photography.
Programs range from four to 11 days. The membership fee to join the Central Puget Sound Camp Fire USA Council (required) is $20. Visit www.campfire-usa.org for dates and rates or to register online, or call 1-800-451-2267, ext. 247.
WARM BEACH CHRISTIAN CAMP
Warm Beach is a faith-based camp located near Stanwood. It offers a wide variety of general camp activities, but is especially popular for its horse camps.
In addition to traditional horsemanship, campers can learn horse science and team sorting, in which cows are separated by number out of the herd. Horse camp culminates with a horse show, attended by parents.
Equestrian vaulting camp, a unique sport that combines dance and gymnastics performed on the back of a horse, is held for one summer session only, June 29 - July 5. For the schedule and fees, visit www.warmbeach.com, e-mail registration@warmbeach.com or call 1-800-228-6724.
Gretchen Bear is a Seattle writer and mother of two.
Camps for Children with Special Needs Several of the camps listed above offer “inclusion programs” for children with mild to moderate developmental disabilities. Contact the inclusion coordinator for Camp Sealth at 206-463-3174, ext. 35. For Camp Killoqua, go to www.campfireusasnohomish.org (follow instructions to resident camp, then click on session descriptions to find inclusion programs). For an extensive list of camps indexed by medical need – such as diabetes or asthma – visit the Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center’s Center for Children with Special Needs Web site at www.cshcn.org (look for summer camps in the menu at the top). However, the 2008 directory will not be available until March. The site also lists information about potential assistance for travel to camp and camp fees. Stanley Stamm Summer Camp is for children with chronic medical conditions. This overnight camp is offered Aug. 17-22 for Children’s Hospital patients between the ages of 6 to14 who are unable to attend other camps. Continuous medical support makes this possible. For information call 206-987-CAMP or visit www.seattlechildrens.org (once at the site, do a search for Stanley Stamm camp). There are also camps available for children who have suffered the loss of a family member. These camps allow children to share a traditional camp environment with other children who have gone through a similar experience. Camp Killoqua offers “Camp Willie” June 22-27 for grades 2-12. Visit www.campfireusasnohomish.org/campwillie.htm. Camp Erin was started by Seattle
Mariner Jamie Moyer and his wife, Karen. Together with Providence
Hospice and Home Care, they have established a fund to support this
weekend-long bereavement camp for kids ages 6-17. Camp Erin is scheduled
for Aug. 22-24 at Camp River Ranch. Camp Erin is free, but requires
registration. Call 425-261-4738 or visit www.moyerfoundation.org/events/erin.aspx. |
| Finding the Right Camp for Your Child
Your child is already in school and you are considering a summer camp, but how to choose? The American Camp Association, the national association that accredits camps, provides the following advice to help parents sort through the choices and benefits. Is Your Child Ready for Camp? Children are ready for new experiences at different stages. Parents know their children best and these questions can help gauge whether this is the summer your child will start camp. · What is your child’s age? Children under 7 may not adjust easily to being away from home. Consider a day camp experience to prepare them for future overnight camp. · How did your child become interested in camp? Does your child talk about camp on a sustained basis? How much persuasion is necessary from you? · Has your child had positive overnight experiences away from home, visiting relatives or friends? Were these separations easy or difficult? · What does your child expect to do at camp? Learning about the camp experience ahead of time allows you to create positive expectations. · Are you able to share consistent and positive messages about camp? Your confidence in a positive experience will be contagious. Near or Far? The benefits of choosing a nearby camp include: There are also benefits to going to a camp farther
away: For How Long? Benefits of short sessions (one to three weeks) include: · Chances for first-time or younger campers
to learn new skills Benefits of longer sessions (four to 12 weeks) may include: · Strong sense of belonging to camp community Boys Only, Girls Only or Co-ed? Benefits of single-sex camps may include: · Breaking gender stereotypes – girls
interact with women in positions of authority and boys interact
with men who act as nurturers Depending on the staffing, co-ed camps could offer the same advantage of breaking gender stereotypes, and may also offer other benefits, including: · Mirroring and preparing campers for everyday
living in a co-ed world Traditional, Specialty or Special Needs? Choices abound when it comes to camp programs. One may highlight a wide variety of activities geared to campers of all ages and skill levels; others, because of their setting and expertise, may concentrate on one or two specialties while providing traditional activities as well. Parents of children with special needs may be pleased to learn about the range of camp activities that help kids be kids first. Benefits of traditional camps are: · A wide variety of activities A specialty camp may provide: · One or two specialized activities (often
combined with traditional offerings) Special needs camps offer: · Activities geared to campers’ abilities A Camp Resource for Families For nearly 100 years, the American Camp Association (ACA) has been serving the camp community and families considering camp, and enforces 300 safety and other standards at more than 2,400 accredited camps. Its family resource Web site, www.CampParents.org, provides expert advice from camp professionals on camp selection, readiness and child and youth development. The “Find A Camp” database can be searched by category, including special needs, special interest (such as academics, marine biology or sports), location, cost, length of sessions, gender or religious or cultural affiliation. After finding a camp, the ACA advises visiting the
camp, if possible, meeting with the camp director and asking questions,
including: This article was reprinted by permission of
the American Camp Association; copyright 2005 American Camping Association,
Inc. |
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