| Author | Message | ||
     Shelley |
I'm looking for a summer camp for my 6 year old. Any recommendations? We just moved here in September so weren't around last summer. Thanks! | ||
| Franny |
You can sign up for the town camp in March - get there early as in 3:00am for the line. You an probably still get a space in the YMCA camp - we went there year before last and thought it was so-so. Call Kent place or Oak Knoll for a nice day camp - they might be full already though. If you want the "big" camp experience try Harbor Hills, etc. Those are the camps that pick up the kids by bus in the morning and they're gone until 5:00 - as my son says "just like in the 'Parent Trap'". | ||
| Cody |
Camp Riverbend in Warren Twnshp is very nice - my children have enjoyed it for years. It's off of 78, just past Berkeley Heights. They also pick up with buses and have a very full program. Also have a week-day travel program for 7th - 9th graders, where they travel M-F on trips of varying durations, but are home on weekends. You can do 3 week, 4 week or 7 week sessions. They close out early, though. | ||
| Sac |
For girls, contact the local Girl Scout Council office in Montclair (746-8200) for a brochure with camp information about The Oval daycamp in the South Mountain reservation (in Maplewood). It runs for 6 weeks in one and two week sessions starting July 9th. There was also at least one other discussion thread recently about summer camps so you should probably search the archives. | ||
| Tip |
Sac, Have you or anyone else used this camp at the Oval? Just wondering if anyone could provide any feedback on what they thought of it. My daughter has done the Town camp. Last year I got to sign up at 4:45 and almost didn't get her a spot! Thought i might give something else a try this year. Although, the price for the town camp is only $150.00 for 4 weeks. | ||
| Sac |
Yes, my 9-year old attended the Oval during two summers when she was younger and enjoyed it. She then turned her attention to sleepaway camps, but actually plans to return one session this summer in between a couple of other camps. Her younger sister (about to turn 6) is planning to join her for the first time this year. Compared to Kids' Kamp, which is an amazing bargain, The Oval is more expensive ($120 - $135 per week), but it is a full day program including bus transportation and is still a good deal compared to most other daycamps in the area. | ||
| Deborahg |
I have a daughter who will be six as well this summer...anyone know about the JCC camps? Or have any other suggestions? I would like aJewish camp if there's a good one. Thanks! | ||
| 3mom |
Can anyone supply more specifics about the Town Camp -- like age range, activities, hours each day, and most important, when exactly you have to get up in the middle of the night to sign up? Thanks! | ||
| Sac |
Kids Kamp is run through the Maplewood Rec Department, so you could give them a call to get the full scoop. The age range is 5-9 (at least that was the case last year.) When I inquired about signup dates, I was told that the designated registration Saturday for Session I (first four weeks of summer, starting June 25) is April 14th and the Session II signup (next four weeks) is April 21st. I don't know whether they may reconsider that, however, since April 21st is during Spring break and many families may be unavailable to sign up then. If I remember correctly from last summer, the hours were 8:45 - 1:30 or something like that. Camp starts and ends each day at Maplewood Middle School, which is also the rainy day location, but they move to various locations in Memorial Park for most of the activities. They have swimming at the Maplewood Country Club several of the mornings for the first hour or so. There are many choices of activities during the remaining time as well as some special events once or twice a session. The time to get up to be sure you're in line in time for registration seems to get earlier each year. Last year I think that everyone who was there by 5AM or so got in, but obviously that depends on what other parents do. There is also a "preteen" camp, held at Seth Boyden, I think, which starts at age 9. I hear that camp is not as competitive for registration, but I don't know much more about it. | ||
| Pnp |
If you decide to sign up for the town camp make sure you get to registration by, the latest, 5 a.m. to get on line. | ||
| Lah |
Has anyone actually used the town camp? I was considering it last year, but when I called the Township, they explained it as 120 kids with 10 counselors (not bad so far), but that children were not assigned to specific counselors. I was also informed that they spent most of their day in the open area in Memorial Park. It kind of sounded like survival of the fittest (maybe a kids' survivor??) I had visions of my son running off with his playmates to who-knows-where. At any rate, I was sufficiently scared for my then 5 year old that I did not get up at 3 AM to register him. I was just wondering if the camp was really as scary as the park & rec dept made it sound. | ||
| Ffof |
Lah- The rec department probably tried to scare you off so that the 120 of us "diehards" were insured a spot! | ||
| Lah |
Ffof - So you have used the camp and it is not the chaos that the rec dept made it out to be? Your child doesn't take off to the village for the afternoon unchaperoned? doesn't play on the train tracks with the other 5 year olds? | ||
| Ffof |
Oh - they have so much FUN on the tracks, though!! Actually, My nine year old wouldn't miss it. This will be his 4th year. The counsellors have been great (good source for babysitters, too!). My six year old will go back for her 2nd year. I think they love it because they are there with so many school friends, plus, it's small enough that they make new friends. There is a scheduled program every day. I suppose to the naked eye it looks like they're just hangin in the park, but there is always some choice between arts/crafts and run-around type games (beach ball dodge comes to mind). They swim at the Country Club most mornings. There's a "skit" day where the parents come to watch what the different groups have put together. It's overall very low-key and fun...and cheap enough that if you were to miss a week, you would't really feel so bad! Hope this helps! | ||
| Sac |
My 5-year old attended last year and enjoyed it very much. The supervision seemed fine to me. Each counselor was assigned to what seemed a reasonable size group (8-10?) of similar aged kids. I don't think there was more than about a 2-year age span within each of those groups. At certain activity times, the children would move to a particular activity center of interest rather than do all activities with their group, but they started and ended the day and moved from place to place with their groups and assigned counselors. If the logistics of the scheduling permitted, we would return this year, but we need a full-day camp, so it doesn't fit our needs this time. I happen to object fairly strenuously to the early AM routine for registration, so I won't miss that, but I wouldn't let my feelings about that keep me from doing it again if we were able to work it with our schedule. (The things we will do for our kids!) | ||
| 3mom |
Does anyone know what the differences are between the Y camp and the town camp (other than the difference in cost)? | ||
| Melidere |
I suppose the reason no one mentions Camp Horizons is because it's more expensive than many of the options being discussed, but if you are looking for a great camp, it's hard to beat it. Neil is a wonderful human being and the program is run with a lot of sensitivity to the kids and their needs..and the ability to create their own schedules and change them every two weeks is a godsend. They have a pre-school program called Brooklake. It's really a wonderful experience. They send busses and pick up and drop off the kids. They have a website Camp Horizons Brooklake Day Camp | ||
| Nina |
I just signed my son up for Camp Horizons - good to hear my gut was right! | ||
| Tom |
My kids have always enjoyed the rec department camp. We tried the Y camp one year, and they absolutely HATED every minute of it, from the abusive bus driver to the dowdy facilities. Last summer they graduated to the rec department's pre-teen camp, and they like that too. | ||
| Melidere |
Well then, i'm real glad i posted that. Your son will love it. They used to have a class devoted to playing 'magic, the gathering' and my son loved it...chess too. but mostly he played the sports. Lots of sports. Tennis twice a day, once even three times. | ||
| Mim |
I feel compelled to stand up for the Y's summer program after Tom's disparagement above. Our experience has been very different, I am thankful to say. Our child had a great summer there last year and will be returning this year. | ||
| R2boy |
deborahq, I would suggest you look into the Kadima summer program at the Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy in Livingston(across from the mall).They have a wonderful facility,outdoor pool,tennis courts, 2 airconditioned gyms on 30 acres.Call Craig Goldman at (973)597-1115 ext113 for a tour or to find out about the program.The camp is only for preK-5th grade.The JCC camp is designed for all different age groups.The camp they use in Flanders is a long ride on a bus... | ||
| Jtwoodleg |
melidere, Brooklake Day Camp has been out of business since 1999. Camp Horizons (17 years in business) has a program for 5-6 year olds, but the kids must be able to swim. The Horizons program is costly - more than $4000 for 8 weeks. | ||
| Melidere |
Ahhh, i'm so sorry to hear about Brooklake. And if you're correct...horizons has gone up quite a bit in price in a year or two, also. | ||
| Loyo65 |
I can't believe no one has mentioned the Community Summer Program run by The Adult School! It's very similar to Camp Horizons in that you pick and choose your kids' classes and you can go for one period (class) a day up to a full day. They now have early morning drop off and after care for the convenience of working parents. Both my kids attended since they were in first grade and ended up as Yellowshirts (Teachers' assistants) when they were in high school. It's cheaper than Horizons too. The summer catalog is out in May. Adult School # is 378-7620. | ||
| Coachdave |
I would like to invite Shelley to the South Mountain YMCA day camps open house on Sunday March 4 from 1:00-3:00pm at the YMCA on Jefferson Ave., Maplewood. As camp director for our SOMapY camp for children entering grades 1-5, I think your child would enjoy our camp. It is a general day camp based at DeHart Park in Maplewood with hours from 9:00am-3:30pm. We have a great variety of activities including arts and crafts, theme weeks, sports, field trips, games, swimming lessons, and special guest performers/ educational groups. Our camps are ACA accredited and have a 1:8 counselor to camper ratio for 6 year olds. We also have pre-camp care starting at 7:30am and after camp care going until 6:30pm. So it's great for working families. Can't make it to March 4 open house? Call 762-4145 for a brochure or to speak to me. As a Maplewood resident I have a strong interest in providing a quality camp program for the community. |
