My son is at his last day camp of the season! Whew, we made it. On the other hand, yikes, where has the summer gone? I blogged a few months ago worried, that I over-booked my son with camps. As a child, I never went to camp, so this has been a whole new world. We tried a few new ones and went to some old stand bys. Over all the summer has been a blast. (The whole family is in bit of shock thinking that school will be here again in less than 2 weeks.) Here is my roundup of camps for an entering third grade boy. I'd love to hear what you all thought of the camps you sent your children to - what were the winners and low points? (Most of these are South Bay/ San Jose focused.)
YMCA Swim lessons: Gotta Love them really! I signed my 4 year old and 7 year old for tandem classes. We took two sessions - the first one, early in the summer was packed and loud. I wasn't sure they actually learned anything. Btu it was graet for when the weather was in the 90s. We are finishing up the last week now and it is like he has private lessons. We Heart the YMCA pool.
Youth Science Institute: Bike and Hike program. My son rode his bike for miles through Vasona Park and then also learned about ecology, dissected a fish and visited the Los Gatos History Museum. He learned alot and came home nice and tired! He even wore hs helmet the whole time - now that is progress. This could have been miserable if we were in the middle of a heat wave. Luckily, the weather was perfect!
Off the Wall Indoor Soccer Camp: Talk about heaven for my 7 year old. Playing indoor soccer meant air-conditioning! It also meant playng on astro turf, which was definitely different and took some getting used to. The coaches from World Cup Soccer were great, very enthusiastic and played along side the kids. He came home extra sweaty and dirty!
Bellarmine High School Multi-Sports Camp: This was another great 1/2 day camp choice. My son learned new sports and revisted ones from my youth, like kickball and dodgeball. While my son had a great time, he was most impressed by the cafeteria the high school kids has access too! "Mom, they could buy chilli dogs, Top Ramen and candy, sweet!"
Nike MultiSports Camp at Santa Clara University: Yes, another sports camp - obesity will not be an issue for this kid. This one was a full day camp, with yet another stellar cafeteria. This one was run by college student atheletes on campus, so it gave my son a glimpse of what college could be like. "All you can drink soda with a sandwich bar that had white bread" now that is a ringing endorsement for attending college according to my 7 year old!
Internal Drive Tech Camp: Make your Own Video Game camp: This was the pricey one of the season, but wow, it was worth it. After a week, my son came home having made his own video game. I was so impressed! He made an airplane maze game with a gun that made farting noises - yes, the joys of having a 7 year old boy! It was pricey, but we may consider it again.
Some things I learned: 1.) Sign them up with a friend so you can carpool. 2.) Always have snacks ready after swim class. and 3.) Book the indoor camps for when it is REALLY hot outside.
There are so many options for camp these days, it was overwhelming to choose. I can't wait to hear what you all have been up to.
