Beyond the Campfire

By Ellen Williams-Masson S’mores — that heavenly fusion of chocolate, graham cracker and toasted marshmallow — evoke memories of campfires, whispered secrets after lights-out and the pungently sweet smell of bug spray wafting through the air.
With the lazy days of summer a mere three months and umpteen blizzards away, registration for summer camps is in full swing. But how can you choose the best match for your child from the dazzling array of opportunities available?

Sleep-away vs. day

Deciding between overnight and day camps is an elemental step in narrowing the field. Kim Rathsack, section executive for the American Camp Association, says that parents are usually the best judges of whether their children are ready for sleep-away camp.
“If they can go to a friend’s house overnight, they might be starting to get ready to go away to summer camp,” Rathsack says. “If your child has never been away from home on an overnight, then we suggest they start out in a day camp program, where they go during the day, but yet they come home at night.”
Another option is a family program, which allows children to enjoy camping — and bonding — with one or both parents. Once children are ready to go it alone, a plethora of traditional and specialty camps await.
Organizations like the YMCA, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and 4-H have been offering children wholesome camping experiences for over a century. Emily Culver, 16, of Windsor, is training to be a camp counselor and has been going to Camp Black Hawk, a Girl Scout camp near Antigo, since she was in third grade. Culver is a Senior Girl Scout, but you don’t have to be a scout to enroll in the camp.
“One of the best experiences that everyone takes back from camp is that we all learn to be leaders,” Culver says. “We learn that we can be ourselves without judgment, and I think it’s just really a great experience.”
Rathsack, who is also director of Camp Black Hawk, says that camping is “a great way for kids to learn the life skills that they may not be learning in other places.
“It gives them a sense of independence, but they also learn how to be a part of a team,” Rathsack says. “You’re clumped into a whole group of people that you may not know, and it’s part of your responsibility to function within that group and get along with people.”
Easter Seals Camp Wawbeek in the Wisconsin Dells opens the world of camping to people of all ages with physical disabilities. Director Melissa Drake says Wawbeek offers “anything that you would find at a typical camp … adapted for people who have disabilities.
“When you come to Wawbeek, any camper will tell you that you’re normal [here],” she says. “You don’t have a physical disability — it seems to disappear because all the kids are just like you.”
Respite Camp, Wawbeek’s sister camp in the Dells, serves people with mild to severe physical or cognitive disabilities, and there are a host of other special needs camps in the area for kids with various medical conditions.

Camps for every interest

From mountain biking to math, and the arts to archery, odds are you can find a specialty sleep-away or day camp to feed your child’s passion.
The Wander Wisconsin program in Madison sponsors day- and week-long treks into Wisconsin state parks, attractions and beyond for kids interested in taking camping to the next level. Outdoor enthusiasts ages 14 and up looking for a bigger challenge can learn more about survival skills — and themselves — by traveling to the Boundary Waters of northern Minnesota on an Outward Bound Wilderness course.
A more genteel experience awaits your young dancer at the Milwaukee Ballet School or the Central Wisconsin School of Ballet in Wausau. The Shell Lake Arts Center, near Eau Claire, lets musicians tune up their chops at the longest running jazz camp in the United States, and aspiring actors can take to the boards at Harand Camp of the Theatre Arts in Kenosha.
The University of Wisconsin system offers a variety of programming on campuses throughout the state, including academic, sports and music training camps.
Samara Sullivan, 13, of Madison, loves sports — especially tennis — and hones her game at UW-Madison and Madison School & Community Recreation day camps. She says that sports camps keep her off the couch and active throughout the summer.
“If I didn’t do a sport or a camp, I would probably stay home and watch TV, which wouldn’t be very healthy,” Sullivan says. “I like being active during the summer.”
Three-time Olympian and former Badger Suzy Favor Hamilton promises plenty of face time and personal training tips at her all-girls running camp in Green Bay and new coed camp in Kenosha. Backed by a staff of collegiate and Olympic runners, Favor Hamilton emphasizes the benefits of running for going the distance in life as well as on the track.
“I truly believe that running can build incredible self-esteem and confidence in yourself,” Favor Hamilton says. “My camps are about developing new friendships with others who share a passion for running. You build self-esteem by doing the best you can do and believing in yourself; running is a wonderful gift for the future.”
Exciting summer adventures can also be found off the beaten path close to home. Children can take a behind-the-scenes gander at the animals at Henry Vilas Zoo or nurture their love of nature at the UW Arboretum or the Aldo Leopold Nature Center in Monona.
Once you and your child have found the I-just-gotta-go-there camp of his or her dreams, Rathsack advises parents to talk with the camp director and other parents to check out the qualifications of the camping staff as well as get more details on what a typical day at camp will really be like. Finally, homesickness can be contagious, so check your own feelings at the door as you help your child prepare for camp and the wonders to come.
Sunshine, great adventures and the easy friendships of childhood — who wouldn’t like s’more of that?

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