My son has the kind of summer that you dream about. He goes swimming every day. He canoes across the lake to get ice-cream. Practices archery and zip lines through the trees. Once a week he gets to camp out with his buddies and on one very special night, he sleeps at the zoo. He has made friends he will keep for life and memories that will comfort him when he is old. It is the type of summer I wish I had and am beyond grateful that I can give him, especially since I am a working mother. It is the type of summer where dreams come true and it is only made possible because of Camp Newaygo.
For the past 3 years, my son Brody has attended Camp Newaygo’s coed Day Camp. It starts the end of June and goes through the middle of August. Every week the theme is different, with a wide variety of options. This year he is most excited about Star Wars week, although Wild About Animals is a close second. I drop him off at 8am with his backpack and lunch and pick him up at 5pm with a smile on his face and stories to tell, and maybe a few bug bites. Some of my friends have commented about how expensive this must be, but honestly, it is the same cost as daycare in Newaygo County. Who wouldn’t pick camp over daycare?
Brody, like most children, was a little nervous at the beginning of camp. I can remember the first day of camp, we had no idea what we were doing. I signed him in, walked him over to the other kids and hugged him goodbye. I could see the trepidation in his eyes, but before I had even made it to the car, a camp counselor had pulled him into a group and began working on an art project. He didn’t even watch me go.
Our house is filled with a multitude of memories from the different weeks of camp. My personal favorite is the marshmallow shooter. Brody has a yellow handkerchief that he bought from the camp store. I am not allowed to wash it just so that he can smell camp throughout the year. As summer time approaches, the countdown isn’t “How many more days of school?” it’s “How many more days till camp!!!”
This summer Camp Newaygo has added an additional week for a total of 9 amazing weeks of camp. They kick off with Disney week and end with Survivor. With so many options, I am sure there is at least one week your child would love. So my advice, from one parent to another, is send your children to Camp Newaygo for a week they will never forget.
You can check out more about Camp Newaygo’s Day Camp: HERE
-Shannon Carpenter, Proud Day Camp Mom