It’s time to start making summer plans. Are you going to let your kids just stay home all summer? Or do you want them to have the experience of a lifetime? What about sending them to camp? There are tons of overnight camps in North Carolina. I’ll never forget my first experience with camp. After spending a weekend at some with my dad for what is now called Y Guides, falling in love with the movie The Parent Trap, and hearing about my friend’s experience I knew I wanted to try it. So this shy little 8 year old went to camp for a week and fell in love. That week-long session turned to two weeks, to a 4-week stint as a Counselor in Training, and finally 4 years of the best job ever.
Full disclosure I made my choice because it was the camp my friend went to (she ended up going somewhere else a couple of years later). The other deciding factor was that I liked the food. Maybe not the best metrics, but I never once regretted that decision. I spent 13 summers at camp and in total almost a full year of my life). And I’m not going to lie doing the research for this list made me a little homesick for those times. I’m a fierce advocate that it’s something every kid should experience at least once. In fact, I regularly donate to a campaign that helps send kids to camp that otherwise can’t afford it. Because it’s not cheap to house, feed, and entertain your child for an extended period of time. But if you can give the experience to your child I promise you it’s worth it.
I could talk forever about how camp changed my life and turned that tiny, shy 8-year old into someone she could have never pictured. From the opportunities, the goals, the failures, the successes, the friends, the friends, and counselors, and the new experiences it truly made me who I am today. No matter what you are looking for there is an overnight camp nearby that can fit the needs of your child.
Some are co-ed others are all girl or all boy. Maybe a small intimate experience fits best for your kids. While a large camp was just what this only child needed. Some offer a more rustic experience others have cabins and buildings with air condition. You can choose to be deep in the mountains, on the coast, or on a lake somewhere in between. Many offer similar activities and schedules. Each place has something that makes it unique whether that’s a rich history or a new story your child can help write.
There are many more camps I could have put on this list, but here are a few to get you started. Some I have attended for a weekend, one I still go back to for alumni events. Others are ones I have friends that attended and some I was just introduced to today.