For a full three hours on Feb. 19, the tables at MetroKids’ 2023 Summer Camp & Activities Fair at the Willow Grove Park mall bustled with activity as mall patrons explored the offerings from nearly 20 camps and schools.
The camps and schools staffed colorful tables designed to showcase what makes them special.
Camps today are a lot different from those of yesteryear.
Sure, you can still find traditional camps with boating, fishing, swimming, bug juice and color war, among other activities, but there are many alternatives, too.
Whether it’s a camp specifically devoted to the arts (Main Line Arts Center), a school for children with dyslexia or ADHD (Center School), a science-themed camp or a sports camp/school focusing on tennis (High Performance Tennis Academy), rock climbing (Philadelphia Rock Gyms) or swimming (Kids First Swim Schools), options abound. And those traditional camps have changed with the times, too, offering many more activities and upgraded facilities.
“We’re always upgrading, but we try to keep it rustic,” said Linz Haft, director of camper care and communications at Pinemere Camp in Stroudsburg.
The same holds true at Golden Slipper Camp in Stroudsburg, which in recent years had added a skatepark, replaced diving boards with slides and started offering axe throwing—while sticking to a no cellphone policy for campers.
Versatility is the name of the game for camps in 2023.
For example, the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania run camps at six different area locations—two are day camps, three are residential camps and the sixth location offers both, said Amanda “Perry” Hunsberger, the camp director for the scouts’ Mountain House, which debuts a greenhouse in 2023.
Meantime, Independent Lake Camp in Thompson may seem like a traditional camp, but unlike at camps of old, campers choose a fully elective schedule each day—no following the bunk around all day, said Norman Miller, a recruiter and head counselor. That includes signing up for two to three main activities each day.
Looking to get out of Pennsylvania for a few weeks? Camp Wigwam in Waterford, Maine, has been in business since 1910, catering to boys from the ages of 7 to 16.
Then there’s Camp Meadowbrook, which is affiliated with Meadowbrook School. Each week there’s a different one-week specialty camp. Some of the camps focus on soccer, drama, writing, coding and science.
“Families want to have something different to do,” said Aleatheia Rahman, the director of the camp’s Little Adventurers program. “They’re not locked into one set thing.”
And at Delaware Valley University’s Kids U!, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) and sports are on the table, with 88 different one-week programs. Some of the most popular programs are Roblox, magic/illusion, zoo camp and drones, according to Barrie Saiasm youth programs coordinator for the university.
No matter where their interests lie, kids have much to explore heading into this camp season. Here’s a full list of camps and programs in attendance at the Willow Grove Park event:
- Burn Brae Day Camp
- Camp Pegasus
- Camp Pinemere (linked above)
- Camp Wigwam (linked above)
- Center School (linked above)
- Delaware Valley University – Kids U! (linked above)
- Future Stars
- George School Day Camp
- Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania (linked above)
- Golden Slipper Camp (linked above)
- High Performance Tennis Academy (linked above)
- Independent Lake Camp (linked above)
- Kids First Swim School (linked above)
- Philadelphia Rock Gyms (linked above)
- Main Line Art Center (linked above)
- Meadowbrook School/Camp Meadowbrook (linked above)
- The Candy Lab
- Science Explorers
Want more camp info? Visit our online camp directory at Camp Guide – MetroKids or read our latest issue at digital.www.metrokids.com/issues/February-2023/index.html. If you are involved with a camp and would like to be participate at one of our camp fairs, get in touch at midatlanticmedia.com.
