| |
| Summer camp prices vary widely |
|
|
|
Science:
A Robocamp in Branchburg, N.J., offering theme-based robotics with
plenty of hands-on, creative fun, costs $659 for a 10-day session
or $859 for an advanced 10-day session.
Sports: At the All-Star Sports Camp, held annually
at Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tenn., campers are encouraged
to participate in a number of major sports, including swimming
and diving, basketball, soccer, baseball and tennis. A two-week
minimum stay costs $1,990 a week for lodging, food and activities,
or $5,590 for a six-week stay.
Football: The University of Tennessee summer football
camp charges $160 a day ($200 for overnights) for hands-on instruction
from the UT coaching staff and former NFL players.
Video animation: A two-week video game animation
camp at Penn State University, aimed at kids in grades 6 through
12, teaches animation basics, including creating video heroes,
villains and "cool orange dudes." Cost: around $775 for the two
weeks.
Overseas: A three-week adventure down under in
Australia costs $5,380, while three-weeks of sailing and scuba-diving
in the Caribbean costs $4,550, plus air fare.
Day camps and great value sleepaways
Nonprofit and service organizations such as church
groups, the YMCA and the Boy Scouts of America offer many summer
camp bargains.
Typical day camp costs at a big-city Y run around
$90 to $150 a week or $250 to $650 a week for kids who go away to
swim, ride horses, hike, do crafts, play sports and enjoy campfire
games.
Many local Ys offer specialty camps such as those
for asthma sufferers. One such camp, in South Dakota, is run in
conjunction with the American Lung Association and supported by
local hospitals, which underwrite part of the costs.
For less than $400 per one-week session, asthmatic children get
to enjoy the fun of summer camp while managing their disabilities
under skilled medical watch.
The Boy Scouts of America have many camps, but their
crown jewel is the 138,000-acre Philmont ranch, in the beautiful
Sangre de Cristo range of the Rockies in New Mexico. It might offer
the best bargain of all. Scouts can enjoy 6-day to three-week adventure
summer camps. A three-week stay can cost up to $595, but there is
a two-year waiting list. More than 650,000 scouts have enjoyed the
spectacular facility, with activities from rifle shooting to gold
panning.
Other costs
Certainly, there may be other expenses for extras
and added fees for optional activities and programs. You may need
to buy a uniform or pay charges for field trips, and needed equipment
can add to the total. Remember to budget for the cost of visiting
your child, and for her transportation to and from camp, too. Administrators
will provide you with a list of what is and isn't included in the
fees, from laundry and meals (usually included) to extra activities
such as horseback riding (not usually included).
You'll also need to add in some spending money, and
don't forget to budget for the costs of creating and sending care
packages or for shipping extra gear, clothes or equipment.
|
