Summer Camp Philosophy
Time flies when you're having fun and summer is no exception. As a household with two working parents and three children with completely different schedules summer can be a bit of a logistical nightmare. Don't get me wrong summer provides a welcome break from school and the chance to sleep in but it's still a bit of a nightmare. We employ childcare year round but during the summer months we also like to take advantage of day camp. Read on for my TAKE on Summer Camps in Chicago!
This year the kids have eleven full weeks of summer vacation so we decided that we would schedule six weeks (about half) of camps and spend the rest of the summer traveling and relaxing. Six weeks may sound like a lot or maybe too little but it works for us. I've found that the weeks the kids are in camp the house runs smoother: the kids are tired so they sleep better, there is less fighting, less TV and with a set schedule I am less forgetful! The less forgetful piece is a huge win!
Summer camps can be expensive so I try to find ones with varying levels of fees and this year I wised up and signed up for a pre tax dependent care based FSA. Which means that I am saving hundreds of dollars by using my pre tax dollars to pay for summer day camps! Seriously, I wish I had signed up years ago as it also covers preschool! If you plan to try day camps next summer I would advise adding a line item to your household budget to save for them. Most summer camp schedules come out in late winter/early spring so you can get an idea of costs at that time. Some camps do fill up early (ahem City of Chicago Park District) but I've also found many with openings later in the summer. We also love to support our school and attend at least one week of camp there.
This year my absolute favorite camp for my 6.5 year old is Game On! Sports 4 Girls. There are two locations in the Chicago area and I truly believe that this is the closest you can get to a sleep away camp in the city. Game On! has a three week commitment (although they do not need to be consecutive) and truly builds an empowering community for it's campers. The girls participate in various sports, field trips, challenge courses, water wars, olympics week and many theme days. We will definitely be signing for next summer!
It's no secret that if you follow my Instagram account that I love art and especially the LillStreet Art Center. Lillstreet has an amazing offering of classes throughout the year but their summer camp program is really impressive. There are offerings for preschool - teens and this year I love the addition of the afternoon camp sessions. Each camp is a week long and be prepared for amazing art to make it's way into your home at the end of the week. This year my oldest is doing a Paints & Print camp but have done a few years in the preschool program and last summer we hosted our cousin for a week while she did a sewing camp
My almost 4 year old will be entering pre-school in the fall and as a means to help prepare him for the classroom setting we enrolled him in a summer camp program at Black Bear Academy. They offer an eight week program and you can select how many days a week your child attends. Our son is loving it! He is gaining some independence and is especially pleased when he gets to go on field trips. Who doesn't love a ride on a yellow school bus?
There are really so many summer camp options in Chicago you can't go wrong. Overall, I try to find camps that are convenient and work with our family logistics which often means selecting camps based on their location. Next year we're interested in trying Dream Big Performing Arts Camp (fingers crossed they offer Hamilton again), a science based camp like Kids Science Lab and perhaps a camp at the zoo. Registering for camps and solidifying your summer schedule can be a hassle but it's worth it; it makes for an entire summer of happy campers in my home. Happy Camping!
