Parents Camps and Packing

[LadyBugGymnast]

Talk to me about your best camp (or worst?) experiences for the summer for the eastern/middle/south side of the US and why. We are browsing for late summer deals and any openings. Yeah, yeah we are late to the game.

Also, if you go for the full week overnight, what are your packing essentials? We may make a summer trip out of it, so if you have made a family vacation out of your gymmies summer camp, let me know about that as well!

 

[bogwoppit]

Talk to me about your best camp (or worst?) experiences for the summer for the eastern/middle/south side of the US and why. We are browsing for late summer deals and any openings. Yeah, yeah we are late to the game.

Also, if you go for the full week overnight, what are your packing essentials? We may make a summer trip out of it, so if you have made a family vacation out of your gymmies summer camp, let me know about that as well!

I removed your personal ad from your post. There are paid advertising options on the website. Look at "advertise" in the header bar. There are no options for free ads, we need to money to survive.

 

[GymDad9.9]

Last year we sent our daughter to Dunkley's Gymnastics Camp on Lake Champlain outside Burlington Vermont for a week and we made a little Vermont and East Coast holiday out of it. I just checked their website and they appear to be booked for the summer but have a waiting list. We reserved there very early last year and had our choice of dates. Camp is small, about 30-50 girls a week, well-staffed, and the area is absolutely gorgeous in summer. Since they are on the lake there is alot of water activities available depending on the age and swimming level of the child. We made the mistake of staying at a hotel rather than renting a home in the Burlington area. Downtown Burlington was very cool.

 

[LadyBugGymnast]

I removed your personal ad from your post. There are paid advertising options on the website. Look at "advertise" in he header bar. There are no options for free ads, we need to money to survive.

Apologies

 

[bogwoppit]

Apologies

Not a problem.

 

[LadyBugGymnast]

Last year we sent our daughter to Dunkley's Gymnastics Camp on Lake Champlain outside Burlington Vermont for a week and we made a little Vermont and East Coast holiday out of it. I just checked their website and they appear to be booked for the summer but have a waiting list. We reserved there very early last year and had our choice of dates. Camp is small, about 30-50 girls a week, well-staffed, and the area is absolutely gorgeous in summer. Since they are on the lake there is alot of water activities available depending on the age and swimming level of the child. We made the mistake of staying at a hotel rather than renting a home in the Burlington area. Downtown Burlington was very cool.

Ill have to check this one out, I havent heard of this one. Do you mind me asking what kind of a schedule they keep? I can look it up online but thats not far from family we have.

 

[GymDad9.9]

I believe the camp ran from early June through Labor Day on a weekly basis from Sunday afternoon through the following Friday afternoon. As far as actual daily schedule, I'm not so clear on it. I seem to remember two training sessions a day (they have outdoor and indoor facilities); water play; and general camp activities. Dining room overlooked Lake Champlain. Kids slept either in the main cabin (younger) or in cabins around the compound. Hope that helps.

 

[LadyBugGymnast]

I believe the camp ran from early June through Labor Day on a weekly basis from Sunday afternoon through the following Friday afternoon. As far as actual daily schedule, I'm not so clear on it. I seem to remember two training sessions a day (they have outdoor and indoor facilities); water play; and general camp activities. Dining room overlooked Lake Champlain. Kids slept either in the main cabin (younger) or in cabins around the compound. Hope that helps.

Thats great! thank you. I will be checking it out for sure. We have family in NJ thats just a semi short drive away, so we can turn it into a family-family vacation!

 

[GymDad9.9]

Thats great! thank you. I will be checking it out for sure. We have family in NJ thats just a semi short drive away, so we can turn it into a family-family vacation!

Our trip started from New Jersey as well and we went near full circle to Massachusetts and Rhode Island by the time we were done.

 

[rgmom]

Did you look into IGC, in Pennsylvania? They may still have openings for late summer for certain weeks.
My girls went there for a few years when they were younger and loved it! The camp is not far from NJ, NYC or Philly. All are within a reasonable driving distance from the camp.

They have a packing list on their website, that is printable, which is extremely helpful for making sure you have everything she needs.

Have a great summer and a wonderful vacation!

 

[GymDad9.9]

Did you look into IGC, in Pennsylvania? They may still have openings for late summer for certain weeks.
My girls went there for a few years when they were younger and loved it! The camp is not far from NJ, NYC or Philly. All are within a reasonable driving distance from the camp.

They have a packing list on their website, that is printable, which is extremely helpful for making sure you have everything she needs.

Have a great summer and a wonderful vacation!

The Woodward Camp further west in Pennsylvania was another I looked at as well as IGC. My daughter was 7 and preferred to have her in a smaller more intimate setting preferably away from boys as it was her first overnight camping experience.

 

[rgmom]

The Woodward Camp further west in Pennsylvania was another I looked at as well as IGC. My daughter was 7 and preferred to have her in a smaller more intimate setting preferably away from boys as it was her first overnight camping experience.

I forgot about Woodward!

 

[momof2gymmies]

My girls go to USGTC in South Hadley MA. They have 2 one week sessions in July. Not sure if they are filled or not, but my girls LOVE it there. They have 2 sessions of gym, 1 of dance, and the option to do 2 open gyms each day, or swim, or relax, or do whatever. The girls say the food is not that great but they both bring snacks and have been fine.

 

[vagymmomma]

Mine preferred Woodward over IGC when she was younger. She does college camps now.

 

[mommyof1]

My daughter has been attending various sleepaway camps for several years. She did a college gym camp last year and will return this year. The packing list on the camp's website covered most everything. The only clothes she actually used were leotards, her swimsuit, and pajamas. She also threw out the healthy snacks I sent with her and ate pizza and candy every evening.

I always send a plastic basket or shower caddy for toting toothbrush, comb, shampoo, and soap, even if the bathroom is attached to the dorm room. When the kids are sleeping in sleeping bags in cabins, I send a flannel fitted sheet to keep the sleeping bag from sliding off the plastic mattress (I learned the importance of this after picking a kid up off the floor in the middle of the night while chaperoning a Girl Scout troop camp). If you don't have flannel, even a regular fitted sheet will help. For college dorms, my daughter likes a foam mattress topper because dorm mattresses can be hard. She also likes to bring one of those spray bottles with an attached fan, especially when there is no air conditioning.

We do not send our daughter to camp with electronics even if the camp permits them, on the theory that texting or calling home increases homesickness. She is always too busy with her new friends to use any solo amusements she packs (books, coloring books, etc.), but sometimes group games like Uno, American Girl quiz books, or Mad Libs will get used. And despite the fact that we always provide her with stationery and pre-addressed mailing labels, she stopped writing us letters her second summer of camp. Each year, we end up sending her with less stuff.

 

[mommyof1]

P.S.: We have a set of twin XL sheets for the dorm, but a regular blanket and duvet fit just fine. For cabin camps, we pack everything in a big Rubbermaid tote rather than a duffel bag or suitcase.

 

[GymDad9.9]

My daughter has been attending various sleepaway camps for several years. She did a college gym camp last year and will return this year. The packing list on the camp's website covered most everything. The only clothes she actually used were leotards, her swimsuit, and pajamas. She also threw out the healthy snacks I sent with her and ate pizza and candy every evening.

I always send a plastic basket or shower caddy for toting toothbrush, comb, shampoo, and soap, even if the bathroom is attached to the dorm room. When the kids are sleeping in sleeping bags in cabins, I send a flannel fitted sheet to keep the sleeping bag from sliding off the plastic mattress (I learned the importance of this after picking a kid up off the floor in the middle of the night while chaperoning a Girl Scout troop camp). If you don't have flannel, even a regular fitted sheet will help. For college dorms, my daughter likes a foam mattress topper because dorm mattresses can be hard. She also likes to bring one of those spray bottles with an attached fan, especially when there is no air conditioning.

We do not send our daughter to camp with electronics even if the camp permits them, on the theory that texting or calling home increases homesickness. She is always too busy with her new friends to use any solo amusements she packs (books, coloring books, etc.), but sometimes group games like Uno, American Girl quiz books, or Mad Libs will get used. And despite the fact that we always provide her with stationery and pre-addressed mailing labels, she stopped writing us letters her second summer of camp. Each year, we end up sending her with less stuff.

Oh yes, who can forget the shower caddy!

I agree with the no electronics rule. I believe our camp insisted on it.

 

[tarheel618]

We have done FlipFest and had a great experience. Not sure if they still have openings.

 

[gymmomtotwo]

Flipfest is awesome, and you have the beautiful Smokey Mountains to explore.

 

[LinnieC]

This will be daughter's third summer at Flip Fest and second summer at NCSU gymnastics camp. She absolutely loves both. If you do Flip Fest, you can make a trip to either Nashville or the mountains. Not so sure about NCSU.... its just one of the closer college camps for us.