Remember summer camp? Swimming and canoeing, archery and field sports, arts and crafts, campfires and late nights giggling with cabinmates? Remember going home, tanned and tired, already missing your new friends, who already felt like lifetime friends?
No? You never went to summer camp? Well, you’re in luck – ’cause it’s never too late to start.
All around the Big Lake neighborhood, camp opportunities abound for kids, adults and families, with both day and “sleepaway” options. These days “camps” don’t all need to be a week away and aren’t always outdoor adventures. Day camps in town offer creative getaways for kids, encouraging artistic talent or scientific curiosity. Every shore has its opportunities and options.
Kristina Bourne and her husband, Tim Valentine, relish their YMCA family camp experiences with their son Daley and daughter
Finley. They send themselves away along with their children.
In Minnesota at Camp du Nord in Ely and Camp Miller in Sturgeon Lake, they have unplugged from screens for a week and focused on outdoor fun and new experiences.
“Everything about it is healthy,” says Kristina. “Everything is centered around being active – swimming, paddleboarding, fishing, picnicking. They emphasize camaraderie and community. Singing campfire songs, doing silly skits, it’s all community building. There were a lot of tears when we left – our kids had bonded with other kids.”
Kristina values the balance between connecting as a family and the independent opportunities for kids to bond with other children. “There’s family time, and time for them to be with their peers. They went off with peer groups in the mornings, and that was time Tim and I got to hike, kayak, sit and read a book. Then we’d all come back together.”
Daley is now 15 and Finley 11, so it’s been a few years since the four of them have gone to camp together. But the shared experiences live on as family lore. “We made memories that we take with us for the rest of our lives,” says Kristina. “We often tell our stories, ‘Remember when that happened?’”
At Wolf Ridge in Finland, Minnesota, the bonds are so powerful that some families return annually for generations – and with multiple generations. It’s not unknown to bring the younger kids along with the grandparents, or to schedule a family camp week to coincide with other families met over the years – making for a big cross-family reunion.
“Camp is really important because it creates connections and friendships that really stand the test of time,” says Rachel Giemza, Wolf Ridge summer and special programs director and naturalist.
The fun of trying new activities together – like the Wolf Ridge ropes course or the Camp Miller climbing wall – build confidence, physical skill and new mental pathways. Wolf Ridge also offers wilderness trips for older kids. They can spend the week paddling in the Boundary Waters, hiking the Superior Hiking Trail or Isle Royale or sea kayaking at Voyageurs National Park.
While many of these experiences can be done with or without guidance, an organized camp can offer a different kind of health benefit many are seeking these days: a break from responsibility. “You’re not responsible for meals,” says Rachel. “You don’t have to worry about the weather and where you’re staying. That takes a lot of effort. It’s a lot less stressful to be here. It’s about relaxing.”
Campers choose what to do from a long list of ready activities, without having to gather the equipment or the craft supplies. And the camp staff enhance the experience. Kristina recalls what excellent role models the YMCA counselors were for her own children. At Wolf Ridge, naturalists teach about ecology on a nature hike. “Jacques,” the Voyageur lead, involves campers in re-enacting the area’s history and culture.
New experiences are a big benefit of going to camp, something Steph Appleby and her husband, Jordan, value for their sons, Jace, 9, and Jackson, 6.
“There are so many experiences that we are not able to offer them as parents. They learn important skills in a group environment and they make really good friendships,” Steph says.
As kids, Steph went to YMCA Camp Miller and Jordan went to Camp Esquagama in Gilbert. Last summer, Jace followed in his dad’s footsteps for his first sleepaway camp. The 9-year-old listed off all the things he loved about it: “Archery, slingshots, canoeing, kayaking, hammock time, field time, dance parties, concessions.” He left with a whole new group of friends and told his parents, “Next year, I’ll go all summer long.”
Day camps also provide a creative solution to childcare during the summer months, as both Steph and Jordan work. Jace and Jackson attended the popular Chester Bowl day program for many years, where they could get “certified” to use a pocket knife and practice whittling, plus practice building and cooking over a fire.
Day camps can unite the freedom of summer with some structure, like Adventure Camp at Spirit Mountain in Duluth. It focuses on finding adventure right outside the door. “We base our summer play camp to allow exploration without limits on how long they do an activity,” says Tess Regenald, director of marketing and programming at Spirit Mountain. “The loose structure allows creativity and for them to work together and explore what they really like to do.”
Every week is different because the group dynamic varies, she said. “Some weeks they’re into forts, other weeks they love games and sports, or hikes. By not setting up what they’re doing, the counselors can feel out the group.”
With mixed ages and a lot of self-directed play, kids tend to make friends quickly, Tess says. “We have kids who come in on the first day with an attitude that they don’t want to be there, they don’t want to go outside. By Day 2 or 3, they’re so excited to get here and get out in the woods. It’s such an amazing experience to see the turn-around.”
