Last weekend, I started searching for academic summer camps for our oldest son.  We were looking specifically for a great summer immersion program for Spanish that didn’t require my son to go abroad.  He’s already away most of the year attending a nearby private school, so we only wanted something close to home.

I started on Google, but it wasn’t easy. I also couldn’t find any reviews to help me sort through the options I found. A couple of websites were great starting points, but didn’t include some of the summer camps that I found digging through the search engines: kidscamps.com, summercamps.com.

Academic summer camps are becoming more and more popular since learning through activities and projects with friends isn't classified as "boring" (according to my teenager).  Here are some interesting programs I've found:

• An Educational Residential Summer Camp: I’ve had friends tell me about this great program: Explo.  Explo is a non-profit organization that’s been around since 1977. I just talked to them and they still have a lot of availability for their second session, which starts in July. It’s a residential camp experience and located here on the East Coast.  I’ve been researching to find something comparable in other regions, but haven’t found anything. If you have, please share it with our readers.



• Mixing Learning with Dance: I was also pleasantly surprised to see some weekly programs at our local after-school math program.  The Russian School of Math, which has locations in Boston and San Jose, is offering up a camp for kids that combines math and ballroom dancing.  We thought we’d give it a try for our 7-year-old who loves math and also music.



• Look Locally: Kids don’t have to go far from home to have an enriching summer experience.  Lots of communities have town-sponsored summer programs, and YMCAs, JCCs, and Boys and Girls Clubs offer a variety of day and overnight camps.

For ideas on educational summer activities that will prepare your kids for the upcoming school year, check out the Summer Smarts book series by Jeanne Crane Castafero and Janet Van Roden: 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade.

And please leave a comment with any resources you've come across...

Cheers,

Sheila