Summer Camps

[Rhonda Dunaway]

In the near future, MomsofOmaha.com will gather and post information on summer camps for kids. If you have had any experience with past summer camps, plese write to us and let us know about your experience. Our other members would love to hear what you and your child thought of a particular camp. Sometimes the most valuable information we can receive when making decisions on issues like these is tips from other moms. On this topic, last summer my son, who was then 5, attended summer day camps at Fontenelle Forest and at Gifford Farms. He enjoyed both, but the camps at FF in particular. In fact, I would say the FF camps ranked in his top five favorite activities of all time.

[MomAC]

The one that I cannot say enough about is the cooking camp at The Classy Gourmet. My daughter did it last summer and both of my kids will do it together this summer. My daughter just loved this camp! It is a bit expensive but so worth it--plus the kids get lunch every day (that they help prepare). There are different levels--one for kids age 5-8; another for kids age 9-12; and I believe another for teenagers. I only know about the 5-8 age. The instructors not only had the kids help prepare the food, they also taught them etiquette (washing hands, don't say, "Ooh gross!" before you taste it) and about all different types of food. One day the kids learned about fruits and vegetables from around the world--and were able to taste them! Another day they learned about spices and herbs--and smelled or tasted all kinds. My favorite thing though was on the final day when the parents came in for lunch--all prepared by the kids--and not just the food, but also the table decorations and placemats. I was so impressed! Plus, the instructors were amazing--so good with kids and very friendly and positive.

Other summer activities my kids have enjoyed are acting classes at The Rose, of course swimming (we've done Montclair and Swimtastic), and for my horse-loving daughter, horseback riding camp at American Legacy near Fort Calhoun.

[Rhonda Dunaway]

Thanks for your feedback, MomAC. Within the next week or so, we're going to begin listing cool summer camps on our home page, and we'll be sure to include the ones you've mentioned.

I know that it might sound crazy to be thinking about summer camps in the dead of winter, but I've learned from past experience that now is the time when organizations begin sending out their registration information and if you don't sign up soon, you may not be able to get your child into the camps that s/he would most enjoy.

The other day, we received a summer camp brochure from Fontenelle Forest. My son loved the camps he attended there last year, so I eagerly began to page through the brochure. I was looking at one of the photos of kids enjoying their camp experiences when I thought to myself, "Hey, why does that kid look so familiar?" And that's when I realized that the kid in question was my son. He was also featured in another photo, as well. But I digress. What I wanted to say was that their camp offerings for next summer look great. There are camps for all different age ranges, and the ones I think I'm going to chose for my son are a science camp and a camp called "Boys in the Woods."

Check out their camps if you have a chance. I know it can be a long drive for some, but the experience your child will have will be worth it!

[Cher Klosner Lane]

I'm looking forward to reading about the summer camps - when I was in second grade I went to camp Harriet Harding - I LOVED it!! But it doesn't exist anymore :( I'd love to find a summer camp for my son next year ( for a couple days ) I hear the 4-H camp is fun? But I don't know any more about it.

Cher :)