Summer Camp Fun

Hot summer days, sunscreen and swimming in a lake…when I was a child, I loved going to summer camp. For many years I had a traditional camp experience where I swam in the mornings, spent rainy afternoons making crafts and learned to shoot with a bow and arrow. I had special camp friends who I only saw during the summer and wrote letters to the rest of the year. Whether it is an academic camp, horse camp or theater camp, summer camps are a great way for children to meet new friends and gain new experiences.

Your kids do not need to go to summer camp to have this fun. Here are a few titles that will help your child imagine the campouts, bug juice and friendship bracelets.

Wolf Camp by Katie McKy.

After two weeks at an unusual summer camp, Maggie returns home exhibiting some strange behaviors.

Good Night, Sleep Tight, Don't Let the BedbugsBite by Diane De Groat.

Gilbert is excited about staying overnight at Camp Hi-Dee-Ho, until he hears about the legendary camp ghost.

Tacky Goes to Camp by Helen Lester.

Tacky the penguin and his friends go to Camp Whoopihaha where they scare each other by telling ghost stories around the campfire, never expecting that one of the frightening stories will come true.

Beany Goes to Camp by Susan Wojciechowski.

Beany definitely does not want to spend her summer vacation at camp, but she endures bugs and a bossy cabin-mate, finds a new friend, and has an okay time after all.

Cam Jansen and the Summer Camp Mysteries:a Super Special by David Adler.

A collection of three Cam Jansen summer camp mysteries in which Cam Jansen and her best friend are spending three weeks at Camp Eagle Lake, where they play sports, do crafts, and solve three mysteries.

Nerd Camp by Elissa Brent Weissman.

For ten-year-old Gabe, the Summer Center for Gifted Enrichment is all that he dreamed it would be, but he must work hard to write about the fun in letters to Zack, his cool future stepbrother, without revealing that it is a camp for "nerds."

Letters from Camp by Kate Klise.

Sent to Camp Happy Harmony to learn how to get along with each other, pairs of brothers and sisters chronicle in letters home how they come to suspect the intentions of the singing family running the camp.

Summer Ball by Mike Lupica.

Thirteen-year-old Danny must prove himself all over again for a disapproving coach and against new rivals at a summer basketball camp.

Amelia’s Itchy-Twitchy, Lovey-Dovey Summerat Camp Mosquito by Marissa Moss.

Despite the discomforts of biting bugs, hard mattresses, and exhausting hikes, Amelia enjoys sleepaway camp with her best friend Carly until they both develop crushes on the same boy.

If your kids would like to try summer camp without going away, perhaps you could create the camp atmosphere at home. Just do not forget the s’mores, sing-alongs and ghost stories!  Try one of these books as you plan your activities.

The Kids Campfire Book by Jane Drake.

This book in the Family Fun series has everything you need to know about having a fun and safe campfire. The collection of outdoor activities, games, stories, songs and more is for kids and families to share around the campfire. It includes tips on how to find the best campfire site, identify animal cries at night and locate constellations. Kids will also find out how to make pizza over an open fire, tell a spooky ghost story, or create musical instruments for a sing-along. With more than 125 pages of fun things to do around a campfire, this is the perfect book for every camper, canoeist and camp counselor!

Summer Fun! : 60 Activities for a Kid-PerfectSummer by Susan Williamson.

Suggests a variety of activities for summertime, including nature study, cooking, crafts, games, creative activities, and more.

The Kids Summer Games Book by Jane Drake.

This fully illustrated book in the Family Fun series is packed with more than 150 games and activities for all year round. For indoor and outdoor fun, kids can choose something to do on their own or with friends and family. A book to be used for years to come. Find out how to organize your own Olympics, set up an outdoor scavenger hunt, play charades, juggle and much more!

The Girls' Guide to Campfire Activities by Elizabeth Encarnacion.

Step-by-step instructions teach girls how to build the perfect campfire and then how to put the blaze out. Includes recipes for "tasty treats". Silly songs and chilling stories are also included. For an indoor sleepover, the bonus campfire DVD provides an indoor fire with music and scary sound effects.

Ghost Stories by Michele Wells.

An exciting collection of the most chilling tales ever told around the campfire, from creepy yarns of haunted houses to accounts of eerie voices from beyond the grave, these Boy Scout-approved stories will enliven readers' imaginations, add to their knowledge and help develop their reading skills-- while leaving them screaming for more!

Happy camping!

-Briana C.