Multi-week overnight camps

[american_mama]

I am looking for overnight camps for my kids for this summer, especially my oldest, and would like to consider a 2 or possibly 3 week option. There are dozens of private summer camps here and in a neighboring, very outdoorsy state that do exactly that, but cost $1000 or more a week. That is not in the cards.

I know lots of great one-week camp options sponsored through Girl Scouts, 4-H or a religious denomination that are much less.... often $400-500 a week, but you can only go one week at a time. I have probably 8 camps like that in my spreadsheet. Is this normal - that for the luxury of a multi-week experience, you pay way more per week?

I am learning the overnight camp game rather well, but as my kids age, I find they want and need new things, and then my search starts over again.

[baymom]

Do you have any YMCA sleep away camps in your area? Here, they are considerably less than private camps and offer 2 week sessions. My kids went to one last year and loved it.

ETA—I realize the YMCA is a religious organization, but the camp did not have a religious component.

[american_mama]

Great suggestion! I am not sure what we have in terms of YMCA. We've had one that did not have a strong presence in town until recently, but they just opened a brand new facility and offer much more now. I have no idea what camp properties they run in the state.

[squimp]

The YMCA camp DD attended allowed multiple weeks. It was fun and not very religious.

[LBW]

The East Coast YMCA camps that I researched a couple of years ago aren't super cheap. My oldest attended one, and I think it was around $1600 for a 2-week session. Yes, that's more reasonable than a lot of other sleepaway camps, but it's still pretty pricey.

My youngest is doing a 1-week 4H camp that's less than $600/week. You can attend multiple weeks, but as you pointed out, kids can't stay over on weekends. The only comparable multi-week camps that I've found are sponsored by a church or organization like scouts.

[trales]

DD1 goes to a YMCA sleep away camp for 2 weeks in New York state, it is $1900 for 2 weeks. That is pretty standard and just what they cost. The girl scout and 4-H are a totally different animal, different activities, experiences, short term staff etc, lots of volunteers.

If you want a quality program and 2 weeks or more, you will pay that much.

[belovedgandp]

I haven't researched a lot of camps, but what you are describing sounds like what I've seen.

I can send my kids to Scout, church and YMCA overnight camps for 5 nights for $400-500.

But when I start looking at full week long camps where they are gone 6 or 7 nights plus having options to do multiple weeks it jumps to at least $800/week and typically more.