Summer camp is not just a week of fun for kids – it’s also a necessity for working parents.
I know some mothers who manage to cobble together an entire summer of childcare by stacking one camp week after another. That sounds expensive – not to mention exhausting to plan.
We typically plan for at least one week of summer day camp for Xage since their DARTS swim and dive team takes up the first six to eight weeks of summer (June through mid-July).
So far, Xage has done art camps, outdoor nature camps and critter camps. We haven’t done sleep-away camp yet, but they have already asked me to plan that for next summer.
We absolutely loved art camp at the Ohio Craft Museum, which they did two years in a row when I worked down in Grandview right near the museum.
Traditional day camp at Highbanks Metro Park was also a fun week – Xage learned all about how to spot salamanders and other critters out in nature.
This year, we decided to try something a little different: wildlife camp! It sounded perfect for our little animal lover.
I’ve written before about the Ohio Wildlife Center and how awesome their monthly open houses are. The idea of Xage getting to spend five days at this cool facility, and learn all about their rescue, rehabilitation and release of Ohio animals and birds, seemed like a perfect fit.
Wildlife camp was a huge hit for Xage. For the first time ever, when camp ended they told me they wish they could do a second week!
Over the course of the week, the kids got to meet, help feed and learn about many different kinds of animals. They got to help bottle-feed a fawn who had been hit by a car. They learned about why it’s never a good idea to raise a wild animal as a pet – because they end up being unable to live in the wild once they get too accustomed to humans. And they learned that possums may seem grumpy, but are actually pretty sweet.
Xage made friends, both the human and animal/bird kind, over the course of their week at Ohio Wildlife Camp. Best of all, they felt seen and supported by the counselors – some of whom were fellow LGBTQIA+ individuals. All in all, it was a terrific week and they felt it was one they would absolutely like to repeat again next summer.
What’s been your kiddo’s favorite camp here in central Ohio? I’m always on the lookout for cool new camps for future summer entertainment. If you have great camps to recommend, I’m all ears in the comments below.
