Member blogger Kathleen Bush takes over the My Town blog to talk about the many benefits of Camp Midtown as a way to keep your kids healthy, away from their beloved screens, and having a blast this summer.
Warmer weather has finally arrived and with it come the inevitable thoughts of summer. If you're like many parents, you've already begun to plan ways to keep your kids active, happy, and engaged through the upcoming summer months. Luckily, you need look no further than Camp Midtown to ensure quality summer days for children aged 6 to 13. The summers we remember from our youth are different than the summers our children experience. Kids today reportedly spend an average of 4-to-6 hours a day in front of screens: televisions, computers, and cell phones. The number of hours of screen time sadly often rises, not declines, during the unscheduled days of summer. In order to continue the active games, social interactions, and learning experiences they crave in the summer months, kids need to be around groups of their peers daily. That is why Camp Midtown fills such an important need for both parents and campers. While they are enjoying their best days of the year, parents can rest assured that their kids are making friends, mastering new skills, and getting exercise without us having to coax, nag, and entertain them. Rather than meeting an hour a week for a sports class, campers spend each day, all week, with a group of their peers fully engaged in an athletic activity. Still not convinced? Here are a few more reasons you should make Camp Midtown a top choice for guaranteed summer fun for your kids:
Theme Weeks
With a
new theme each week (such as Camp Midtown Idol, Inventors Camp, Survivor Midtown, and Junior Lifeguards) your kids will be itching to go to camp every day whether they sign up for one week or all ten. With fun surprises such as a Zoomobile visit (the Gone to the Zoo camp runs July 16-20) and "Winter in August," (the Winter Wonderland camp runs August 13-17), Camp Midtown never gets boring.
Safety is a Top Priority
We've all heard about camps with under-trained counselors, disastrous field trips to amusement parks, and overcrowded pools with questionable safety practices. At Camp Midtown, campers don't need to take a bus or van anywhere - all the fun takes place in and around Midtown's resort-like setting. Says Aquatics Director and Youth Programming Coordinator Tim Auerhahn,
"We keep a strict cap on the number of kids in each camp (30-40 campers depending on the week) and maintain a 5:1 camper-to-counselor ratio throughout all activities. Our counselor group is a mix of college students majoring in recreation sports and physical education, as well as teachers who are off for the summer. The average age of our counselors last year was 26." With small camper-to-counselor ratios and plenty of staff on hand in all locations, your child is in good hands.
The Pool (of course)
No camp in Rochester has a nicer, private, outdoor pool setup than Midtown. Even on cloudy days your child will never be shivering in the 82-degree heated water. Two swim lessons and free-swim time are offered every day with trained staff and lifeguards, making the pool one of the most popular activities for Midtown campers.
Sports Fun and Development
Technical skills are developed during camp, but the focus of sports at Camp Midtown is fun. Summer camp is often the place where children develop their love for a particular sport. At Camp Midtown, kids receive instruction from top-notch athletic professionals, including certified tennis pros and swimming instructors. Campers enjoy an hour of tennis time daily as well as time spent with basketball, volleyball, large group games, and a sampling of many other sports. Tim says,
"Every week is full of activities designed to be fun and enriching. Camp Midtown is a great mix of tennis, swimming, yoga, Parkour, and themed events run by passionate youth programmers.” Healthy Lunches and Snacks
There's no need to worry about your child's peanut butter sandwich getting soggy in her backpack. Camp Midtown provides its campers with the best lunches and snacks, prepared fresh daily by the chefs at one of Midtown's two cafes. Parents are able to go over the menu choices with their children in advance and choose the best options, and campers can guarantee that their food will always be nutritious, fresh and delicious. And the club's awesome smoothies are often provided as a daily snack! Tim says,
“Camp Midtown is a 180 degree turn from the typical Rochester mega-camps," and from what I've seen, I agree. Your child will stay healthy and active this summer. Separated from their screens, and out enjoying the beautiful Rochester sunshine and our gorgeous club, they will enjoy new experiences with their peers, try new sports or refine their skills in their favorites, play games, participate in arts and crafts projects, and have a blast with the fun weekly themes, and not miss their Xbox one bit. You can find the full camp schedule
here, including pricing and theme week information. Non-members are welcome, so your child's best pal need not belong to Midtown to experience summer camp at the club. Discounts are available for signing up multiple children, or for enrolling your kids in more than one week of camp. There are spots left in all camps; however, Inventors Camp (July 30-August 3), Winter Wonderland Camp (August 13-August 17), and Camp Midtown Idol (August 20-August 24) are close to selling out, so if you're interested in these, sign up soon.
What's your favorite childhood camp memory?