A traditional overnight camp experience with cabins by the lake, s’mores around the campfire, friendship bracelets and team-building activities may not resonate with every child. But there are many overnight camps in the Mid-Atlantic that add unique elements designed to be challenging, stimulating and take kids out of their comfort zones.
Kids can get a jump start on refining a niche lifelong skill at these sleepaway camps that go beyond the classic summer camp experience, introducing careers, activism, conservation and more.
Whether your campers already hold an interest in skills like delivering a sports broadcast or spelunking through a natural cave or are looking to broaden their horizons, these camps support learning and an enriching summer experience in many different environments.
The Great Outdoors
Wilderness Adventure at Eagle Landing Summer Camp might become your outdoorsy explorer’s home away from home. Campers go backpacking, camping, canoeing, kayaking and biking in various overnight programs along the Blue Ridge Mountains of New Castle, Virginia.
Outdoor Discovery camp gives younger campers ages 9 and 10 the opportunity to take an overnight backpacking trip for a “backcountry experience” in Jefferson National Forest to close out their time at camp, and campers in high school take on programs like “Over & Under,” focused on climbing and caving.
Unlike a traditional summer camp, in which rock climbing may only be offered for one afternoon, “Over and Under” provides just that for two weeks. In the “over” part of the program, campers are not scaling the same climbing wall of summers past but challenged by vertical rock formations in the New River Gorge.
They learn techniques in traditional and sport styles of climbing, using climbing routes that range from late beginner -friendly to requiring moderate skill. This range of difficulty allows campers to be fully stimulated by their environments and gain new experiences in the natural world.
The “under” part of the program refers to underground caves.
“Most of these kids had never set foot in a cave before, and they love caving,” says Logan Paone, the camp’s assistant activities director.
The underground caves of Virginia contain walkable, climbable chambers unlike the “claustrophobic, scary experiences” commonly portrayed on TV and social media.
Paone says campers follow a trained cave instructor who takes them on an “ecological journey” through thoroughly-mapped caves. Instructors explain various cave formations and how humans can have a long impact on the wildlife inside the cave, which could potentially spark an interest in biology, ecology or animal studies.
“It’s meant to be fun, but it’s also stimulating,” he says. “It’s an educational journey.”
Another Wilderness Adventure camp is “Outdoor Engineering” for aspiring engineers in middle or high school. This new program combines engineering, technology and nature, which campers may decide to pursue later on as a career.
In learning about underwater robotics engineering, campers collaborate to build a remote-controlled robot that detects and removes invasive species, a project that refines their creativity, critical thinking, teamwork and building skills.
Kids learn about geological features and trail-building. Part of the one-week session involves helping construct a new mountain bike trail, which could easily lead to a camper’s decision to become a professional trail worker or a park ranger when they’re older.
Campers also learn to read a map; if your child is ever stranded in the woods, fear not, for knowing how to navigate the great outdoors is an invaluable life skill. A lesson on eco-friendly architecture challenges campers to create their own survival structures using only materials from the surrounding forest.
A similar outdoor adventure camp is the Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School’s program for sea kayaking and Appalachian backpacking right here in the Mid-Atlantic. Over the course of a week and a half, campers learn technical and interpersonal skills including knot-tying, navigation using a map and compass, belaying a fellow climber, campcraft, outdoor food preparation and cooking. They aren’t solely following a leader; campers serve as the “crew” rather than passengers on a trip.
The big takeaway is safety, which campers learn firsthand through building a backcountry campsite. Not only do they gain survival skills and adaptability, but they also engage in various service projects during their trips: constructing birdhouses or planting trees.
Campers return from their trips with a sense of purpose and leadership, giving them more than a “one-dimensional” adventure, according to the camp’s website.
Burgundy Center for Wildlife Studies (BCWS) in West Virginia offers a unique outdoor experience at a wildlife sanctuary, emphasizing the natural world. Before breakfast, campers can enjoy a dip in the pond during free time rather than 45 minutes in a chlorinated pool. They can conduct a “butterfly census,” go birding, deepen their knowledge of science and directly interact with nature.
Throughout camp, they observe more than 500 acres of the wildlife sanctuary—and won’t find an archery range or basketball court on the premises, the center’s website notes.
Alumni of BCWS’ summer camp have gone on to pursue natural science, environmental policy and outdoor education, and others have a renewed sense of appreciation for nature.
Activism through the Arts
If you’ve ever sent a child to summer camp, chances are they’ve come home with arts and crafts projects galore. Were those art endeavors meaningful? Or were the kids simply following step-by-step instructions? Teens learn how art can make a difference with this weeklong summer camp experience in Baltimore.
Notre Dame of Maryland University is partnering with the Community College of Baltimore County to immerse rising high school seniors into arts and activism. They embark on field trips to Philadelphia and New York City and attend panel discussions, seminars and experiential workshops related to art and leadership.
