Although there is snow on the ground and the wind is howling, this is the perfect time to research a summer program for your child or teenager. There are several camp fairs in the month of January to steer you in the right direction.
The annual teen summer programs fair presented by Tips on Trips and Camps will be held at Princeton High School on Wednesday, January 13, from 7 to 9 p.m. Representatives from summer programs will present information about teen summer opportunities in community service, travel, language immersion, cultural immersion, teen travel, photography, creative writing, theater, culinary, sailing, and SAT prep. For information contact Nurit Zachter at 609-497-3434 or E-mail nurit@tipsontripsandcamps.com.
American Camp Association offers information about camps specializing in horseback riding, sailing, fashion, adventure, weight loss, special needs, or even traveling to National Parks. All fairs will run from noon to 3 p.m., and are open to the public; admission is free. There are numerous free giveaways and free snacks. Free face painting at all fairs will be done by Bella Faccia.
Camp fairs will be held on Saturday, January 16, at the Grand Summit, 570 Springfield Avenue, Summit; Sunday, January 17, Teaneck Marriott at Glenpointe, 100 Frank West Burr Boulevard, Teaneck; Saturday, January 23, the Excelsior Catering Hall, 355 Route 9 South, Manalapan; Sunday, January 24, the Bridgewater Marriott, 700 Commons Way, Bridgewater; Saturday, January 30, Woodcliff Lake Hilton, Woodcliff Lake; and Sunday, January 31, Ramada Inn and Conference Center on Route 10 West, East Hanover.
The free admission includes a 60-page booklet summarizing all the camps and providing future contact information for all the camps participating in the ACA’s camp fairs this season. Camp directors show DVDs, talk with parents about the programs and facilities that their camp offers, and distribute their own pamphlets and giveaways. Camp directors also offer sign-up sheets for parents to make more personal and further contacts.
“Although the Internet is a great way to do preliminary research when finding a camp,” says Barbara Rubin, camp fair director, “it does not have the impact of a face-to-face meeting with a camp director, let alone almost 35 of them in one room. The camp fairs provide a perfect one-stop shopping spot for busy parents.”
The camps, located from Maine to Georgia, offer a wide range of activities, sessions from one week to eight weeks, and are priced to meet a variety of family budgets. Numerous resident camps offer special sessions for young or first time campers; a number of the camps specialize in programs only for teenagers.
“If your older teen is interested in unique adventures, traveling around the globe, or taking pre-college course there is program out there for him/her,” says Rubin. “Certainly there are lots of traditional summer experiences available but more and more adolescents are looking for a new experience and our camp fairs are a way to find not only the traditional but what’s cutting edge in summer programs.”
For a list of camps attending specific fairs and exact directions to the fairs visit www.acanjsummercampfairs.org or call 877-288-2267.
At Mercer County Community College, Summer Camps Open House will be held Sunday, January 24, to introduce families to its programs for children 6 to 16, at 3 p.m. in the student center, 1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor. The snow date is Sunday, January 31. Registration forms will be accepted at the open house.
Camp directors will be on hand to answer questions and describe camp offerings, trips and new activities for the 2010 season. Tours of the facilities will be available. Mercer’s regular camp season runs from June 21 through August 13. Extended camp hours are available for working parents.
Three camps run simultaneously on the Mercer campus. Camp College, for children 7 to 16, is offered in two, four-week sessions. Campers develop a personalized schedule from more than 60 including engineering and architecture, chemistry and physics, making a 3-D video game, and building a sports franchise. Camp College’s specialty camps include one-week workshops in the sciences, culinary arts, computers, aerospace, and more. In Mercer’s sports camps, athletes ages 6 to 17 participate in weeklong sessions with high school coaches and college athletes in popular sports including baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, golf, tennis, in-line hockey, mountain biking, field hockey and speed, agility and quickness.
Tomato Patch is a visual and performing arts program for youngsters entering grades 5 through 12. Campers select a major concentration in areas such as stage combat, musical theater, computer art, improv, painting, tap dance, cartooning, hip hop, vocal ensemble, and a new option, television. A performance and exhibit conclude both sessions.
Additional information sessions will be held on Saturdays, February 20, March 27, and April 24, from noon to 2 p.m. The camps seek area teachers and counselors (students 17 and older) who are interested in summer employment. Call 609-570-3311 or E-mail campcollege@mccc.edu for more information.
“There is a camp out there to fit every budget,” says Nurit Zachter, the area consultant for Tips on Trips and Camps. “And if you plan ahead, you can take advantage of early enrollment discounts and financial aid. Applying early, it is possible to get a 20-50 percent discount off of camp tuition, based on need. Private camps tend to be more expensive, so contact camps run by your local county government or agencies like the Campfire Boys and Girls, the Jewish Federation, Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts, the Jewish Community Center, and the Salvation Army. Lastly, inquire about shorter sessions and discounts for multiple children from one family.”
Camp Open House, Fernbrook Farms, 142 Bordentown Georgetown Road, Chesterfield, 609-298-4028. Sunday, January 10, 1 to 3 p.m.
Camp Ralph S. Mason, Princeton YMCA, Paul Robeson Place, 609-497-9622. Wednesday, January 13, 7 to 8 p.m.
Summer Trip and Program Fair, Princeton High School, 151 Moore Street, 609-497-3434. Wednesday, January 13, 7 to 9 p.m.
Summer Camps Open House, Mercer County College, 1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor, 609-586-9446. Sunday, January 24, noon to 3 p.m.
Summer Camp Fair, American Camp Association, Marriott, 700 Commons Way, Bridgewater, 877-488-2267. Sunday, January 24, noon to 3 p.m.
