Endless Summer
Summer camps offer fertile ground for kids to forge friendships, discover new interests, and learn skills that will serve them for a lifetime.
by Bill Donahue

Children live for the kind of wind-in-your-hair freedom only summer can provide—especially this summer, following a challenging winter and two very difficult years. In other words, kids are ready for a summer of laugh-out-loud, old-fashioned fun.  
 
The organizers of the area’s many summer camps are ready to help. From swimming and baseball to robotics and the performing arts, summer camps help kids develop behaviorally, socially, and academically, all while having an absolute blast. 
 
Some of the area’s camps offer a comprehensive lineup of activities designed to help with a child’s overall development, while others offer more specialized instruction. High Performance Tennis Academy in Bala Cynwyd falls into the latter category. The academy’s summer camp offers world-class coaching to players of all skill levels, from beginner to advanced, and from four-year-olds who have never before picked up a tennis racket to 18-year-olds looking to fine-tune an already proficient game.
 
“Kids are so used to doing so many different things, from one to the next, and a summer camp like ours allows them to be part of a community where they are not only learning the skills of the game, but other aspects of life, too,” says Valentijn van Erven, High Performance Tennis Academy’s general manager, as well as a staff tennis professional. “Summer camp as a whole is a great resource for kids. They are going to learn something new, form new friendships, and hopefully engage in a sport that will be there for them for a lifetime.”
 
Andy Pritikin, the owner and director of Liberty Lake Day Camp in Mansfield Township, New Jersey, suggests camps such as his aim to provide campers with much more than a fun way to spend a summer. Besides offering a “screen-free environment” that enables kids to spend more than 99 percent of their time outdoors, Liberty Lake focuses on developing character values and life skills such as aspiration, friendship, independence, integrity, and teamwork. 
 
Families have many options when choosing a summer camp. How does one choose? Pritikin has a few suggestions.
 
* First, look for a camp that has been accredited by the American Camp Association, which Pritikin refers to as “the seal of approval for camps.” 
 
* Second, speak with and, if possible, meet with a camp’s director. The personality and philosophy of a summer camp tends to mirror that of its director or directors. 
 
* Third, visit a prospective camp to “get a feel” for what kids would experience. Liberty Lake, for example, will host open-house events on February 26, March 26, and April 23. Such on-site visits enable families to ask questions about issues such as customer service, provisions for inclement weather, and how the camp might handle conflicts or situations pertaining to a camper’s behavior. 
 
“When you put hundreds of kids and staff together, there will always be situations and challenges,” Pritikin says. “A great camp is determined by how they handle these inevitable issues.”
 
The websites of the schools, camps, and other organizations listed below will provide more detail about camp dates, availability, and registration, as well as information regarding safety protocols for COVID-19. Demand is likely to be high, so get in touch as soon as possible to secure a spot. 
 
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
Briarwood Day Camp
Furlong
briarwooddaycamp.com
June 20 to August 12
 
Camp America
Chalfont
camp-america.com
June 20 to August 12
 
Camp Kweebec
Schwenksville
kweebec.com
June 26 to August 14
 
Camp Sequoia
Pennsburg
camp-sequoia.com
June 26 to August 6
 
Future Stars Day Camps
Multiple locations
futurestarscamps.com
Flexible scheduling
 
Habonim Dror Camp Galil
Ottsville
campgalil.org
June 22 to August 14
 
Hideaway Day Camp
Collegeville
hideawaydaycamp.com
June 20 to August 12
 
Liberty Lake Day Camp
Mansfield Township, New Jersey
libertylakedaycamp.com
June 27 to August 19
 
Malvern Day Camp
Glen Mills
malverndaycamp.com
June 13 to August 19
 
Perkiomen Pines Day Camp
Schwenksville
perkiomenpines.com
June 27 to August 19
 
School’s Out Day Camps
Hatfield
xlhatfield.com/camps
June 20 to August 26

ACADEMICS +
Academy of Notre Dame de Namur Summer Enrichment and Sports Camps
Villanova
ndapa.org
Contact school for details
 
Friends’ Central Summer Camps
Wynnewood
fcsprograms.org
Contact school for details
 
Germantown Academy Summer Camps
Fort Washington
germantownacademy.net/summer
Contact school for details
 
The Hun School of Princeton Summer Programs
Princeton, New Jersey
hunschool.org/summer
Contact school for details
 
The Meadowbrook School Summer Camps
Meadowbrook
themeadowbrookschool.org
Contact school for details
 
Notre Dame High School – Summer at Notre Dame
Lawrenceville, New Jersey
ndnj.org/summer-experience
Contact school for details
 
Perkiomen School
Pennsburg
perkiomen.org
Contact school for details
 
Sacred Heart Academy Bryn Mawr Summer Programs
Bryn Mawr
shabrynmawr.org
Contact school for details
 
St. Joseph’s Preparatory School Summer Programs
Philadelphia
sjprep.org
Contact school for details
 
Tatnall School Summer Camps
Wilmington, Delaware
atatnallsummer.org
Contact school for details
 
Ursuline Academy
Wilmington, Delaware
ursuline.org/discovery-cove
Contact school for details
 
Villa Joseph Marie High School Summer @ Villa
Holland
vjmhs.org/summer
Contact school for details

LEARNING DIFFERENCES
Benchmark School 2022 Summer Camp
Media
benchmarkschool.org
June 27 to July 29
 
Center School In-person Summer Learning and Enrichment Program
Abington
centerschoolpa.org/summer-enrichment-program
July 5 to July 29
 
Summer at Delaware Valley Friends School
Paoli
dvfs.org
Contact school for details

ATHLETICS
CAL Sports Academy Summer Camps 2022
Hatfield 
calsportsacademy.com
Contact for details
 
High Performance Tennis Academy Summer Camp 2022
Haverford College and the Cynwyd Club
hpta-riverside.com
June 13 to September 2
 
Phillies Baseball Academy
Multiple dates and locations
philliesacademy.com
Contact for details
 
Youth Football Camps of the Philadelphia NFL Alumni
Multiple dates and locations
prosportsexperience.com
Contact for details

CREATIVE AND PERFORMING ARTS
Burn Brae Day Camp of Creative Arts
Dresher
burnbraedaycamp.com
Contact camp for details
 
HomeCooked 2022 Kids Cooking & Baking Camp
Paoli
homecooked.net
Contact camp for details
 
Main Line Art Center 2022 Summer Art Camp
Haverford
mainlineart.org
June 20 to August 26
 
Michener Art Museum Summer Camps
Doylestown
michenerartmuseum.org
June 27 to August 12
 
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts – Summer Art Camp 2022
Philadelphia
pafa.org
June 27 to August 12
 
Rockdale Music 2022 Summer Camps
Aston
rockdalemusic.com
Contact for details

DISCOVERY, SCIENCE, AND TECH 
Awbury Adventures at Awbury Arboretum
Philadelphia
awbury.org/summer-camp
Contact for details
 
Bucks County Audubon Society Summer Adventure Camp
New Hope
bcas.org/education/camps/summer-camp 
June 13 to August 26
 
Bucks County Community College – Kids on Campus and Teens on Campus Summer Camps
Newtown
bucks.edu
Contact school for details
 
Delaware Valley University Kids U! and Inspire U! Summer Programs
Doylestown
delval.edu/programs
Contact for details
 
Elmwood Park Zoo 2022 Summer Camp
Norristown
elmwoodparkzoo.org
Contact for details
 
The Franklin Institute’s GSK Science in the Summer
Philadelphia
fi.edu
Contact for details
 
Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania 2022 Summer Camp
Chestnut Hill
morrisarboretum.org
July 5 to August 12
 
Riverbend Environmental Education Center Summer Camp 2022
Gladwyne
riverbendeec.org 
June 13 to September 2
 
Science Explorers STEM Summer Camps
Multiple area locations
scienceexplorers.com
Contact for details
 
WHYY Summer Camps
Philadelphia
whyy.org/education
Contact for details
 
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life magazine, January 2022.