Havin’ a Blast
Local families rely on summer camps and programs to make the season one worth remembering. One expert’s sage advice: Plan ahead.
by Bill Donahue

Adi Strigl has some educated advice for parents who are weighing summer-camp options for their children: “Listen to what your kids want to do, and match their activities with their interests. … At the same time, it’s important to find a balance between overscheduling and not, because summer energy requires some downtime, too.”
 
As a mother of three, Strigl speaks from experience. She keeps her children’s prior summers in mind when shaping the summer programming offered through The Yoga Gnome, the Doylestown-based yoga studio for children she founded approximately four years ago.
 
The Yoga Gnome’s summer lineup includes three weeks of full-day camps (second grade through sixth grade) and a weeklong half-day camp (kindergarten through second grade), as well as a “Little Gnomies” camp for ages three to five. Strigl says community interest has been high since January, when she opened summer-camp registration.  
 
“It’s a yoga camp, but it’s not just yoga,” she says. “The camp involves activities like art projects, cooking, and a field trip to a park nearby, so it’s a combination of yoga and other things. We have a lot of messages about self-care, confidence, and empowering kids to be the best versions of themselves—food for thought and food for the body.”
 
Yoga has been a central part of Strigl’s life since she was a teenager growing up in Israel. She worked as an adult yoga teacher for many years prior to founding The Yoga Gnome as a response to seeing children struggle in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
“We teach yoga, mindfulness, and breathing, and all of that is so crucial for development, cognitive function, and mental health,” she says. “It’s a very playful journey; you’re not going to come to The Yoga Gnome and see kids being quiet or being serious. Kids learn through play and being silly, and they have the opportunity to do that with music and a lot of interaction and games. We fit yoga to a child’s mindset.”
 
While The Yoga Gnome focuses on children, Strigl envisions the studio being “for kids of all ages.” Adults often participate in classes with their kids, and the studio offers some adult classes, too.  
 
“No matter how old you are, play can be such a driving force and inspire you to stay connected to your playful energy,” she adds. “It can make life so much more interesting and remind you of who you are. … Our culture is so go-go-go, but it’s OK to take a breath and give ourselves permission to rest. When you are finding moments of stillness, it’s easier to connect with what you want to do and what’s most important in your life.”
 
Whether families decide to have children spend part of the summer learning something new, like yoga, or honing their skills in more familiar interests, Strigl offers another bit of advice: Don’t wait too long to line up plans. Although the current temperature feels far removed from the hot and sticky months of summer, camps have limited availability; many will reach capacity before the snow and ice make way for the first flowers of spring.
 
ACADEMICS +
Academy of Notre Dame de Namur
Villanova
ndapa.org/campus-life/summer-camps
 
Archmere Academy
Claymont, Delaware
archmereacademy.com
 
Friends’ Central School
Wynnewood
fcsprograms.org
 
Friends School Haverford
Haverford
friendshaverford.org
 
Germantown Academy
Fort Washington
germantownacademy.net/summer
 
The Meadowbrook School – Camp Meadowbrook
Meadowbrook
themeadowbrookschool.org
 
Notre Dame High School
Lawrenceville, New Jersey
ndnj.org/summer-experience
 
Perkiomen School
Pennsburg
perkiomen.org
 
Salesianum School
Wilmington, Delaware
salesianum.org
 
St. Joseph’s Preparatory School
Philadelphia
sjprep.org
 
Tatnall School
Wilmington, Delaware
atatnallsummer.org
 
Ursuline Academy
Wilmington, Delaware
ursuline.org/discovery-cove
 
Villa Joseph Marie High School
Holland
vjmhs.org/summer
 
Villa Victoria Academy
Ewing, New Jersey
villavictoria.org

LEARNING DIFFERENCES
AIM Academy
Conshohocken
aimpa.org
 
Benchmark School
Media
benchmarkschool.org
 
Center School
Abington
centerschoolpa.org
 
Delaware Valley Friends School
Paoli
dvfs.org
 
Woodlynde School
Strafford
woodlynde.org
 
ATHLETICS
CAL Sports Academy
Hatfield
calsportsacademy.com
 
Game Breaker Lacrosse Camps
Multiple locations
laxcamps.com
 
The Gymnastics & Cheerleading Academy
Cherry Hill, New Jersey
thegcacademy.com
 
Hatfield Ice
Hatfield
hatfieldice.com/youth-hockey/summer-camps
 
High Performance Tennis Academy
Haverford College, the Cynwyd Club, Radnor Valley Country Club
hpta-riverside.com
 
Phillies Baseball Academy
Multiple locations
philliesacademy.com
 
Philadelphia NFL Alumni Youth Football Camps
Multiple locations
prosportsexperience.com
 
School’s Out Day Camp and Sports-Specialty Camps
Hatfield
xlhatfield.com/camps
 
CREATIVE AND PERFORMING ARTS
Burn Brae Day Camp of Creative Arts
Dresher
burnbraedaycamp.com
 
HomeCooked Kids Cooking & Baking Camp
Paoli
homecooked.net
 
Main Line Art Center
Haverford
mainlineart.org
 
Michener Art Museum
Doylestown
michenerartmuseum.org
 
Rockdale Art Center
Aston
rockdaleartcenter.com
 
Rockdale Music & Studios
Aston and Media
rockdalemusic.com
 
School of Rock
Multiple locations
schoolofrock.com/locations

DISCOVERY, SCIENCE, AND TECH
Awbury Adventures Camp at Awbury Arboretum
Philadelphia
awbury.org/summer-camp
 
Briar Bush Nature Center
Abington
briarbush.org
 
Bucks County Audubon Society Summer at Honey Hollow
New Hope
bcas.org/education/camps/summer-camp-2025
 
Bucks County Community College – Kids on Campus at Bucks
Newtown
bucks.edu/kidsoncampus
 
Churchville Nature Center
Churchville
churchvillenaturecenter.org
 
Delaware County Community College
Media
dccc.edu
 
Delaware Valley University Kids U! and Inspire U!
Doylestown
delval.edu/programs
 
Elmwood Park Zoo
Norristown
elmwoodparkzoo.org
 
Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania
Chestnut Hill
morrisarboretum.org
 
Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy Summer Science Academy
Schwenksville
perkiomenwatershed.org
 
Riverbend Environmental Education Center
Gladwyne
riverbendeec.org
 
Science Explorers
Multiple locations
scienceexplorers.com
 
The Yoga Gnome
Doylestown
theyogagnome.com

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
Briarwood Day Camp
Furlong
briarwooddaycamp.com
 
Camp America
Chalfont
camp-america.com
 
Camp Curiosity
Doylestown
campcuriosity.com
 
Camp Kweebec
Schwenksville
kweebec.com
 
Camp Sequoia
Pennsburg
camp-sequoia.com
 
Future Stars Day Camps
Multiple locations
futurestarscamps.com
 
Habonim Dror Camp Galil
Ottsville
campgalil.org
 
Hideaway Day Camp
Collegeville
hideawaydaycamp.org
 
Independent Lake Camp
Thompson (Susquehanna County)
independentlake.com
 
Liberty Lake Day Camp
Mansfield Township, New Jersey
libertylakedaycamp.com
 
Malvern Day Camp
Glen Mills
malverndaycamp.com
 
Perkiomen Pines Day Camp
Schwenksville
perkiomenpines.com
 
Pinemere Camp
Stroudsburg
pinemere.com
 
Rainbow Academy Summer Camp
Ivyland
rainbowacademypreschool.com
 
The School in Rose Valley Summer Camp
Rose Valley
srvcamp.org
 
Photo courtesy of The Yoga Gnome
 
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life magazine, February 2025.