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 Camps
are designed in a variety of styles and
formats and provide activities that vary
to meet many interests. Most camps offer
a general program of outdoor activities
of hiking, swimming, sports and games, arts
and crafts, and nature awareness. Some camps
have special emphasis on programs such as
horseback riding, water sports, music, or
adventure challenge activities. While camps
provide facilities and services for a broad
range of children, youth, and adults, some
camps provide services to special groups:
There are programs for seniors, families,
campers with cancer, gifted and talented
children, youth at risk, diabetics, asthmatics,
or persons with disabilities.
Types of Camps
Of the estimated 12,000 American camps,
approximately 7,000 are resident camps
and 5,000 are day camps. Resident camps
are designed for campers staying at camp
from several days to eight weeks. Campers
sleep overnight in cabins, tents, tepees
or other forms of shelter, and participate
in a variety of supervised activities. Having
grown by nearly 90% in the past 20 years,
day camps offer sessions and age-appropriate
programs similar to resident camps. Campers
are often transported to camp by a bus or
van, and return home each day in the late
afternoon.
Other trends incorporate less traditional
models for the camp experience. Trip Camps
provide programs where the participants
transport themselves to different sites
by backpacking, riding, or canoeing. Travel
camps often transport campers by car or
bus to geographic and topographic places
of interest.
 In
addition to the increase of children with
disabilities being mainstreamed into camps,
many new camps have opened to provide specialized
services to children with special medical
needs.
Year-round use of camp facilities is a
growing trend. Programs are evolving from
spring and fall ancillary weekends to winterized
full service operations seven days a week.
Many camps work with schools to provide
environmental education during the school
year, provide year-round program and food
services, and have some year-round staff.
Camps can often be rented to other groups,
such as school groups, wishing to provide
camp programs to their constituents. With
meeting rooms, sleeping, and eating accommodations
readily available, many facilities are
both camps and year-round conference or
retreat centers.
Program Trends
In an ACA survey, 75% of the directors reported
adding new activities and programs over
the last few years. The most common program
trends in camps are challenging and adventurous
activities including high and low ropes
courses, climbing walls, zip lines, backpacking,
mountain biking, and cave exploring. There
is also an increased emphasis on performing
arts and fine arts such as dance, theater,
singing, ceramics, leather crafts, woodworking,
photography, etc.
56% of camps surveyed report having community
service or good deed programs incorporated
into the camp curriculum. The top projects
conducted at camps last summer were:
- Community clean-ups
- Food drives
- Recycling programs
- Volunteering with senior citizens and
hospital patients
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