click here to learn more!

An acclaimed North Shore institution celebrating 40 years of excellence in training children and adults in the theatre arts.

Offering camps, classes, workshops, and more.

8 4 7. 8 6 6 . 6 5 97 | e va n sto n , i l | p i v e n t h e at r e .o r g

Spend your summer exploring the Colorado Rockiesat Cheley Camps

CLICK HEREfor a Virtual Tour through

our Different Camps

Boy and Girls Ages 9-171-800-CAMP-FUNwww.cheley.com

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contentsc a m p g u i d e 2 0 1 2

great camps listing u

making the case for summer camp uBy Kristina Tober

Not into sports camp? don’t sweat it! uBy Belinda Lichty Clarke

Overnight success: find the right camp for your child uBy Belinda Lichty Clarke

camps for the younger set uBy Laura Tiebert

Love from home: what to send (and not send) to camp uBy Belinda Lichty Clarke

Cover Photo Courtesy CAmP songADeewin

Where Science, Nature & Fun Meet

June 18 – August 17

www.chicagobotanic.org/camp

1000 Cape Moonshine Rd. Piermont, NH 03779

www.campwalt.com | 800.657.8282

Camp Walt Whitmanin the White mountains of neW hampshire

"Camp is my life! Lots of my friends from home go to camp, but they have no idea

what I experience. They don't know how wonderful it is at Walt Whitman..."

— Susie C., Atlanta, Senior Camper

Enroll Today Summer 2012

CLICK HEREfor virtual tour

camp

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camp

making the case for summer camp

By Kristina Tober

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win It’s the same question ev-

ery year: What are my kids going to do this sum-

mer? Should he go to lacrosse camp to get a leg up on fall tryouts? What about math camp to lighten her load this

fall? Better yet, maybe this is the summer to learn Manda-rin? After all, there’s no time like summer to get ahead.

Then that little voice re-minds you that your kids are burned out and need time

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outside, away from technol-ogy. Maybe this is the sum-mer to stop over-thinking it all and send your kids to a traditional sleep-away camp.

More than just funWhile some might deem

this a slacker route, there’s plenty of evidence that good things happen when you go to summer camp.

A study conducted by the American Camp Association

between 2001 and 2004 found that summer camp builds skills for life. Kids become lead-ers—building independence, a sense of adventure and self-confidence—while also learn-ing how to be team players by working together to solve prob-lems and survive failure. These skills define lifelong success better than any report card.

So what’s the magic of camp?

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GettinG dirty in the woods

Kids aren’t just sleeping in the woods. They’re learning to identify poison ivy, spot ani-mal tracks and navigate rush-ing water. They have time to study a bug, ask questions about what they see and learn a new skill. Even better, there’s no technology to distract them.

“If we don’t get our kids into the woods, learning about and loving nature, we’re not going to have people passion-ate enough to save our plan-et in the future,” says Ellen Flight, director of Songadee-win, an all-girls camp and one of three summer camps oper-ated by the Keewaydin Foun-dation in Vermont.

naviGatinG the wild and unpleasant cabin Mates

Camp isn’t always fun. The food is different, the showers

are cold and at least one kid in your cabin will drive you crazy. But with this discom-fort comes a lot of good.

“Old-fashioned sleep-away camp is the best antidote to the extreme nature of our culture,” professes Dr. Wen-dy Mogel, acclaimed clinical psychologist and the author of the best-selling parent-ing books “The Blessing of a Skinned Knee,” and “The Blessing of a B Minus.” “We try to protect our children from every danger, from fail-ure and discomfort. Our goal should be to keep them as safe as necessary, not as safe as possible.”

“Even better, you don’t have your nervous, over-intel-ligent, meddling parents there to step in and save you,” Mo-gel says. “You have to learn to be a team player, sleep on an

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uncomfortable bed, and get along with the annoying kid in your cabin.”

All this “good suffering” prepares kids for the realities of life better than any aca-demic setting.

Learn to work together—or you may not eat

Camp offers authentic experiences and real conse-

quences. If you forgot your raincoat, mom can’t bring it and you will get soaked walk-ing in the woods. If you aren’t willing to paddle, the canoe will not move. Skipped the mosquito repellent? Prepare to scratch.

“Kids learn what they are capable of, particularly in the wilderness,” says J.R. Verkamp, director of Kooch-i-Ching, an all-boys wilder-ness camp in Minnesota. “It’s amazing to see on a canoe trip how each boy figures out what he can do to help. More importantly, each begins to quickly understand that if I don’t do my part, everyone suffers. And through this process of working together as a community and helping others, these kids are building confidence and character.”

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SUMMER 2012 PROGRAMSJUN E 11 TH THROUGH LA T E AUGUS TA thoughtful, process-driven acting program for the professionally minded student. Summer classes offered in musical theatre, filmmaking and audition technique. All classes taught by industry professionals.

TO REGISTER, CALL (847) 251-8710SEE PROGRAMS ONLINE AT WWW.WILMETTETHEATRE.COM/ATC

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kids relish their summer vacation, so finding the right summer camp is hugely important, especially for work-ing parents who require all-day options.

Fortunately, living within a few miles of one of the largest cities in the country has its advantages, especially if your kid has the creative bug or likes nontraditional outdoor activities.

not into sports camp? don’t sweat it!

By Belinda Lichty Clarke

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AiC CampThe Art Institute of Chicago offers part- and full-day sum-mer camps for children ages 6 to 13. Students have the oppor-tunity to work on daily visual and performing arts projects, but they also spend time ex-ploring the museum as well as venturing out into the city to discover public art, parks and monuments. Topics include painting, drawing, sculpture, performance, printmaking, mixed media and other artis-tic endeavors. Each camp has a distinct focus so it’s different each session.

ecology Camp uFor kids who love the out-doors, the Evanston Ecology Center offers a camp that blends physical activity with a learning-focused, natural perspective. While it caters

to kids from kindergarten through sixth grade, the chil-dren are divided into groups to further customize the ac-tivities. The older group, for example, has the opportunity to participate in an overnight excursion. All campers get weekly beach days and cook-outs. Other activities include science experiments, field trips, games, live performanc-es, and arts and crafts.

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Facets Film CampFacets Film Camp, held in Chicago, is part of a year-round program run by the producers of the Chicago In-ternational Children’s Film Festival. Their summer camp, now a decade old, gives kids ages 7 to 14 a foundation in the various aspects of film-making including technique, language and process. Kids explore film vocabulary, sto-ryboarding, camera work, lighting, sound recording, theory, screenwriting and more.

sheridan shore sailing school uSheridan Shore Sailing School (at Wilmette Harbor) has a fleet of 30 boats of vary-ing sizes and an experienced instruction team to teach kids how to get the most out of the

sport, while having a blast. For kids ranging from 8 to 18, the school offers beginner to advanced classes that meet Monday through Friday, in the mornings or afternoons. They have a racing team for more experienced sailors. Lit-tler kids (ages 6 to 8) can join in the fun, too, through eve-ning, 90-minute Sea Squirt classes, which run three days a week.

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Jay’s CampJay’s Camp, located in Long Grove, describes itself as “the most personalized camp on the North Shore,” because of its limited enrollment and ex-pansive range of activities. Set on 12 acres with sessions for kids pre-K to ninth grade, Jay and Sherry Silverman have been running the camp since it opened in 1974. Jay’s Camp

offers non-traditional camp activities such as model air-planes, boats and cars; rock-etry; wacky science; photog-raphy; plays and productions; professional dance instruction; gymnastics and much more. “Each program is custom-ized to meet the needs of the individual child,” says Sherry. Each child receives a DVD of his or her experience. Ph

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Towering Pines Campfor boys, since 1946

Camp Woodlandfor girls, since 1970

To the camper, camp is hanging out with friends and having fun!

Parents know it’s about growing up and the power of fun. Learning new skills through activities, and shared living experiences.

Camp is an important part of a child’s education; an investment measured in growth of confidence & lasting interests.

The choice of overnight camp is a vote of confidence in your child. Surrounded by purposeful leaders and family values,

our camp is a safe-haven in an uncertain world.

847-446-7311 s eaglerivercamps.com s info@eaglerivercamps.com

CLICK HERE

for Dates & Rates

CLICK HEREfor Dates & Rates

camp

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Sending your child to an overnight camp isn’t just a financial invest-

ment, it’s an investment in your kid’s happiness, so the right fit is essential.

So how do you know if your child will be okay away from home for a week or lon-ger? According to Ron Levin, director of the Chicago JCC’s Camp Chi in Lake Delton,

overnight success: find the right camp for your child

By Belinda Lichty Clarke

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Wisc., every child is differ-ent, so Levin likes to address specific concerns individually. However, he says there are a few general things that par-ents should consider when deciding if a child will thrive at overnight camp.

“First, we talk to parents about their concerns so we can address them,” Levin says. “If a child likes to participate in activities, likes being around other kids and is social, feels comfortable sleeping over at friends’ houses and has had positive experiences in day camp or at school, then over-night camp is likely a good choice.”

Levin also recommends a few things for parents to consider when selecting a camp, including a good safe-ty record, accreditation by the American Camping Associa-

tion (ACA, acacamps.org), a good camper-to-counselor ratio, a range of facilities that appeals to your kid, and open and effective communication with parents.

“If parents are worried about their child, they can call us for checks-ins or we can call them with updates,” adds Levin.

At McGaw YMCA’s Camp Echo in Fremont, Mich., also ACA-accredited, campers’ photos are uploaded nightly onto a website where parents can see what their kids were up to that day.

One of the key issues par-ents need to address is “readi-ness” for camp, says Rob Gri-erson, who has been affiliated with Camp Echo since 1977 and has served as its direc-tor since 2001. To gauge how a young camper will adapt

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to overnight camp, he uses a checklist from Bob Ditter, a prominent child psycholo-gist who works with camps through the ACA.

“The checklist is not a scorecard, where a certain number of yes answers means ‘ready for camp,’ however, lots of no answers may be an indication that the child is not ready,” Grierson says. “It’s to get parents and chil-dren thinking about what it’s

like to be at camp, away from home and school, with a dif-ferent support structure than they are used to.”

As for the selection pro-cess, Grierson recommends harnessing the power of the web to make a collaborative choice: “Every camp these days has a website with pic-tures. I think parents should pre-screen several camps, then sit with their children and look at the various camp Ph

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websites that meet with the parents’ approval.”

While both camps Chi and Echo offer a broad range of traditional camping ac-tivities, such as swimming, horseback riding, etc., there are also overnight camps de-signed for specific interests, such as Camp Jam, a music-centric overnight camp that has locations nationwide, in-cluding Lake Forest Acade-

my. Camp Jam president Dan Lipson also recommends us-ing the web to help choose the right camp, and says that Camp Jam posts a thorough curriculum on its site to help guide parents. He also en-courages parents to call with specific questions.

“It’s very important for overnight music camps to be specific about the experience and the camper’s skills neces-sary for the best fit,” says Lip-son. “Kids need to look for the music program that offers a well-rounded curriculum for their age group. It’s about having fun, learning your craft and meeting other kids with the same passion.”

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readiness for caMp checklist

For Bob Ditter’s checklist go to makeitbetter.net/readycamp

www.anokijig.com 800-741-6931 Plymouth, wi

• Overnight, resident camp• Boys and girls, ages 7–16• Wide variety of traditional camp activities• Horses, Specialties and Adventure Trips• Sessions from 4 days to 1 or more weeks• Located 2 hours from Chicago• Transportation and scholarships available• Kids love us; parents trust us

Camp anokijigNew Friends Positive Values Personal Growth Outrageous Fun!

click for videoof camP anokijig

NORTH SHORE’S

NORTH SHORE’S

D A Y C A M P

PREMIER

,

Sports  Adventure   Arts  Aquatics 

Ages 3 – 12

847.295.4900  bannerdaycamp.com

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Before you know it, preschool will be out for summer.

As you envision 10 weeks of 14-hour days stretching in front of you, don’t panic—just check our list, then sign up your littlest camper for some summer fun.

for the younger set By laura tiebert

Camp CBg

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Creative Kids CornerKnown for its arts enrich-ment programs, this Skokie-based group offers summer camps in Creative Music and Arts from ages 2 ½ to 6. The youngest group, Lil Sprouts, includes 2 ½-3 1/2-year-olds and meets 9:30 to noon. Kids meet at Marie Murphy School and participate in sand and water play, chalk and ball play, plus music, art, drama, languages and more.

Mid-June through July.847-933-0672

grasshoppersFrom the Summer Stuff Day Camps people, Grasshoppers is an outdoor-based, 2 ½-hour program for 3- and 4-year-olds, held at The First Con-gregational Church of Wil-mette. Choose morning or afternoon, Monday through Thursday. Group time fea-tures music, and there’s the usual sand box, water play, bicycle riding and more.

773-463-4254

Camp CBgFor ages 2 and up, CBG of-fers week-long camps cover-ing gardening, art, science, bugs and more.

Morning, afternoon and all-day options from June through August.847-835-5440 Ph

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CornflakesFor ages 33 months and up, the Winnetka Communi-ty House offers programs featuring adventure walks, swimming, and arts and crafts. Morning, afternoon and extended day programs.

Mid-June through July.847-446-7615

Giggle GangThe Northfield Park Dis-trict runs a program for kids ages 3 to 5 at the Northfield Community Center, featur-ing arts and crafts, show and tell, water days and group activities.

Options for three or five days a week, mid-June through July.847-446-4428

Kaleidoscope School of ArtImaginative and therapeutic art classes for ages 4 and up at this picturesque school on Bar-rington’s Main Street. Draw-ing, painting and paper mache classes run for 1 ½ hours each morning, Monday through Friday, all summer long.

Mid-June through July.847-381-4840

Kid Motion Movement and gym time for kids ages 2 ½ to 4 ½ at Kid Motion’s indoor playground. Each week the kids take an Ph

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imaginary adventure trip to the zoo, pond, dinosaur dig and more, all within the group’s Winnetka gym.

Mid-June to end of July.847-251-8984

Language Stars Summer Camps uFrench or Spanish camps for kids ages 3 1/2 to 7 at the Wilmette-based language school. Indoor and outdoor water games, relay races, arts and crafts, cooking, treasure hunts and more.

Mid-June to mid-August (10 weeks).847-256-8000

Leapfrog ProgramRun by Northwestern Uni-versity’s Center for Talent Development, the program

provides innovative academ-ics for young, academically talented students in grades Pre-K through 3rd. Leapfrog classes are a one-week enrich-ment curriculum, including substantial hands-on activi-ties in such areas as life sci-ence, earth science, geometry, problem-solving, math and detective stories.

Three one-week sessions in July.847-491-3782

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theartcenterhp.org l 847.432.1888

June 18th-August 10th

EXPLORE, IMAGINE AND CREATE THROUGH ART!

EXPLORE,IMAGINE, & CREATE

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The days of carb-and-sugar-loaded care packages are long

over. And for those moms looking to buck the system by including a stealth Snickers bar or two, don’t bother.

“Camp Echo and most other camps will not allow campers to receive food in care packages (too many critters find the food and help them-selves),” says Katie Trippi,

alumni and development di-rector for Evanston’s McGaw YMCA Camp Echo, which is located in Fremont, Michigan.

“At Echo, all care packag-es are opened by campers in front of staff who confiscate any food items. These items are then donated to a local food pantry.”

So how can you send your favorite camper a little love from home? Here are some

love from homewhat to send (and not send) to Camp

By Belinda Lichty Clarke

camp

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suggestions for non-edible care package goodies.

According to Trippi, Camp Echo encourages par-ents to send items that can be worked into camp activities, for example crazy costumes and dress-up accessories for a Wacky Wednesday they host at the camp.

She adds that it helps to send group activities for the whole cabin to enjoy, such as do-it-yourself spa treatments for girls, and card games and magic tricks for boys.

Eileen Zampa, an Evan-ston mom with three boys, two of whom are veteran overnight campers, says she made sure to include the “messiest stuff” possible in her care packages, in other words, things that boys love that she didn’t want them do-ing at home.

“Silly String was the biggest hit with my boys followed by Silly Putty and comic books,” Zampa says. “And, some sort of foam in a can that came in wild colors.”

Ideas for Boys

SoapSilly PuttyMagic TricksPostcardsComic BooksHacky Sack

Ideas for Girls

Do-it-yourself spa itemsDress-up accessoriesBooksPostcardsMagazinesJump Rope

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Academy @ Citadel theatre lake Forest, il | 847-735-8554 citadeltheatre.org

Actors training Center at the wilmette theatre wilmette, il | 847-251-8710 actorstrainingcenter.com

Apachi Day Camps of JCC Chicago northbrook, lake Zurich, and Chicago, il | 847-272-7050 gojcc.org/daycamp

c a m p L i s t i N g s

the Art Center of highland Park highland Park, il | 847-432-1888 theartcenterhp.org

Baker summer Discovery wilmette, il | 847-425-5814 bakerdemschool.org

Banner Day Camp lake Forest, il | 847-295-4900 bannerdaycamp.com

Big Blue swim school glenview, il | 847-729-Pool bigblueswimschool.com

Camp Anokijig Plymouth, wi | 800-741-6931 anokijig.com

camp

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Camp CBG at the Chicago Botanic Garden Glencoe, IL | 847-835-8361 chicagobotanic.org/camp

Camp Hope Lake Forest, IL | 312-401-HOPE camphopeillinois.org

Camp Hug the Bear Northbrook, IL | 847-509-9400 nssra.org/programs

Camp Jam Lake Forest, IL | 800-513-0930 campjam.com/chicago

Camp Walt Whitman Piermont, NH | 800-657-8282 campwalt.com

Camp Woodland for Girls Eagle River, WI | 800-882-7034 campwoodland.com

Cheley Colorado Camps Estes Park, CO 800-CAMP-FUN | cheley.com

Foss Swim School Highland Park, IL | 847-266-3677 fossswimschool.com

Game On! Sports Camp 4 Girls Lake Forest and Chicago, IL Decatur, MI | 847-229-9959 gameonsportscamp.com

Greenwoods Camp for Boys Decatur, MI | 888-459-2492 lwcgwc.com

Harand Theatre Camp Kenosha, WI | 847-864-1500 harandcamp.com

Illinois Baseball Academy Wilmette, IL | 847-899-3620 illinoisbaseballacademy.com

JCC Camp Chi Lake Delton, WI | 847-763-3551 campchi.com

Lake of the Woods Camp for Girls Decatur, MI | 888-459-2492 lwcgwc.com

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Loras College All-Sports Camp Dubuque, IA | 563-588-7053 lorasallsportscamps.com

Monmouth College All-Sports Camp Monmouth, IL | 309-457-2345 monmouthallsportscamp.com

Music Institute of Chicago Evanston, IL | Highland Park, IL Lake Forest, IL | Winnetka, IL 847-905-1500 | musicinst.org

McGaw YMCA Camp Echo Fremont, MI | 847-475-7400 ymcacampecho.org

New Vision Athletics Summer Sports Experience Lake Forest, IL | 847-295-0682 newvisionathletics.com

North Shore Country Day School Summer Programs Winnetka, IL | 847-441-3350 nscdscamps.org

North Suburban YMCA Northbrook, IL | 847-272-7250 nsymca.org

Northwestern Girls Soccer Academy Evanston, IL | 847-467-5297 nugirlssoccercamps.com

Northwestern Soccer Camps Evanston, IL | 847-491-4392 nusoccercamps.com

Panther Camp Lake Forest, IL | 847-975-4865 panthercamp.com

Park District of Highland Park Highland Park, IL 847-831-3810 | pdhp.org

Piven Theatre Workshop Evanston, IL | 847-866-6597 piventheatre.org

Red Pine Camp for Girls Minocqua, WI | 715-356-6231 redpinecamp.com

SuperCamp Various locations 800-285-3276 | supercamp.com

Towering Pines for Boys Eagle River, WI | 800-882-7034 toweringpinescamp.com

www.lorasallsportscamps.com u www.monmouthallsportscamp.com

Loras College and Monmouth Collegewhere sportsmanship and athletic skills grow

Register Online Feb 7thFor Summer 2012

Harand Camp of the

Theatre Arts est. 1955

Contact Us! 847-864-1500

harandcamp@aol.com www.harandcamp.com

Where “No Man Is an Island” and EVERYONE is a STAR!

SINGING, DANCING, ACTING SPORTS & ACTIVITIES CO-ED, AGES 7 TO 18 NON-COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT MODERN FACILITIES ON LAKE MICHIGAN 1, 3, AND 6 WEEK OVERNIGHT SESSIONS