Summer Camps - A World Of Adventure! (p.42)

Summer camps may seem like they're a world away, but actually, it's time to register for many of them. Overnight camps, especially, start filling early. Traditional overnight camps are a wonderful way for a child to experience independence, try new activities, and gain confidence. They're a place where kids can experience summer as it was meant to be – a time to discover, to make friends, to kick back – and above all, to have fun. With friends and counselors cheering them on, campers might challenge themselves on a ropes course, conquer a climbing wall, or kayak across a lake.

Somewhere between the first rope and the course's end, the top of a slide and splashdown, the first paddle and the far side of the lake, campers get more than a great back-to-school story – they get a sense of accomplishment, appreciation of their abilities, and a new perspective on what they can achieve. At an overnight camp, kids also experience the value of unstructured time. Spending time with friends, kicking around a soccer ball, and splashing in a pool or lake make for carefree summer days and memories that last a lifetime.

At the center of the camper experience is cabin life. A cabin housing all girls or all boys of similar ages and their counselors is the perfect setting for good conversation, quiet games, and maybe even a silly story or two.

One local camp that has all this is Camp Kanata in Wake Forest. From morning reveille until evening taps, Kanata is alive with activity. Campers have a blast on both the land and water, with activities like canoeing, swimming, fishing, archery, dance, drama, arts, and more. Because campers get to choose their activities, they have the opportunity to enjoy old favorites and try new things, whether it's swinging like Tarzan into the lake or navigating the ropes courses.

Camp Kanata offers a day camp as well, with most of the same ac-tivities as their overnight camp. Kanata day camp is for kids in rising grades 1 to 6, while the overnight camp is for ages 6 to 15. Each session is one week long, from June through August, yet campers may enroll in more than one week at a time. If your child is ready to try an overnight camp right away, Kanata offers a mini camp March 9–11.

There will be a wide variety of other summer day camps in the area. Many offer sports, arts, and a broad range of specialties. Others provide traditional camp activities. Camps are currently registering campers, or will be soon, so remember that summer's coming – and now's the time to get ready!