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Summer Camp: a summer your kids will NEVER forget, I know I haven’t!

11 April 2019

By: Jenn Grandlienard

Some of my favorite memories from childhood took place at an overnight summer camp in Pennsylvania. I made friends I still keep in touch with. I learned new things like archery that I never would’ve even considered attempting in a different time or place. And I even participated in a ¼ mile swim at the crack of dawn one year.

Let me tell you, I was so excited about that swim. However, I had slightly overestimated my athletic abilities, forgetting that swimming is infinitely harder than the average run or walk. In order to participate, you had to have a friend who was willing to also wake up at the crack of dawn to count your laps for you. I always attended camp with my best friend Becky, so she was the obvious candidate. She reluctantly agreed to be my lap counter, and we both headed down the steep hill (no joke, it was really, really steep) to the pool the morning of the swim. Of course once we got there I realized I had forgotten my towel, so since I had to get in the pool and begin warming up, she lovingly agreed to walk all the way back up the steep hill to our cabin to retrieve my towel. She’s the best, right? Well, I finished my warm up and got out of the pool just in time to see her slip and completely wipe out at the bottom of the hill and get herself completely covered in mud. It was all I could do not to pee myself from laughing so hard. (Of course after making sure she was ok!)

That was over 15 years ago, and I can remember it like it was yesterday. The look on Becky’s face when she stood up covered head-to-toe in mud. The difficulty in trying not to crack up at her wipe-out, (anyone else find people falling completely hilarious?? Cue America’s Funniest Home Videos, please!) and thanking her a million times for being such a great friend. Oh and the swim? It was absolutely horrible. I started off great, but a few laps into it I remembered how INSANELY hard swimming was. I did finish it, but I was not a happy camper. (Pun intended…) But no matter the circumstance, that and other memories from summer camp are some of the best ones ever.

The good news is that your child can have the same opportunity as I did to make forever friends and everlasting memories at summer camp! Our very own YMCA of Greater Dayton holds an overnight summer camp every year called Camp Kern. Kids ages 5-16 can attend anywhere from one to eight weeks during their summer. They can experiment with activities such as swimming, archery, (I would be horrible at it now, but it was fun to try for a week!) rock climbing, drama and so much more. As the kids get older, more extreme sports activities are offered, anywhere from canoeing to ziplining! Camp Kern will be a summer experience your kids will never forget!