Camp Carew: A Summer Church Camp in Illinois for Children

Are your children looking for something to do or somewhere to go this summer? It's hard to find that right kind of camp to send your children to so that you can know that they will be safe, and know will have a good time. Church camps can almost always promise children a great experience with memories that will last forever, and also provide a great schedule with plenty of activities and of course an experience of learning about God that they will never forget. If you are looking for a church camp, you can always check in with the pastor at your church to see if he has current programs available for your child to attend. If you can't afford the full cost of the summer camp program, there's no reason to worry, because most churches always offer a special grant program that can help pay your child's way into summer church camp.

If your church doesn't know of any camps nearby, you can always do some research as well. One great camp in Illinois is Camp Carew which is in Southern, Illinois. It is a wonderful camp with caring and attentive staff who are a great support system for your children. Camp Carew is located 9 miles south of Carbondale. It is on Little Grassy Lake and near the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge and Shawnee Forest. It's deep within the tall trees and beautiful green forest scenery in Southern, IL. Some of the favorite accessories that come along with this camp is a long old wooden bridge that suspends above the river, and leads from the children's camp area to the Senior's camp Hogan area. During free time, many of the teens love lounging on this bridge and looking over the waters, while the young children laugh and play, running, chasing each other on it.

Camp Carew offers a variety of camps throughout the summer that they can attend, and also they provide Counselors in Training camp for those wishing to be a counselor during one other week in the summer as well. They offer camps for children as young as Kindergarten such as the mini and day camps. Mini camps are for about 3 days providing children with bible studies, arts and crafts, hiking, and more. Day camps are Monday-Friday: 9am-4pm that offers children the camp experience while still getting to go home at the end of the day. This would be a great way to introduce your children to camp before they begin staying for days or a week at a time.

Each camp offers a variety of activities and discoveries for the summer. Every child is provided with sleeping areas either in a cabin or hoagan. Everybody is given three meals a day, (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), and also a snack as well. All of the children who attend camp for the week get their turn at helping setting the tables, and clearing them as well. Every activity is a team effort from all campers.

Some of the descriptions of other camps offered at Camp Carew are:

Discovery Camp (5th-8th): has nature activities. hiking, star gazing, sailing, canoeing, etc.

Mad Camp: (grades 5-12): has activities for music, art, and drama. Plenty of creative things to do such as singing, performing, drawing, painting, and more.

Horseback Camp: (grades 5-12): Regular camp activities included with horseback riding. Includes a special trail ride trip. for junior and senior highs.

General Camp: (for younger campers and senior campers- (high school- college freshman)
Bible study, arts and crafts, swimming time, canoeing, and more. Towards the end of the week, seniors get to take a long canoe trip where they have one of their bible studies on a little island like setting. Also at the end of the week is a talent show and a dance as well for all of those who attended the general camp.
*At the end of the week during general camp, there's a candle-lit special night bible study that begins by the fire with songs and bible reading. The study ends by the bridge where a memorizing cross is lit up completely by candlelight, and canoes carry it across the river. This usually marks the end of a beautiful week at Camp Carew.

CIT (Counselors in Training)
This camp is provided for those who wish to be counselors during the summer. They have regular camp activities and have training activities to provide them with the essentials of becoming a camp counselor. Counselors can go to CIT camp with also the agreement they will work one week out of the summer as well.

All camps promise a memorable experience, and each time children leave it sometimes can be a sad experience. They leave behind new and old friends, memories, and a time and experience that they will always remember. Although, that summer is over, there will always be next summer that the children will be begging to come back. If you happen to be too old to be a camper that next summer, you can come back as a counselor getting a chance to help children have the experiences that you had as a child during your stay at Camp Carew.