New York Vacation Camps for Kids

Here's a camp that sounds like so much fun, I wish I could go!

The Wellspring camps is a network of seven camps around the conutry focused on healthy lifestyle training and weight loss for kids who need a body image boost and exposure to ideas and strategies they can take home and apply over a lifetime. The camp in NY state is on a beautiful site on the lower St. Regis lake in the gorgeous Adirondaks. The kids can take gourmet cooking classes that incorporate lessons on healthy ingredients and cooking methods. The training in healthy eating is enhanced by the activities that help take off weight and build muscle in their "ropes course, mountain climbing, aerobic kick boxing, canoeing, yoga, hiking, soccer, swimming" and lots of other activities that burn calories with energetic fun. The camp was written up in the NY Times as offering a course that is different from other traditional "weight loss camps" by using a strong self-monitoring "cognitive behavioral approach. A Wellspring study indicated that 91% of the kids maintained their weight or continued to lose at least six months after attending camp. Yoga, walks, and 8-10 other activities in the water and on land burn calories for the girls while they have a great time doing them!
Tuition before insurance reimbursement $5,350 for 4 weeks and $8,650 for 8 weeks.
There is an additional Adventure Camps fee of $400. Contact your insurance company beforehand to get an idea of how to save your money and make your kid's stay more affordable. They state on the site that typical reimbursements will save you about $1,300 on your tuition. Call the camp toll-free at 800-364-0808 or apply with their online form. One last bit of advice I would give is to look at what the parents and young girs have said about the program. It definitely sends home happier, more positive kids who regain positive self-images and healthier bodies.

New York has lakes, low mountains, rivers and valleys of immense beauty. It's a great place for New Englanders to consider for a nearby camping experience for your energetic and naturally curious kids.

National Golf Camps in the beautiful Lake Placid area of the Adirondaks is all about golf, golf, golf. Its founder is listed as a "legendary PGA professional" and is listed in the top national instructors list put out by the Consumer Research Council of 2002. Their training is personalized for each child, based on kids' abilities and style of learning. The camp accepts kids aged 8-17 yrs. old and offer either one-wk. or two-wk stays. One wk. costs $1,025 plus green fees and two wks. There are other activities to break the day of golf and give valuable experiences in swimming, archery and canoeing. http://www.nationalgolfcamps.com/ They specialize in teaching PGA rules, etiquette, proper club use, and many other facets of this tournament-style of playing. But they teach it with a spirit of fun to get the kids to discover their own talents and grow in skills. http://www.childrenscamps.com/lpranch.html The Ranch Camp is located in Lake Clear, NY, Kids live dormitory "bunk" style and dine together on super buffet meals, with a weekly chuck wagon barbecue. Between the riding and all camping activities your kid is almost constantly busy having fun. All activities are infused with a "campfire" philosophy. The Kids feed and tend their horses in the morning before a hearty breakfast, then they're off for a day of riding activities. Swimming, hiking, volleyball and arts and crafts round out the days for fun galore and lots of riding. Days end around a roaring campfire where songs, folklore and tales are traded. Your kid can even spend an entire two-wk. session for $7,200 or just stay for the month-long Sessions one or two for $3,960. A special two-wk. session for $2,200 can be an option too. All enrollments with their deposits must be paid in full by March 29, 1007. No refunds can be given after Feb. 28 of this year.
Click on the picture gallery to see former campers and some beautiful shots of the surrounding mountains!http://www.wellspringcamps.com/