I have been sending my boys to day camps since they were three. Mind you at 3 they only went to half day camps. They always love them.

At 7 my eldest goes to the full day version.

Couple of things that have helped. We usually arrange for him to go with one of his friends. That way we share the driving time for drop offs and pick-ups with the other parents and they have someone they know to go with. Of course if you are sending siblings then that might work out well.

already booked. We actually rounded up 12 kids/parents and booked a week of ice time in mid-august. Worked out to be $56.00 a kid. We are having his coach from this year run them through a bunch of drills, mostly focusing on game rules. off-sides. icing etc, as the kids are moving from initiation to Novice this year.

Some camps are definately worth it. However sometimes these camp''s cost doesn''t correlate well to the actual thing the child is getting out of it. Just make sure you look closely at the camp before you send him off to it.

That''s my other concern, it want this to be enjoyable for Ben and not a chore. I''d really like him to have great memories of the experience.

I really hated camp. I got sent to one that was very pretty and nice on the outside, but in the bunks were exposed nails, the counsellors would get drunk at night and sleep all day, and violence was rather common. Last I heard the place was under investigation.

So, only advice I can give is don''t force your kids to go to camp if they don''t want to go.

You know, I heard that Bear is looking to adopt. **wink wink** I will ask him for you if you want.

I loved summer camp when I was a kid. I went to one in the Tennessee mountains for three weeks and I always hated coming home. Granted, my last year there some kid was molested by a councelor... I would imagine his experience was a little different than mine...

I should start a summer camp.

0600 - Wake up
0610 - Personal Hygiene
0630 - Morning Physical Training
0715 - Morning Meal
0745 - Basic Rifle Marksmanship
0930 - Trail Mix Making
1030 - Explosives Familiarization
1115 - Hand to Hand Combat
1200 - Brown Bag Lunch
1230 - Nap Time
1300 - Employ a Crew Served Weapon in a Defensive Action
1345 - Wallet Making, Basket Weaving, or Ghillie Suit Theory
1500 - Prepare Fortified Fighting Position
1600 - Write Letters to Home
1630 - Bayonet Training
1700 - Evening Meal
1745 - Phone Calls, Camp Store
1830 - Free Time
2030 - Campfire Basics
2045 - Incendiary Grenades as Psychological Weapons
2100 - Roast Smores
2130 - Execute Sleep Plan

On second thought... I may get bombed as a terrorist training camp.

I would definitely send Ben to this camp, he''d love it. I''d have to stay with him all day just to learn...uh...make sure he''s safe!

As for your concern, no one is bombing the wacko seperatists are they? Well except for that whole Waco incident.

I went to a day camp for about 5 years in a row. It''s not the best thing in the world, but it''s nothing to be concerned about. Most of the people who will be really interacting with the kids are younger (under 25,) university students, doing it for summer work.

Now, I''ve also been to a two-week stay camp, which was very cool. If you''re hesitating, just go with a respected organization, (despite the fact that I was forced to go to their church thing, I still enjoyed the hell out of my stay at the YMCA Camp Elfinstone.)

The thing about day camps is that Canteen Boy couldn''t really happen. Night-camps... maybe, MAYBE. But in day camps there''s really no opportunity. The thing you SHOULD worry about, if you''ve got to worry about anything, is an irresponsible supervisor who lets your kid wander off and eat poop, or something.

This is true, but I argue that you would get the best discipline and fitness levels from your ""campers"" with enhanced martial arts training, not to mention the superior alertness and response times, which can be employed in other areas. Just my biased Kung Fu opinion, of course

As for summer camp, I say send the kids away. I loved summer camp when I was young - it was a fantastic experience, and let me develop many skills I later found useful in life.

I''ve both been to and staffed quite a few camps for the Boy Scouts... and while there are many problems with the ol'' BSA these days, I wouldn''t hesitate to send my kid (who shows up in three weeks or so... I should be really be more ready for this) to one. There are so many things you learn in Scouts that you don''t get exposed to normally (no pun intended ) and I really appreciate all the training/interesting experiences I got.

Just don''t expect things to go perfectly... view it as a great way teach perseverance in the face of adversity.

Both of my sons will be in the Boy Scouts. I started as a Cub Scout and went all the way through the program, getting my Eagle in 1985.

I went to summer camp for six years in a row and had a blast every single time, and there was never, ever anything bogus going on . . . unless you count the Camp Staff at the local Scout camp getting busted for growing marijuana . . . that was one merit badge I never earned! In fact, it was at a Scout camp where I played my first RPG--Dungeons & Dragons--back in the late 1970s. Hmmm. That wasn''t a merit badge either.

So, if you''re thinking about Scout Camp, I too give it a nod of approval.

Squid! My infantry school didn''t have nap time.

Ours did - it was from 0200-0400 after that stupid firewatch in which you heard nothing but rattle snakes in the leaves around the area. The only thing I didnt like about good old Camp Geiger (Camp DevilDog) was the snakes - me no likey the snakes.