Going the Distance at Maine Camps

By Laurie, the Campcierge™As the director of Maine Camp Experience and as the mom of two Maine campers, I’ve been asked the question – but is Maine too far?  I’ve gotten this question both from non-Maine residents who would be sending their kids to camp from their home state to Maine, and also from in-state Mainers who feel that the camp could be too far within the state from their home.  Here are three thoughts on the matter ….

• As a Maine camp parent from Connecticut wisely said in a guest blog … she views camp like a vacation. You shouldn’t necessarily choose the closest location – you should choose the destination that offers the most. All the benefits of camp in Maine – the natural beautiful lakes, the temperate climate, the vast spaces for wonderful fields and facilities, the incredible trips to memorable destinations and more for your kids (not to mention that parents, too, enjoy visiting “Vacationland” when their kids attend camp in Maine) – make Maine the best destination for camp.
• Keep in mind that your child is only doing the trip to camp once and back once.  My kids, and many others, traveled a distance when they were younger to attend day camp (in our case, 40+ minutes including multiple stops to pick up more kids) each way – and that was daily!  When your kids attend overnight camp – the one bus, plane, or car trip each way is well worth the summer or session they will spend at camp. Maine camps welcome more than 20,000 kids each summer who come from every state in the US and more than 30 countries abroad, so many know – it’s worth the trip!
• You have to trust your directors. When parents choose a camp, they are putting the well-being of their children in the directors’ care. Parents should feel confident that staff provides good supervision, good medical care, and anything else kids will need as directors act in loco parentis. Phone calls and in-person visits at home or at camp with the directors should help ease concern about your child being away from you and home.  And, this is your child’s time, too, to gain independence as they learn to navigate the world around them on their own, away from their parents, with guidance from staff. I know there may be extenuating circumstances but in general … when kids “go the distance” to their camp in Maine, they thrive and that’s more important than counting their miles from home. — Maine Camp Experience Resources & Tools

You can share your own Maine camps memories & expressions of gratitude on our Memories of Camp section of our website.

Looking for the perfect Maine camp for your child?  Try out our helpful tool where you can select a camp by choosing: type of camp (girls, boys or coed) and session length (1-8 weeks).  It helps to narrow down a few camps to a manageable list that includes rates.  Then you can research these camps in more depth.

Next, be sure to  to discuss these camps as well as for free, year-round advice and assistance on choosing a great Maine summer camp for your child.