My son had turned 10 and I knew this summer should be more than day care and soccer games. I wondered if SUMMER CAMP was the answer.

Today, my son is 15 and has attended Swift Nature Camp for, four years and he will return for as long as we can. He loves it. His ADHD seems to be little trouble at camp.

The hands-on approach to leadership by the counselors and directors is great. Camp has worked on his social skill development and confidence-building.

Jeff and Lonnie, along with enthusiastic counselors, provide an excellent atmosphere that encourages positive traits to rise to the surface. My son has developed greater peer understanding and empathy, greater self-confidence and trust, better leadership skills, an understanding of group dynamics and fair process and many other valuable lifelong skills.

I felt nervous, like any parent, sending a child to a place that I had never been to before, but it was really worth it! As I talked to Jeff and Lonnie over the phone I realized that the Discovery Camp was best or him and me. A special program for the First Time Going Camp

The Directors willingness to discuss any and all question, made it easy to calm my fears then making the decision easy. So off my son went taking the bus to camp, Yet, I picked him up when camp was over so I could see first-hand all what Swift nature camp was all about.

During the 8-hour journey home, he was so excited about Swift that I’m not sure he took a breath between stories.

I feel the Swift Nature Camp website is extremely through and tells you everything you need to know. I love the way camp is set up. The cabins are by gender and age and do activities together, including laundry and cabin clean up.

In the afternoons the campers can pick from a variety of typical camp activities (arts & crafts, archery, swimming, etc.).

This Environmental Camp provides awareness and preservation of nature. The Nature Center is complete with microscopes and lots of hands on activities. There is also a small petting zoo of well-adored animals. But most fun for the kids is chasing frogs and turtles outdoors.

Laughter, games, campfires, food, sports, fun, drama, singing,are all what makes this overnight camp experience one my son will remembers for his entire life.

I appreciate that this isn’t a “sports camp” or “education camp” or something ultra specific. Its back to traditional being outdoors having fun sort of camp. Kids at SNC get to be kids and by experiencing all sorts of different activities and a diverse set of campers and counselors. They learn more about themselves than at a specialized camp with specific goals.

My son learns each summer. We have noticed wonderful improvement in his attitude along with manners and abilities. He is more mature, pleasant and competent. You can not put a price on his experiences and the social education he has gained from Swift Nature Camp.

As a joke i used to say that you can find math, reading, or science tutors but no tutors for social skills. Well we were wrong! Summer Camp and specifically Swift Nature Camp is exactly what my son needed at exactly the right time in his life.

If you are thinking about away-camp for your child, please consider SNC. Primarily I think of it as a non-competitive, confidence-building camp where kids get to be kids. I know it is the best thing we ever did for our son.

I have to give great thanks Jeff, Lonnie and their dedication to children, the fabulous counselors, cooks, nurses, etc. A new goal of his these days is to stay at camp till he can be a counselor. That says a lot about a summer camp!

You can also find more information on how to pick a summer camp at this website FINDING a CAMP

He was 10 and I knew he was looking for more than a summer of day care and TV shows. So i wondered if SUMMER CAMP was the right place for my son.

My son, currently 15, has attended Swift Nature Camp for four years and we are going to send him back for as long as we can. He loves it. He has ADHD and is very smart, but has trouble at school with attention-seeking ploys.

The counselors and directors at SNC have a great, hands-on approach to leadership, social skills development and confidence-building.

Lonnie and the enthusiastic counselors, provide a wonderful atmosphere that encourages positive traits. For my son he developed greater peer understanding and empathy. Greater self-confidence and trust and better leadership skills. His understanding of group dynamics and many other valuable lifelong skills grew at camp.

At first I felt nervous sending him to a place I had never seen, but it was really worth it! I talked to Jeff and Lonnie over the phone before I signed him up for the Discovery Camp . A special program for the First time at Camp

They we eager to listen to any question I had and their understanding made the decision easy. My son rode the bus to camp, but I picked him up at the end. That way I could see first-hand all of the wonderful activities he got to do.

His excitement for Swift was limitless. I’m not sure if he took a breath between stories on the whole 8 hour journey home!

I feel the Swift Nature Camp website is extremely through and tells you everything you need to know. I love the way camp is set up. The cabins are by gender and age and do activities together, including laundry and cabin clean up.

In the afternoons the campers can choose a variety of typical camp activities (arts & crafts, archery, swimming, horses and much more).

This Environmental Camp provides awareness and preservation of nature. The Nature Center is complete with microscopes and lots of hands on activities. There is also a small petting zoo of well-adored animals. But most fun for the kids is chasing frogs and turtles outdoors.

Like most camps there is plenty of laughter, games, campfires, food, sports, fun, drama, singing, etc. This is what makes this overnight (residential) camp an experience every camper remembers for their entire life.

I appreciate that this isn’t a “sports camp” or “education camp” or something ultra specific. Its back to traditional being outdoors having fun sort of camp. Kids at SNC get to be kids and by experiencing all sorts of different activities and a diverse set of campers and counselors. They learn more about themselves than at a specialized camp with specific goals.

My son has learned so much from SNC. We have noticed a big difference in his attitude, manners and abilities. He is more mature, pleasant and competent. These experiences and social education are worth any price.

As parents, we joke tit is easy to find math, reading, or science tutors but know one tutors in social skills. We were wrong! We found exactly what my son needed at exactly the right time in his life.

Please consider away camp for your child. You will be glad you did! And Check our Swift. I think what makes this such a special place is that it is a non-competitive, confidence-building camp where kids get to be kids. I know it is the best thing we ever did for our son.

I have to give great thanks Jeff, Lonnie and their dedication to children, the fabulous counselors, cooks, nurses, etc. A new goal of his these days is to stay at camp till he can be a counselor. That says a lot about a summer camp!

You can also find more information on how to pick a summer camp at this website FINDING a CAMP

Illinois Summer Camp are a great place for your kid. The .American Camp Association suggest you ask these top 10 questions.

What’s the camp’s Purpose? Is it Sports? Is it Traditional? Os it Science? Are you comfortable with this ? Is it a good fit for your child? Is competition or cooperation emphasized? Do you want religious observances or practices? Try to understand all parts of the program

How does the camp recruit, screen and train its staff? Do counselors have criminal background checks? First aid training? Drug Testing?

What about Staff and Camper return rates? How many counselors are returning this year 50% is a good numbers. How many campers return? Fifty percent is good, and more is better. Still looking for that perfect camp Check out this Summer Camps Illinois

What’s the ratio of counselors to campers? ACA guidelines for overnight camps call for a 1:6 ratio for ages 7 and 8, 1:8 for ages 9-14; and 1:10 for ages 15-18. Day camp guidelines call for 1:8 for children ages 6-8; 1:10 for children ages 9-14; and 1:12 for ages 15-18.

How old are the counselors? The ACA recommends that 80 percent of the staff be 18 or older and that all staffers be at least 16 and a minimum of two years older than the campers they supervise.

Is a Nurse at hand? The ACA recommends that an sleepaway camps have a physician or nurse on the site daily. If your camper has medications, food allergies or a medical condition, be sure you ask all your questions and are comfortable.

How does the camp handle conflicts and Discipline? Find out what the camp’s rules are and what breaches would result in a camper being sent home. You should be comfortable that the camp’s practices are in line with your parenting practices.

What is a day at camp like? This will help you know if your child will find happiness with the level of activity. Is their choice in selecting activities.

Does the camp have vans for transportation? How often are camp vehicles inspected? Who will be driving them and what’s the training.

Get References and more References, Get the names of parents with children who have attended the camp. They will tell you what makes camp so special and why they want to return.

Still looking for that perfect camp Check out this Summer Camps

Still looking for a resource to help you sort out all the summer camp confusion? Try Selecting a Camp

So you are thinking about a Illinois Summer Camp for your child. GREAT! Here are the top 10 questions to ask a summer camp director. This list was compiled by the .American Camp Association

What’s the camp’s philosophy? Is it one you’re comfortable with? Is it a good match for your child? Is competition or cooperation emphasized? If it’s a camp run by a religious organization, what religious observances or practices are part of the program? If you’re looking at a sports camp that touts an affiliation with a celebrity athlete, how much time–if any–will the sports star actually spend there?

What does camp do with staff? First aid training? Drug Testing? Do counselors have criminal background checks? What’s the training all about?

What about return rates? How many counselors are returning this year? How many campers are returning? ask the director why? Still looking for that perfect camp Check out this Summer Camps Illinois

What’s the ratio of counselors to campers? ACA guidelines for overnight camps call for a 1:6 ratio for ages 7 and 8, 1:8 for ages 9-14; and 1:10 for ages 15-18. Day camp guidelines call for 1:8 for children ages 6-8; 1:10 for children ages 9-14; and 1:12 for ages 15-18.

What’s the age of Staff ? Eighty percent of the staff be 18 or older and that all staffers be at least 16 and a minimum of two years older than the campers they supervise.

Is a Nurse at hand? The ACA recommends that an sleepaway camps have a physician or nurse on the site daily. If your camper has medications, food allergies or a medical condition, be sure you ask all your questions and are comfortable.

How does the camp handle conflicts and Discipline? Find out what the camp’s rules are and what breaches would result in a camper being sent home. You should be comfortable that the camp’s practices are in line with your parenting practices.

What is a day at camp like? This will help you know if your child will find happiness with the level of activity. Is their choice in selecting activities.

Will the camp be transporting the children? What vehicles are used and how often are they inspected? Who drives them and what training do drivers have?

Get References and more References, Get the names of parents with children who have attended the camp. They will tell you what makes camp so special and why they want to return.

Still looking for that perfect camp Check out this Summer Camps

Still need a resource to help you figure out all about summer camps? Try Selecting a Camp