10 Most Unique Summer Camps in the United States
Summer camp – what do those words make you think of? Campfires? Smores? Sleeping on the ground in a leaky tent?
That’s what summer camp was like way back when, but now it’s 2019. Here are 10 of the most unique summer camps in the United States.
1. Movie Makeup Camp
Even if you sent your child to theater camp, there’d only be maybe a day or one workshop on theater makeup. And in that time, there’s no way your child could truly learn how to create fake cuts or injuries as well as be able to make someone look camera ready.
The movie makeup camp is one of a kind in that they do everything from monster makeup to animal themes. And the makeup artist campers get to work with the film and acting camps, making the actors look the part their peer-director assigned.
At the very least, your child will come home with a love for glitter and know what it means to blend.
2. Magic Camp
There aren’t a lot of places you can send your child to learn magic tricks. There are magic shows, but that doesn’t give them the knowledge or the tools to recreate those tricks themselves.
Sending your child to magic camp for a session, however, does. They’ll have time to learn the differences between close-up magic and sleight of hand – and come home with a literal bag of tricks.
Prepare to be amazed as things disappear before your eyes and they keep finding the right card, time after time.
3. Motorsports Camp
Where else can you send kids where they learn how to ride motorbikes and ATVs? Not a lot of places, given the driving age on public roads.
But since Pali is on private land and we have supervising professional instructors, we can teach kids to ride these powerful vehicles.
They’ll learn all about what safety gear is important, and what protects what. To top the week off, the campers get to take their vehicle of choice off-roading through the Pali wilderness.
It’s a pretty cool way to spend a week or two – we think they’ll agree.
4. Film Camp
Your child probably can take a film class in high school or college, but before that? If your child is obsessed with making TikToks or watching them, they may love film camp. In it, they’ll learn the types of films and how to operate professional equipment.
Then, they’ll write and direct their movie, after casting actors from the acting camp specialty. To get the actors into characters, the directors will use the help of makeup artists from the movie makeup camp. It’s a kid-lead and kid-imagined final product.
When the last scene is shot and the editing is over, they’ll get to show off their masterpiece to the rest of the camp.
5. Ninja Warrior Camp
Have a child who watches and dreams about American Ninja Warrior 24/7? Or one that thought they’d be into martial arts but found it wasn’t quite action-packed enough?
They’ll love the Ninja Warrior camp, where they learn things like acro-yoga and slacklining. Think of it as part ninja and part parkour. The different challenges require campers to use their critical thinking skills without realizing they’re learning – as they make their way through the ninja course.
6. Fine Arts Camp
If your child is less of a heart-pounding adventure and would rather spend the day creating – art camp is for them. It’s hard to find a fine arts camp for kids that isn’t stuffy and overly controlled.
This camp allows kids to try different mediums to find what they like most. They get to do things like make mosaics and create their own stained glass masterpieces.
You’ll have more decorations for your walls when they get home, and they might just find a new passion. Will it be glasswork? Sketching? Painting? Who knows!
7. Fashion Camp
If your child is the champion of dress up and always has to look great when they leave the house, they’ll love the fashion camp option.
In the busy world, many young people never learn how to sew, by hand or on a machine. That will change with this week-long specialty.
They’ll learn about fabrics and silhouettes and sketch their own designs. Then they’ll use what they’ve learned to create and show off their own garment at the Pali fashion show.
They’ll get to take their created creation home and tell someone that they made it, whenever they wear it. What a sense of accomplishment!
8. LARP Camp
If your child loves fantasy, as in the Marvel Universe movies or just comics – they’ll love LARP. LARP stands for live action role-playing, which is a lot harder than it sounds.
This challenging but super fun specialty allows kids to build their own character as they choose and act out their own adventure. They’ll make their own costumes and create character backstories.
After the session is over they’ll get to take their character and their improved creative thinking skills home.
9. Girl Power Camp
Girls getting along and empowering each other is important now more than ever. It seems that so many women see each other as threats or competition when they should be appreciating each other.
Girl Power will help your child relate to other girls and learn leadership skills while having fun.
10. Wacky Science Camp
Does your kid like to watch science experiments on YouTube? The kind that has the slo-mo, zoomed in video? If so, they’ll love our wacky science camp. It’s a supervised way for your children to turn into scientific geniuses.
All Camps, One Huge Adventure
All these specialties in one place? How do they do it? The answer is – with years of practice. And your child can do a different one every week they’re there, to maximize their fun and learning too.
Want to find the right camp for your child? Click the chat box to the right to get started.