Gearing Up for Summer

Although the calendar still said February, on Saturday afternoon everyone inside the Annapolis Area Christian School (AACS) gymnasium had their minds geared toward summer.

AACS hosted Summer Camp Fair 2011, an event organized by Chesapeake Family Magazine to give parents a chance to speak one-on-one to summer camp directors and activity leaders. The event's symbiotic nature allows camps to showcase their uniqueness, while giving attendees a one-stop event where they can learn about a wide variety of opportunities.

Everything from horseback riding to soccer was on display, and there were a total of 55 camps participating in the event, said Jeanne Slaughter, a marketing manager for Chesapeake Family.

With the gym transformed into a trade show of sorts, featuring row after row of individual booths, Karen Hardgrove of Cape St. Claire said she was thankful so many different options were available under one roof.

"This is my first time (at the camp fair), and I figured this was much easier than doing a website search in a panic," Hardgrove said. "I have found a lot of great choices, and it makes you think."

While Hardgrove was a first-timer, Mike Strawbridge, director of Bayside Summer Adventure, has been attending the fair to showcase his camp's accolades for 15 years.

"We're a word-of-mouth program, and it's great to come to an event like this," said Strawbridge. "This is the only summer camp fair we do."

Strawbridge runs the camp at Sandy Point State Park, and he said one of the most unique things about it is the fact that they don't necessarily group kids by age, something most summer camps always do.

"We don't go strictly by age," Strawbridge said. "Instead, we try to also group kids based on what activities they are interested in."

The camp features everything from survival basics, like building fires, to canoeing and kayaking. Strawbridge, who also works at a wildlife center in Baltimore, even brings owls and hawks to the camp to teach children about wildlife.

While traditional summer camp activities were in abundance, there were a number of niche camps to cater to children who want a more specific summer adventure.

Gary Hodgson, regional director of Challenger Sports, was showcasing two different soccer camps the company hosts in Annapolis. While it was their first time at the Chesapeake Family camp fair, Hodgson said it was a great experience.

"This is our first time here, but we've had a great response," said Hodgson.

The company features a Brazilian-style soccer camp and a British-style camp, both aimed at teaching children about the unique aspects of each type of soccer.

"Brazilian soccer is more free flowing and British is more organized and structured," said Hodgson. "We have coaches that come up that coach actual teams in Brazil, so it's a great opportunity for kids who want to learn more about the game."

The camps are held at the Bates Athletic Complex off of Spa Road and cater to kids as young as six and as old as 16.

For those looking for a more earthly experience, John Fishback runs a summer camp series aimed at exploring Native American traditions and the link between man and nature.

"I've always been crazy about nature," Fishback said. "I teach everything from wild edible classes and drum making to Indian history."

Fishback, who has a degree in natural resource management from the University of Maryland, has been teaching people about nature for more than 15 years.

With such a wide variety of camps to choose from, Kim Miles of Severn, came to Annapolis to find camps that best match her children's interests.

"My son is into science-related stuff, and my daughter is into theater things, so we came out trying to find camps that they'd be interested in," Miles said. "It's just a great way to learn about what's out there."

For an extensive list of summer day camps, click here.

For an extensive list of summer overnight camps, click here.

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