Maybe it was three summers ago.  That’s sounding about right.

My friend told me about a day camp that her daughter started a handful of years earlier with several of her friends.  Back then the three girls were not that much older than the campers themselves but they were creative and they were clever and they were ambitious.

Bekah, Maggie and Bonnie were looking for a way to help out their friends’ families, for something to do during the summer and for a way to earn a little extra money.

 

 

They offered a three day camp meeting at one of their homes.  Three days where parents could drop off their kids and run errands, go back to bed, eat lunch alone, go on a day date with their spouse, whatever.  And the kids at camp would play games, toss water balloons, have silly contests, make crafts, learn Bible stories and all around enjoy themselves.

Camp Wexford was born.

Years later, these three eager entrepreneurs have done what all young people do – they’ve basically grown up.  Two high school seniors and a recent high school graduate later and Camp Wexford is a summer tradition for many families.

My kids have all loved attending Camp Wexford.  This summer my girls were too old to be campers – which was sort of sad to me.  Also, it shifted up the glorious benefit of having all five kids at one day camp.  (This year, instead of being alone each day – one day I took my teenagers shopping.  That was a treat too.  An expensive treat, turns out, but fun nonetheless!)

Camp runs three days, from 10:30 to 3 each day.  (The age range is for kids 3 to 12 – potty trained required.)  You pack a lunch and send your child with sunscreen, a water bottle, a swimsuit and a towel.  There’s loads of fun and one favorite day is always Crazy Hat Day.  We saw a gigantic wig bigger than the child wearing it.  And also underwear as a hat.  A brown banana peel taped to a bowl.  A couple legitimate actual hats.  I think maybe Bergen wore a leaf.

 

 

On the last day there’s a short ending ceremony, sort of like the Olympic games ending ceremony but actually nothing like that at all.  The oldest kids – the twelve-year-olds – “graduate” out of the Camp Wexford program.  (A kind way of letting them know they are too old to attend next year!)  This year it was pretty cute to see the three graduates and to know we’d been doing camp with them the last three summers.

 

 

The camp cost is $45 for the first child and $30 for each child after that.  That price makes it so worth the three days you gain to do all the things you want to do alone.  (I have often used the three days as homeschool planning days.)

This summer they had enough interest that there were two weeks of Camp Wexford.  We attended the July week and it was fantastic – for the kids and for me.

If you are local and you want to join the fun – you have one chance left.  The next camp is August 15 – 17 and you need to sign up by August 10.

If you want to sign up, email the girls at CampWexfordFun@gmail.com.

(And, by the way, I know that I write a lot of reviews.  And frequently I wrote my reviews in exchange for products or services.  Basically – I write my honest opinion about something that I have received for a discounted price or for free.  And I always tell you that, of course.  In this case, however, I paid for my camp and sent my kids like all the other moms, because I wanted to.  And then when I saw that the girls still had spaces left in their August camp, I volunteered to promote them – because, look at this!  It’s a camp run by three friends.  It’s like a better than the Babysitters Club in real life.)

 

 

Not only do I love that my kids get to have a low cost fun summer experience – and not only do I love that I get to spend three days doing some specific work in relative quiet – but I also just love that three friends had an idea one summer and they developed that idea into an entire camp experience that lasted them all through high school.  

You’re not just getting a fun camp or a needed break, you’re supporting young leaders and big ideas and and sweet friendship.  

That’s worth a whole lot, if you ask me.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

 

SaveSave