One of my favorite things about summer is being able to step away from the nagging that comes with homework, getting to school on time, and all the other activities during the school year. However, as kids get older one of the downsides that can go along with summer’s extended break from school is ‘Summer Slide’ where lots of the skills kids learned during the school year disappear from lack of use over the summer. While I don’t want my son sitting around doing worksheets all summer, I’m always on the lookout for activities and camps that can keep him challenged while he also has a great time. We were lucky enough to find Camp Galileo four years ago when we sent our son off to his first summer camp experience. Galileo has offered him empowering new experiences, loads of wacky fun, and intellectual stimulation. It has set the standard for what we look for in a summer camp.
Since Galileo was the first camp we tried, I incorrectly assumed most camps ran on a similar model. Not so! Over the years we’ve considered and even tried other day camps. Some camps are great for lots of fun but don’t seem to keep the intellectual wheels turning. Others I looked at were so academic they made the school day look more fun and where I worried he’d refuse to return after the first day. Camp Galileo has been the ideal mix of brain stimulating fun every session my son has attended.
My son has attended Galileo at a bunch of different locations and sessions over the years. It’s been a home run every time! Camp Galileo’s winning formula produces a reliably great camp experience. For Pre-K through fourth graders, each week of a four-week set has a different theme. Themes change each year. This year’s themes are The Incredible Human Body, Space Explorers, Road Trip Adventure, Galileo Makers: Materials Challenge. The projects my son has produced always amaze me. One of my favorites remains was a functional dustbuster made from a small motor and old paper towel tubes!
For older kids, fifth-grade through eight, Galileo offers Galileo Summer Quest. Campers choose among eleven majors to focus on each week. They can be in areas they know they love or something completely new that they would like to explore under the guidance of Galileo’s expert instructors. The kids use professional tools and materials to make, test, create and more. Whether they are focusing on robotics, video production, go-carts or game design, they are encouraged to take risks, make mistakes and then learn and grow from them.
One of my favorite things about the Camp Galileo experience is the way in which they have integrated the Galileo Innovator’s Approach into every undertaking. As kids get older, and test taking and grades become a routine part of the school year there is often less appreciation for mistakes and the messy, iterative approach true innovation takes. That makes the Camp Galileo experience even more valuable: a safe, place full of energy focused on creative, innovative fun!
None of this would be possible without a fantastic crew of counselors and staff. Over the years I’ve remarked on the high caliber of all the Galileo counselors who seamlessly blend silly fun and expert guidance. Galileo counselors are there for encouragement and to ask questions that help kids see opportunity instead of dead ends all while allowing the kids to be curious, collaborative, creative, collaborative and reflective while they innovate. While this might sound super serious, it is all encased in a lighthearted, whimsical environment. So much so, most kids are unaware of the serious thought that has gone into all the fun they are having as they innovate!
With all of that in mind, I’m thrilled to be able to partner with Camp Galileo this year, not only to detail why we love being a Camp Galileo family, but also to offer our readers a discount on a session this year. Just use INNOVATE18 when you sign your kids up this year, and you can save $30. Combine the discount with a multi-session discount, or the refer a friend deal, and you can save even more.
A special thanks to Camp Galileo for sponsoring this post!
