Nobody ever forgets their first year of summer camp.
Imagine if there was a place where you could go as an adult and re-live all of your favorite summer camp experiences from your childhood. A place, where you can sleep under the stars, learn to play an instrument or perform your favorite song in the annual talent show. Guess what? There are a number of places that offer this exact experience. Take a look at these opportunities to reconnect with your inner child.
Camp Kitigin: West Branch, Michigan
is held at the YMCA Camp Timbers in West Branch, Michigan, takes place in the later part of the summer. Roughly 80 adults take part in this weekend in the woods where participants leave behind their smartphones and tablets to partake in a weekend of child’s play. Activities include high rope challenges, late-night gathering around a camp fire, dining on hot dogs and pizza, and talent shows. A large number of attendees say that the weekend allows them the ability to let go of their adult responsibilities and reconnect with their child-like self for a few days. This year the camp will run September 16-18. Additional information can be found online at mpark.org/campkitigin.
Camp Grounded: Various Locations
Camp Grounded’s program offers many activities for adults seeking to reconnect with their inner child and relive their summer camp years. Each camp has sessions that includes healthy meals, live music, playshops, meditations, yoga, dance classes, rock wall climbing. Campers here range in age from 19-71 with the average age of 34. The camps have multiple locations and take place at different times throughout the year. Locations include California, New York, Texas, North Carolina, Oregon, and Georgia. There is one very important rule at Camp Grounded: talking about work or where campers live in the “real world” is strictly prohibited. Campers use nicknames to identify each other and are encouraged to connect with one another as fellow human beings. More information about upcoming sessions can be found online at campgrounded.org.
Adult Band Camp at Interlochen Center: Interlochen, Michigan
Located just outside of Traverse City, this is the perfect spot for any adult seeking sharpen their musical skill and relive the Band Camp of their youth. Both amateur and professional musicians come from round the world to meet at this weeklong intensive camp. 70+ musicians, with varying skills, gather here annually to experience an opportunity for creative fun and expression. The camp culminates in a public performance at the Corson Auditorium. More information is available at Interlochen.org.
