Summer is just round the corner! And that means it is time to give your kids a healthy break and let them go out to camp. However, selecting a summer camp can be a challenge when you want to look for one that offers not only fun and adventure, but also offers the benefits of Catholic direction. Catholic summer camps are essential for overall development of your child, including better social skills, improved faith in Jesus Christ and the ability to form lasting memories.

Several catholic camps operate in Massachusetts which have been serving the needs of Catholic families for a long time. Along with offering fun and adventurous activities, they recognize the importance of faith, power and religion. Read on further to know in detail what each summer camp offers.

Camp Holy Cross.

1. Camp Holy Cross –
The purpose of this quintessential catholic camp is to spread the Christian educational experience through an outdoor adventurous facility. All the programs related to the camps are in accordance to the Roman Catholic philosophy. Along with instilling the presence of God in everyone’s life, camp supervisors make sure that kids enjoy an ecologically sound and safe environment. Located on an expansive 250 acres of fields and woods on the Upper Highland Reservoir, this camp of the Diocese of Springfield was founded in 1930. Perfect for kids aged between 8 and 15, the camp offers two one-week overnight sessions. When talking about conventional activities, kickball, giant slip and slide, swimming, volleyball, tie-dying outdoor games and hiking are included in the camp curricula. Other activities are dancing, kayaking, cookouts, movie night, handicrafts and campfire! Kids falling between the age group 14 and 15 can also take part in First Aid training and CPR. Daily prayer and faith-related activities to help them understand their faith more fully are organised too.

Lakeside Christian Camp and Conference Centre.

2. Lakeside Christian Camp and Conference Centre –
To perfectly amalgamate faith, fun and frolic, one must visit Lakeside Christian Camp and Conference Centre in New England. With a wide array of Christian-centered summer camp programs, this Massachusetts camp focuses on strengthening family ties and inculcate kids on moral values and importance of family. Day camps here offer an entire day and half day programs, including myriad adventurous camp activities and a weekly field trip. The location of this summer camp is truly captivating! Set amidst the glorious mountains and on a clear-water lake, Lakeside Camp offers myriad programs of inspiration and worship, including wooded walking trails, hiking, swimming, kayaking and a lot more. The diligent staff working here give emphasis on the teachings of Jesus Christ and they always try to encourage kids to follow typical Christian traditions and rituals. A normal day activity comprises of early morning worship, introspective Bible study, a series of skill development courses and countless number of adventurous water-front activities, followed by several other outdoor games. If you register for an overnight Youth Camp then you will be able to take part in programs, like outdoor skills, horseback riding, water activities and music. Kids come here and parents send their kids in order to encourage their spiritual development, become better human beings and make lots of new friends. So, if you too want the same things for your growing family, consider this gorgeous child-centered camp, overlooking Richmond Pond in the western Massachusetts.

Besides the above-mentioned camps, Sunset Point Camp in Boston, MA has been providing thousands of kids a dream summer camp experience, close to the seashore, for nearly 100 years. Each summer, around 450-city based girls and boys visit Hull, Massachusetts for a 1-2 week overnight camp experience, so that they get to enjoy fresh air, new academics, improved talents and loads of fun. With a registration fee of $25 per camper, the range of activities offered is diverse. Try swimming, kayaking, boating, arts and crafts and other recreational activities, along with faith-related activities.

So, shut down your laptops, disconnect your iPods, look up at the skies and listen to the chirping of the birds! Through these opportunities, and by connecting with nature you will get to know your faith. Find peace and tranquility within!