Burritt on the Mountain camp reviews? (Huntsville, Madison: 2015, daycare, homes)

[Jai27]

Since SciQuest is gone, I am trying to find other camps to send DS this summer. Any reviews for Burritt on the Mountain camps? Thank you.

[pkbab5]

I have not been to those. We've done the Randolph camps which are awesome but pricey. I hear that Pine Ridge Day Camp is also awesome, and then of course there's the Space Camp Day Camps. Rocket City Mom should have their Huntsville Summer Camp guide up really soon as well.

[zenjenn]

While my kids have not done camps there, they have done homeschool classes. They've been very hit or miss. Sometimes have been great, some have been frankly kind of lame.

How old is your son? Is this for simple recreation and to keep busy or do you need camp for all-day child care? I might have other recommendations.

[Jai27]

DS is 7 (first grade). I am looking for enrichment, not daycare. For example, he loves the classes at the Huntsville Museum of Art. I am aware of Rocket City Mom's summer camp guide, but I also like to know parents' reviews. I know that everything is not what it always seems to be on paper. I thought the Botanical Garden's Seeds to Sprouts classes looked great online, but they were hit or miss, too.

[trailblazer11]

My sister, who is not a "summer camp" person by any means, went to Burritt's American Indian Camp for a week when she was 8 (year or two ago) and LOVED it!

Now, I haven't been to a summer camp in 8+ years, but I always enjoyed Space Camp's day camp and this thing called Camp Invention that used to be held at Jones Valley Elementary. Don't know if they're still doing it, but here's the website: http://campinvention.org/

The whole week was nothing but taking things apart, drawing up new ways to use them, and building something really cool with all the junk. It was awesome!

[Jai27]

Thank you. I have heard mixed reviews about Camp Invention. Apparently, it depends on the location. The closest location to me is at West Madison Elementary so I will try to find a parent who is familiar with it at that location.

[zenjenn]

If your child is interested in music, Huntsville Youth Orchestra's Tennessee Valley Music Festival is absolutely incredible. If he already plays an instrument, there is a shorter camp option than the full day for teens (I think the short day is 9 am - 2 pm), and if he has no experience whatsoever, they have a "Nimble Fingers, Nimble Minds" 1 hour class (for 5 days) trial class he can do to try out violin, viola, or cello. Lots of lower-elementary kids in that option. The camp provides the instruments and the kids and get to perform in the concert with the big kids on Saturday after camp. Both of my kids started out in "Nimble Fingers" - and one of them took to it and has played in the youth orchestra for 4 years now and just went to Alabama All-State Orchestra a few weeks ago. 2015 stuff will be up soon but I volunteer/do their publicity and I know June 5-10th is the week for it.

If he is interested in theater, I've never heard a negative word about Blue Plate Broadway that comes to Huntsville every summer for 1 week. They include kids of all ages.

My daughter did Camp Invention one year around that age. It was OK. A LOT of kids attend, since they have the capacity of a school, so it can get chaotic. Mindgear at Lowe Mill will offer some STEAM based camps on a smaller scale.

Since someone mentioned it, my kids did Pine Ridge on a couple occasions when they were young.. and I worked there a couple weeks as an arts counselor. It's fine, but it really is mostly comprised of kids whose families need daycare. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but there is a culture to a camp where kids are there because they have to be vs. programs where the kids are all there because they *want* to be. And days at Pine Ridge are long, hot, and exhausting. My kids have attended 4 weeks of residential camp for 4 years and they would agree a camp like Pine Ridge that's kind of structured like a residential camp is far less pleasant as a day camp program because there's no where to escape the long, hot, exhaustion compared to a residential camp where you get some afternoon downtime in your cabin with friends. But if your kids like a traditional camp-like setting but aren't ready for residential camp, it's a good program to keep kids active and exposed to the outdoors in the summer.

[Jai27]

Thank you for the "Nimble Fingers" information! I've never heard of that program before. I will keep a look out for when sign ups are available.

[StreetSense]

My daughter went there for two camps and she loved it. I think it was very educational and fun. We're coming back next year.

[Southlander]

Sent the grandson to Pine Ridge Day Camp for 2 weeks - a big hit with him, and he's not really an outdoorsy-type. He was ready to go another week or two, but other things came up. I sent his mother and her brother there back when it was Pine Hill.
I'd love to send all the grandchildren there each summer, when the other 2 get old enough.
There's a bus there and back, and they provide lunch and snacks.