{Review} Galileo Summer Camp
February 8, 2016 in All Posts, Popular, Sponsored Posts
Planning my kids’ summer camp schedule is one of my least favorite things to do as a working mom. There are so many choices and it’s hard to know whether a camp is the right fit for your child and what to do if it’s not.
Luckily we hit the jackpot with Galileo Summer Camp for our rising first grader last year, which means we already have part of this year’s summer figured out!
Sign up now to get the Early Bird Discount! Take advantage of sibling and extra-care discounts, too!
Even though I had heard good things about Galileo summer camps - about how it is a really creative program that encourages kids to think and innovate but is still fun like a summer camp should be - I still wasn’t totally sure about enrolling my 6 year old. We decided to take the plunge anyway and we’re glad we did - it was a total hit!
Get Ready for Fun!
Every morning the kids are greeted by super friendly staff members at check in and they get to run through balloons and streamers to the sound of upbeat music on their way in to the camp. It really sets the mood!
I was totally surprised that by only the second day, staff members already were greeting my daughter by name when we were walking around the campus. If you have a younger or shy camper, this is definitely a big plus.
There are also a lot of other community building and friend-making opportunities in the program. Each day starts off with a huddle in your camper’s specific group with her team leader and then all of the teams come together for a high energy assembly. We signed up with camp buddies, but this year we are going it alone because we’re that confident our daughter will automatically feel included.
Call All Young Inventors!
Every day of camp our daughter came home with something new she made or learned. One week she made her own harmonica, a complete “one man band” instrument, and a cardboard guitar she could actually strum and play.
Another week she made her own swivel chair and an actual working vacuum!
I loved that she was figuring out how to make useful items out of ordinary objects and having fun in the process. And I could see that all the children were so proud of their individual accomplishments at the end of the day. Plus, they were cheering each other on as teammates, too!
My daughter says, “I love that we got to make stuff that we invented.”
If you’re a parent who needs a nitty gritty breakdown of Pros and Cons, this list is for you:
Pros
- Your kids will learn life skills like independence, problem solving, and teamwork.
- The camp leaders are friendly, extremely energetic, and super supportive.
- The program is process-oriented, but your camper will still enjoy the rewards of a self-designed and created product to take home and celebrate their accomplishments.
- For a camp focused on innovation and learning, there is a lot of outdoor time, too.
- For working parents, the extended care options are great.
- There are early bird discounts, sibling discounts, and multiple camp week discounts.
Cons
- There is no half day option.
- This is either a pro or a con depending on your perspective: there is a lot of outdoor time so your kiddo will be out in the hot sun.
- The groups and teams are cozy but the camp is large. If you have a sensitive child who needs a lot of nurturing, this camp might not be your best bet. We chose not to send our son when he was a rising kindergartener, but we are sending him as a rising first grader because he’s ready for it now.
My personal favorites about the camps are:
- the interesting weekly themes
- the effort that Galileo puts into creating an educationally rich program around each theme
- and the fact that they are making learning fun!
If you’ve followed us for a while now, you know that we are all about beating the summer slide and keeping kids curious all year round.
Sign up now to secure your Early Bird Rate before March 1st! See you there!
Have any questions? Ask me in the comments below!
Disclaimer: After we had already signed up for a few weeks of Camp Galileo last year, we were offered a week of Galileo Summer Camp in exchange for our unbiased review. As always, all opinions are our own. The fact that we’re signing up for another summer of camp and sending both kids speaks for itself!
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Chrissy – who has written 426 posts on The Outlaw Mom® Blog - Creative Living in a Conventional World.
It looks so fun!!!!
We loved it…it’s nice when a camp actually delivers on its promises and the kids actually have fun!