Mine are a little young for a full summer camp. After all, Ariel will only be 5 by this summer. I don’t think she’d want to go. But summer camps are a great way to give the kids an adventure without you. And of course you get a little peace and quiet.

For those of you out in Texas, I just learned about some delightful Texas summer camps. It’s co-ed, and I can really see my kids someday enjoying something similar when they’re old enough. The classics are there, of course: hiking, swimming, canoeing, but there’s also horseback riding, mountain boarding, rock climbing and more summer camp activities for the kids to enjoy.

I think a good summer camp can be very valuable to children, especially if they live in the city and don’t really get a lot of time in the country. Even children who aren’t used to country life tend to adapt well to being around nature and animals.

It is that time of year to start planning for the summer, even though it’s months away. For me that means planning the swimming lessons and figuring out other ways to keep both children busy. Eventually they’ll be old enough for things like summer camp to be considered, and I expect that will be a lot of fun.

Do any of you send your children to summer camp? Day camp? Or do you cope on your own?