This week, our Kids Summer Camps Spotlight takes us to the small and beautiful State of Maine! To a camp for kids and teens just north of Boston.
Camp Caribou
Who Owns Camp or Program:
Privately Owned
Camp Values Statement
Taken directly from their website:
“Located on a stunning, 200-acre peninsula in Winslow, Maine, Camp Caribou is a premier overnight camp for boys. The dedicated staff offers a comprehensive assortment of land and water sports, challenging adventure and wilderness opportunities, as well as creative and culinary arts. For three generations, the Lerman family has created unforgettable summers for countless new and returning campers.
Our program offers a wealth of activities and programs. Most mornings, campers rotate with their bunk through three one-hour instructional periods. Over the course of a week, this exposes them to all the camp’s land and water sports, its extensive ropes course with high and low elements, as well as creative and culinary arts. This instruction uncovers new interests that campers often pursue in the afternoon, when they select three activities of their own. These “electives” change daily and allow campers to be self-directed. Having had Caribou in our family since 1968, we are confident that boys learn best with this combination of instructional and elective time.
Caribou campers develop increased confidence as our experienced staff teaches them new skills and helps them improve existing strengths. Parents often ask, “Who is the typical Caribou kid?” Our answer is always that we attract the “what’s next?” kids—kids who love to learn and be active, are willing to try new things, and respond very well to the positive reinforcement of their counselors and peers.
Caribou boys are fun-loving, warm, and welcoming. They represent a cross section of athletic abilities, very similar to a school classroom. Some are gifted athletes, some are boys with growing interest and skills in various sports, and some are just learning and beginning to develop. The only prerequisite is that they are interested in learning and love to play. Camp Caribou boys are also known for their excellent sportsmanship. Our philosophy is that we win with class and we lose with class.”
When Was Camp Founded?
1923 as Camp Winslow – 1968 as Camp Caribou.
Camp Activities and Facilities
Camp Activities?
Large Sport Activity Set-Up (with 11 tennis courts, outdoor street/roller hockey rink, 3 basketball courts, 3 soccer fields, 2 baseball diamonds, 1 lacrosse field, and a whiffle ball diamond), Archery, Rifle range, Nine hole golf course with driving range, Kaying & Canoeing, Stand up paddle boarding, Water skiing & wakeboarding, Sailing, Ropes Course, Zipline, Fishing, Woodworking, Culinary Arts Program, Digital photography courses, Theatre program, Hiking.
Size of Cabins and/or Dormitories?
Cabins capable of holding 12 in each.
Indoor Or Outdoor Bathrooms?
Indoor Bathrooms.
How Does Camp Serve Meals?
Family Style
How Long is the Average Session?
Three and a Half to Seven Weeks.
Camp Proximity
Closest Major Cities and Driving Times:
Town of Waterville – 15 Mins.
Portland – 1 Hour and 30 Mins.
Boston – 3 Hours
Concord – 3 Hours
Address and Phone Number of Camp:
1 Caribou Way, Winslow, ME 04901
1-888-305-2267
Official Website Link:
Kids Packing List Printable:
https://www.campcaribou.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/camp-caribou-packing-list-2018.pdf
Other Helpful Links:
https://www.campcaribou.com/current-families/important-documents/
That’s A Wrap!
Hopefully, this breakdown provided some helpful insight into Camp Caribou. Kids Summer Camps in the North East part of the country have held a long and proud summer camp tradition for kids.
Many camps have laid strong roots within their local communities and offer awesome sports programs for almost any major competitive sport. It has become a hotbed of sports recruitment over the past couple of decades for both kids and adults alike.
Many young adults can start to find and develop their professional edge at these camps. Though kids camps of this type can start to become a bit narrow in their focus. This is fortunately not the case at all at Camp Caribou.
This boys camp program aims to accept every kid and place good, old-fashioned, unplugged fun as the main focus of every day. They have a ton of fun and developed kids summer camp programs that deliver the true value of an unplugged outdoor adventure.
And I can honestly say I’ve never seen a camp before that encourages the kids to help build kayaks as a part of their woodworking program. What an incredible experience for a young mind to engage in and develop from! There are surely multiple ways at Camp Caribou to set your kid on the path to success over an unforgettable summer!
We know it can be tough trying to understand the nuts and bolts of a camp. And we’ll continue to dig for the essential camp info for our wonderful camp parents. Have a great time preparing your young camper for their unforgettable outdoor adventure!
“They say the happiest place on earth is Disneyland. They’re wrong, its camp.”
– Former Camper
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