Renbrook School Summer Adventure

Updated for 2020! Camp sessions run from June 8-July 31, 2020. Check out their 2020 Camp Brochure HERE. Visit their website to register online.

Hi everyone!

Today is a really special day here at Out and About Mom. That’s because one of our very first guest bloggers, Jodie Sadowsky, has come back to the blog to share her family’s wonderful experience at Renbrook School Summer Adventure in West Hartford, CT!

Jodie and her boys when she first appeared on OAAM in 2012.

Jodie first made an appearance on Out and About Mom waaaaay back in 2012 when she wrote posts for us on Buttonwood Farms in Griswold and The Connecticut Historical Society Museum in Hartford. Back then her two boys, we’ll call them “Mr. Fix It” and “Ninjaboy,” were practically babies at just 5 and 3, and her daughter, “Princess Anna” was still just a twinkle in her eye 🙂

Jodie, who once wrote a blog about her own family’s adventures called Love Them Madly, has been busy in the years since– working as a lawyer, growing her family, and keeping up with active kiddos. But we coaxed her out of blog retirement to help us spread the word to Out and About Mom readers about Renbrook’s amazing summer camp program.

Welcome back, Jodie! We hope you’ll stick around 🙂

Jodie Sadowsky has lived in West Hartford since 2004. She married her high school prom date and their family has since grown to a happy, noisy party of five — with two sons and a daughter (and two of the longest living goldfish ever won at the Celebrate! West Hartford fair).

This post has been sponsored by Renbrook School Summer Adventure. Any opinions expressed by this blogger are 100% her own.  

I haven’t packed our boots and mittens away just yet but the calendar promises spring is here and summer isn’t far behind. As it is my family’s fifth summer at Renbrook School Summer Adventure, Out and About Mom and Renbrook asked me to share our camp experience with OAAM readers.

As a year-round preschool, elementary and middle school, Renbrook offers a tremendous summer program with incredible facilities and seasoned professionals intent on making camp safe and fun.  Summer Adventure feels like the day camp of my childhood – sing-songy and crafty, with drippy popsicles and lots of smiling, sweaty faces. Its just what I want for my kids in the summer – a time to explore and play in so many areas, without focusing on who’s winning or who’s scoring.  While the summer programs feel very campy and spirited (think slip and slide, Carnival and Olympic themed days and group skits), the facilities are far from rustic. Campers use nearly every part of the extensive campus, from the ceramics studio to the pond, with playgrounds, gaga pits, tennis courts and swimming pools in between.

Renbrook has been our choice for all of these offerings, with a perfect blend of sports and arts, nature and technology and outdoor and indoor activities (great on rainy days) and the added benefit of being close to home.  The staff has truly impressed, with many teachers in local preschools and elementary schools and enthusiastic college students serving as counselors. We’ve always felt that our kids were safe at Summer Adventure and a great mix of happy and exhausted at the end of each day.  They’ve made friendships at camp and developed confidence in so many areas — from specific skills they work on at camp to just knowing they are all around great campers and kids who ably try new things.

My oldest son, we call him “Mr. Fix It,” started at Summer Adventure back when he was just 4 years old. Now age eleven, he is heading to four weeks of overnight camp this summer and is still begging to spend his two free “home” weeks at Renbrook.

“Mr. Fix It” in his first season at Renbrook School Summer Adventure circa 2011.

My eight year old son, a.k.a. “Ninjaboy,” will spend four weeks at Renbrook.

“Ninjaboy” (center) making friends and memories at Renbrook School Summer Adventure!

My three and a half year old daughter (who has dubbed herself “Princess Anna”) will be a first time camper this summer in the half day junior kindergarten program.

“Princess Anna” will be following in the footsteps of her older brothers this summer!

Renbrook School Summer Adventure is located on Renbrook School’s 75-acre campus at 2865 Albany Avenue (Route 44) in West Hartford, CT, with easy access from Avon, Simsbury, Bloomfield, Granby, West Hartford, Hartford and Farmington, and even transportation options for areas “across the river” like Glastonbury.

Camp is offered in three, two-week sessions, with several pre-season options and before and after care. Nearly 500 campers attend each session, but with 150 on staff, counselor to camper ratios are kept remarkably low and each camper is assured plenty of individualized attention. 

The regular camp day runs from 8:30 to 3:30 pm, with a free bus shuttle from a central location in most area towns (as well as Glastonbury). If you drop off and pick up at camp, counselors escort your child to and from the car. This is convenient but can take some time sitting in the line of cars both at drop-off and pick-up. This summer, Renbrook has expanded the free shuttle bus options, which I assume is to save parents and campers some time by alleviating the traffic created by families (like mine) who elect to drive to camp.

Whether campers arrive by bus or by car, they are greeted by camp counselors who lead them to the large fields between 8:30 and 9:00. 

Camp is organized for each age and stage of development in an exciting combination of traditional summer camp activities and enrichment programs. Giant hand decorated signs indicate group names, with divisions based on the grades children will enter in the fall.

This year, divisions are named for birds: Falcons (Preschool, Junior Kindergarten, Kindergarten); Osprey (Grades 1 & 2), Owls (Grades 3 & 4), Hawks (Grades 5 & 6), and Eagles (Grades 7-10).

For new campers (and parents), the big field looks overwhelming the first day or two, but before the first week is over, kids know their unit’s spot and lead the way to their counselor and new friends.  Children bringing lunches (must be nut-free) deposit their lunch bags in a group bin — lunches then get refrigerated (a huge perk — no ice packs needed). Kid-friendly bagged lunches are also available, prepaid for the week.

Before we get to the daily schedule, I’ll share our family’s daily camp preparation. My kids usually arrive at camp in a bathing suit, t-shirt, a hat and sneakers, with sunscreen already applied. They bring a lightweight backpack to camp each day with a towel, a fresh bathing suit (for afternoon free swim), a dry change of clothes, flip flops or crocs, sunscreen and a water bottle. They do a lot of walking and often have their backpacks with them so we try to keep the bags as light as possible. Its a big help that Renbrook provides a morning snack each day to all campers and provides water-bottle refilling stations all over camp.

While the groups wait for all campers to arrive, counselors begin leading icebreakers and games, help with sunscreen and tell campers about the day ahead. By 8:45 am, groups depart the field for the campus spot (usually a classroom) that serves as their bunk. Depending on the day’s schedule, they may leave backpacks or some items in cubbies (we usually keep a sweatshirt and raincoat here for the session). Then groups head to their first morning activities, which begin at 9:00 am.  

As the older campers have more electives in their schedule, I’ll start by explaining the day for Falcons, Osprey and Owls who all spend the morning in scheduled activities with their group. Since I’m not actually a camper, I can only report on the greatest hits that my kids have shared with me over the summers and from what I remember from my few visits to camp.

First, the hallmark of summer camp — swimming! All campers have instructional swimming lessons at some point in the morning and free swim in the afternoon, except the youngest preschoolers who have water playtime and the oldest campers who can opt for lifeguard and CPR training.  Renbrook has three outdoor swimming pools, two of which are heated.

Certified instructors implement the American Red Cross Learn to Swim program. Campers are evaluated on the first day of camp and placed into classes, with a 1:4 lifeguard to camper ratio. Campers learn many safety rules around the pool and receive a progress report during each two week session.

My kids usually move up a level or two each session.  Stronger swimmers have access to deeper pools during free swim which is a real source of pride as the kids progress through the Red Cross levels. My oldest loves the annual swim meet during Camp Olympics.

The list of activities offered at camp is a long one. Here’s a peek at a sample schedule and some highlights of Ninjaboy’s favorite activities. UPDATE 2/11/20: We’ve updated this post with a sample schedule from summer 2019! 

PHYSICAL EDUCATION: Instruction is given in traditional sports like soccer, kickball, whiffle ball and basketball, but PE is one of Ninjaboy’s favorites because of the many fun water games played on the field.

GYMNASTICS: My boys always loved running into some of the talented coaches from Simsbury Gymnastic Training Center at this activity.  The equipment is fantastic: mats, beams, uneven parallel bars, vaults and more, and the trained staff make obstacle courses and routines for campers.

COOKING & FUN WITH FOOD: My boys describe Fun With Food as preparing treats, like Oreo Balls and chocolate dipped pretzels, while Cooking as making heartier fare like muffins, hot pretzels and tacos.  They love both activities and always bring home recipes to try in our kitchen.

IMAGINATION STATION: Including this dramatic play area really makes Renbrook a special place for kids to be kids and play pretend.  Each week, this room is turned into a themed world that campers get to play in, building on ideas from counselors and each other. As Ninjaboy says, “One week, there was a giant Candyland game we got to be in, with lots of colorful activities like keeping a balloon in the air with a lollipop drum. Another week, we pretended we were in China and got to play a gong.”

STEAM: This was Ninjaboy’s favorite activity last summer.  The kids designed robots using Vex IQ robotics and played with them (something like Battle Bots).

NATURE EXPLORATION: With such modern offerings in technology for a summer camp, I am thrilled the kids still have plenty of time in nature, walking the trails, using nets to fish or catch frogs at the pond and brook and singing nature songs with a beloved staff member. Last summer, Renbrook hosted an expert fly-fisherwoman who taught interested kids how to tie and cast.  Lunch is usually eaten in a shady spot on the grounds, providing more leisurely outdoor time.

POTTERY: During each two week session, campers work on individual projects from shaping to painting. On the last day of pottery in the session, the kids eagerly unveil their wrapped creations, which have been glazed and tied in the kiln. Our home now boasts a priceless collection of turtles, coil pots and little bowls with lids.

COUNSELOR ACTIVITIES: You’ll notice the schedule includes several sessions of “C/A,” which stands for counselor led activities.  Sometimes this will include play at the camp’s three playgrounds with monkey bars, playscapes, pirate ships, swings, and the Gaga pit. Ninjaboy says this is one of his favorites — especially when the counselors don’t have games or skit practice planned and the kids play card or board games or do puzzles together in their group room. The days are so packed that I (and my kids) love this built-in downtime.

ART & THEATER: Renbrook has a beautiful arts studio for painting, jewelry making, tie-dye and more.

The theater program is excellent – younger kids do acting exercises with their groups, while older kids can elect to help produce and act in a play.

Afternoons for these groups include more of these activities and free swim. Every Thursday afternoon, Summer Adventure hosts its longstanding tradition of a camp wide activity, like Camp Carnival, Camp Olympics, the Musical Theater Production, Camp Talent Show and more. The kids really look forward to these days, often dressing up and making special memories with new friends.

The Owls division (grades 3 & 4) have many of the above activities with their groups, along with archery, rocketry, woodworking, tennis. In the afternoons, Owls participate in Challenge activities. Challenges give campers the opportunity to choose activities to focus on in the afternoons. The selections range from the traditional (free swim, basketball and archery) to the eclectic (Tie Die, cartooning and soap making). The Challenge options will be sent to families by June 1st.

Hawks (Grades 5 & 6) have a group schedule every morning (PE, ropes course, woodworking and more), with Challenge activities selected by each camper in the afternoons. The Challenge options will be sent to families by June 1st.

The challenge activities were a highlight for Mr. Fix It, who often selects to be in the workshop for both his challenge and free choice activity. In his words: “Woodworking at Renbrook is amazing!  We get to make awesome projects like wooden pens, toys, shelves, planter boxes and more.  I’ve learned to use the bandsaw, scroll saw, drill press and lathe. The teachers are great and will let you create any project you like. I love shaping the pens on the lathe and made one for everyone in my family.  I even made a nightstand for my room.”

Summer Adventure offers additional programming (High Ropes Course, Senior Theater, Technology) and leadership opportunities for campers in Grades 7-10 and Counselor in Training Programs for Grades 11 and 12.  If your kiddo needs any scholastic work over the summer, Renbrook can arrange one on one or small group instruction in a number of subjects with skilled local teachers.

Additionally, Renbrook School Summer Adventure even offers a preseason option with its own set of activities and adventures.

It’s truly hard to fathom how Summer Adventure fits so many possibilities in one summer! I can’t imagine the scheduling software and administration that goes on behind the scenes. I do know where it takes place though!  

This is where you’ll find the camp office, just off the courtyard at the main entrance. The office sets up tours and visits and handles just about any parent or camper request through here. Also on campus is a First Aid Room staffed with nurses who will know your child’s allergies and can accommodate daily snacks.

As the kids get older, the option for kids to select their own free choice and challenge activities really customizes camp for each camper.  I am so excited to see what Ninjaboy chooses this summer among the many selections and I LOVE that his counselors will help him choose instead of me (that will be a long Monday morning for that lucky counselor)!

As you can tell, my family has enjoyed our many seasons at Renbrook School Summer Adventure. It’s a camp that keeps kids busy, safe and engaged while allowing for plenty of free and creative play.  

Photos courtesy of Renbrook School Summer Adventure and Jodie Sadowsky.

Renbrook School Summer Adventure

Renbrook School Campus

2865 Albany Avenue, West Hartford, Connecticut

Phone: (860) 232-8410

E-mail: camp@renbrook.org

Find them on Facebook!

Renbrook School Summer Adventure is a day camp open to three-year-old children through Grade 10, and a Counselor in Training Program for Grades 11 and 12. Check out their 2020 brochure online HERE!

Dates/Hours (updated for 2020):

Camp sessions run from June 8-July 31 (2020).

Camp hours are 8:30 am – 3:30 pm.  Before care beginning at 7:30 am and after care from 3:30 pm – 6:00 pm is available for an additional fee.

Pricing:

Check out their website HERE for camp rates. Ready to register? Go HERE.

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