More than S'mores: Summer camps reinvented

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Smith further estimates 10 million kids will attend those camps this summer. “The industry is becoming more competitive, but with 55 million kids out there, there is still room to grow.”

And as the menu of experiences has expanded, many camp sessions have shortened, allowing attendance at multiple sessions throughout the summer, a trend which should further fuel industry growth. What may seem like over scheduling a child’s summer may reflect the growing need for supervision in families lacking a stay-at-home parent or full-time nanny.

“Twenty and thirty years ago parents were more comfortable letting kids roam the neighborhood from morning until dinner. Today they want their kids supervised,” says Wexler, and preferably supervised in a learning environment.

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Campers at any age
Another trend is that camps are not just for kids anymore.

“Many camps use the shoulder seasons — immediately before and after their summer sessions — for their 'family' camps,” says Smith.

While the ‘wow’ factor is a clear trend in the industry, the fastest growing camp category is actually family camp. This segment has increased 215 percent over the last fifteen years.

Also growing in interest are adult-only sessions and sessions designed for seniors. ACA estimates adult campers number about million strong. While general camp enrollment is growing steadily at 1 to 3 percent annually, the growth in adult campers is 10-13 percent.

While service organizations like the Boy Scouts and religiously-affiliated camps still dominate —an estimated 8,000 camps are owned by non-profits — the ownership of for-profit camps is also evolving and growing.

“It is becoming more entrepreneurial. Many are doctors and lawyers who have left their careers to establish organized camps as a way of providing services to youths and connecting them to one another, nature and their emotions,” says Smith.

“This is what makes the camp experience so highly valued,” she adds, and what edges enrollments higher each year. “It is a primary experience that engages all the senses, complementing the formal educational process. It also recaptures a sense of community. The kids are able to engage in activities across an environment in relative safety.” Whether that involves spending a few hours at a swimming hole or learning how to silkscreen, campers experience a freedom of movement in a secure place.

And regardless of the kind of camp they attend or how much it costs, ACA research finds the majority of campers still return home talking about the same thing their parents and grandparents did before them — all the new friends they made while they were off exploring the world. And having no doubt about what they want to do next year.

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