Your kid will never get a ’90s childhood.
Summer camp is the closest thing. No phones, real friends, and room to grow up a little.
I’ve been to 500+ camps in 47 states. If you’ve never thought about sleepaway camp, start here.
Is your kid ready? Take the 2-minute quiz
What happened to childhood?
Those same streets where we used to have epic games of manhunt? Empty.
Our kids are shuttled off to practice and lessons, scrolling Snapchat, or in the basement mastering Fortnite.
And at home, you’re the one holding the line on screens. It’s exhausting, even with ourselves.
30
summers at camp
500+
camps visited in 47 states
10,000+
camp counselors trained
The closest thing.
Camp is the last place kids still get that kind of freedom.
No phones
When we asked our campers, only one out of dozens wanted her phone at camp. The kids end up on your side.
Real friends
Kids live with people they didn’t choose, and work it out without firing off a text.
Room to grow up a little
With built-in cool older siblings who know when to step in and when to let kids figure it out.
“Several years ago I said I’d never send my kids to sleepaway camp. I was wrong. Now both my sons love everything about it.”
A camp parent
Thinking about camp?
How to choose a camp
Step 1
Take the quiz
Two minutes. Is your kid ready? Are you?
Step 3
Talk to the director
If you get a good vibe from the director, you’re 99% of the way there.
Start here
Is your kid ready for sleepaway camp?
8 quick questions from a camp director who meets every new family in their living room. And one surprise: it’s also about you.
“Seven days with no texts from your kid. How does that feel?”
Worried about homesickness?
Most parents think homesickness is all about their kid missing home. It’s not. Watch this first.
There’s a big gap between a sleepover at a friend’s house and your first semester of college. Camp is the best middle ground.
They leave camp with the kids who are going to be in their wedding.
“Watching my child thrive at camp and then come home more confident and self-reliant is priceless.”
A camp parent
Take the quizHi, I’m Jack.
Sending your kid to sleepaway camp is a big leap. It’s like going to college, except instead of being 18, you’re 9.
I’ve spent 30 summers at camp, visited 500+ more, and trained 10,000 counselors. In 2025 I bought Camps Kenwood & Evergreen in New Hampshire.
My camp

Brother-sister overnight camps on a private lake in New Hampshire. Phone-free, small on purpose, and every kid known by name.
See the campSummer Matters.
One short piece every Tuesday on giving kids back a real childhood. Free. Unsubscribe in one click.


