Camp Focus:

Description:

Great Camp Sagamore, a former Vanderbilt estate, has offered Grandparents' and Grandchildren's camp sessions in July and August for two decades. (Most sessions are offered in partnership with Elderhostel so please go to the Elderhostel listings directly from our front page at www.greatcampsagamore.org for information.) You may catch a glimpse of a session via video on our site.

This is an intergenerational camp; no parents are allowed. The goal is to build links between the generations while learning to appreciate the out-of-doors.

Sessions are age specific for 6 to 9 year-olds or 8 to11 year-olds. One session is for Grandmothers and Granddaughters. One session is for 11 to14 year-olds; they learn how to build/repair a cedar canvas canoe.

<!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} -->

A typical day has a morning outdoor activity, e.g. nature discovery, stream walk, or walking the lake trail. Afternoons are for music with a professional musician. Afternoons also teach age-appropriate crafts most often using natural materials. Evenings may feature a barn dance, campfire, concert by the music teachers, and a creativity night the final evening. At 4P daily there is a "Kids' Club" for games while the grandparents rest before dinner.

Meals are served buffet-style in a beautiful dining hall overlooking Sagamore Lake. You arrive for Sunday check-in at 4P and leave Friday about 10A. All housing is in Sagamore's authentic, historic lodges. Grandparents are housed with grandchildren.

The return rate to this very special camp is 30-40%. Many grandparents bring each of their grandchildren as they reach a certain age. Others come back with the same child/ren several years in a row. The most interesting combination attending in recent years was both grandfathers with eight-year-old twin grandsons.

We look forward to answering your questions, 8A-4P, M-Th.

Request Camp Information