At the heart of the YMCA lies the power to transform?both yourself and the world around you. From our exceptional fitness, personal training, sports and aquatics programs, to our extensive preschool and school-age programs, to our fun family and community events, the Y offers an array of options focused on strengthening bodies, minds and communities.
When you are involved with the Y, you help bring about lasting personal and social change. Whether you want to nurture the potential of children, improve your family?s health, or give back to your neighbors, your involvement with the Y will positively impact your community.
There is no other nonprofit quite like the Y. That's because, in neighborhoods across Chicagoland, we have the presence and partnerships to not just promise, but deliver, positive change.
YMCA Camps. Where kids get outside, unplug and have fun!
Camps at the YMCA share one thing: they’re about discovery. Kids have the opportunity to explore, find new talents, try new activities, gain independence, and make lasting friendships and memories—and they’re fun too!
YMCA camp has a way of transforming kids. It takes a child away from their normal routine and creates a safe environment for them to overcome challenges. With the outdoors as a backdrop, staff design activities to teach life lessons, like persistence in completing a difficult task, creativity when solving problems, and working together as a group to achieve a goal. Each camp experience nurtures character development through our core values: Caring, Honesty, Respect and Responsibility.
Our camp programs offer youth opportunities to experience camping through both overnight and day camps. Y camps are not just for summer. Year-round opportunities exist at many of our membership centers and resident camps.
If you have questions about which camp is right for your child, visit our page on how to select a camp.
Our day camps are ACA accredited, which means that we maintain the highest standards regarding program quality. We believe the most important elements of a positive day camp experience are the safety and well-being of your child. Our day camps provide an environment where campers are active, learning, laughing and are made to feel special.
Since 1921, ACA accredited Camp Duncan has provided safe, quality camping programs for boys and girls ages seven to 15 and Teen Adventure Camps for 15 to 17 year olds. All activities are geared to the developmental level of the campers. Camp Duncan is a co-ed, summer resident camp located near Fox Lake, Illinois, on 278 acres.
ACA accredited Camp MacLean is located just two miles east of Burlington, Wisconsin on 247 acres of woods and grassland property. The camp offers fun and challenging activities such as swimming, climbing, boating, kayaking, archery, hiking, and much more. We also leave room for plenty of traditional programs, including sing-alongs, campfires and campouts.
Traditional but up-to-date, ACA accredited Camp Pinewood features 16 cabins on a private, spring-fed lake, with every activity from sailing to horseback riding. The camp is nestled in the heart of the Manistee National Forest near Muskegon, Michigan. It’s convenient but remote enough to ensure that everyone enjoys the natural beauty of the camp’s 200-acre facility.
Camp Independence is a special place for campers age seven and up with spina bifida and other neurological disabilities. Like many Y programs, Camp Independence is about learning skills, developing character and making friends. But few environments are as special as camp, where kids become a community as they learn both how to be more independent and how to contribute to a group.
Family Camp Nawakwa offers a unique experience- an opportunity to bring together whole families, not just children, through camping. The camp sits on 180 acres of pristine forest lands, and includes wetlands and lakes with abundant wildlife. The camp is nestled in Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin, which is home to the Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians.
When planning a conference or retreat for your business, worship group, scouts, snowball, or University group our camps offer a unique setting and range of activities. Each of our camps offers a wide variety of established programs or can work with you to tailor make your program.
