YMCA Camp Santa Maria | Colorado Overnight Camp

MORE THAN FUN AND GAMES

girls at explorers camp at ymca camp santa maria

Overnight camp is about fun. However, it’s not just fun. Counselors work to nurture campers’ knowledge and abilities throughout the summer by teaching them survival skills, music, drama, archery and much, much more. Kids are given a chance to take risks in a safe environment and with a community to support them along the way. And it’s not just kid stuff. From adventure camps that take campers down whitewater rapids to leadership camps that give teens a chance to guide others, camp can be a powerful way to provide young adults with mentors, confidence-building exercises and active time.

“I’ve learned that it’s OK to be yourself.” That’s what campers say after a week at YMCA Camp Santa Maria. It’s that new-found confidence and comfort that is instilled in overnight campers from the moment they check in until the moment they head back home. YMCA Camp Santa Maria campers walk away with a new perspective on life, new skills and a new awareness of their abilities. We see children build confidence, learn to put others first and work toward something greater than themselves. They learn to work with and work out their conflicts with their fellow campers (that’s a must when you share a cabin with so many new people). And maybe most importantly, our campers learn that it’s OK — no, it’s amazing — to be themselves. Camp is a place where kids can be weird, silly, creative and smart. In fact, it’s encouraged.

It’s Gonna Be An Epic Summer

In the mid 1880s, the YMCA opened America’s first known summer camp program. For more than 130 years, the Y has made summer special for hundreds of thousands of children, offering campers a positive developmental experience through building bonds, nurturing confidence and growing in self-reliance — all in the great outdoors. There is something so special about a child spending part of his or her summer in the mountains: kayaking, hiking, mountain biking, watching sunsets, creating art and roasting marshmallows by the campfire. It’s not only about activities, it’s about making friends, meeting supportive counselors, playing camp games, performing skits and being a part of a community. Come join us in the great outdoors this summer at YMCA Camp Santa Maria.