By Eli LOCKE

Last month the Crescenta-Cañada YMCA held its annual summer camp sign up carnival.  Camp sign up day used to be a very time consuming affair, but in recent years camp sign ups have been available on the Internet as well as at the carnival, with around 25% of camp signups taking place at the carnival in recent years. The carnival offered a fun atmosphere for the future campers with games and even a bounce house to entertain them.

The YMCA holds a total of 13 camps during the summer, including five resident camps, and a new camp. Camp Oakes is located near Big Bear Lake, replacing Camp Arbolado, which had in the past served as the Crescenta-Cañada YMCA’s mountain camp. Camp Oakes will offer many more activities than At Camp Arbolado, including horseback riding and canoeing.

The YMCA is also offering its traditional resident camps such as Camp Fox, Camp Surf and the Caravan, which is focused this year on the Southwest including Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon. Camp Surf, which was started several years ago, helps campers learn surfing and body boarding in addition to the more time-honored traditions such as archery, climbing walls and arts and crafts.

Camp Fox offers two trips, school age Camp Fox for children between third and seventh grades and Jr. High Camp Fox for junior high students. Camp Fox is located on Catalina Island in a secluded area that is great for a YMCA camp.

In addition to these camps, there are many day camps offered by the Y for children of all ages. In order to participate, campers must be Y members with facility members getting a sizable discount on the price.

Online camp signups will continue until all camps are full. For more information contact the YMCA at (818) 790-0123.

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