BETTERBALL! Basketball Camp -$ 225 full day, $150 half day

Kids on Campus at Bucks Community College – $249 full day, $125 half day. Popular workshops and sports clinics. Everything from Lego to Hogwarts to American Girl.

Lehigh University Sports Camp - full-day camps as low as $175 per week. Lehigh offers a number of different sports camps that range from the very inexpensive on upwards. Some overnight camps are as inexpensive as $420 for the week.

Chester County Art Association – $115-210 for half-day camps, combine AM and PM for a full day. The Chester County Art Association offers half-day camp sessions for as little as $115 (+materials); five-hour-per-day sessions for kids ages 13 to 17 run for as little $210 (+materials)

Club La Maison – $240 for a full-day program (member price). Club La Maison also offers less expensive options, including half days or partial weeks (2 or 3 days), for $150 and under. Sports and swimming programs.

Camp Teekna – $245 for full day programs, community service camps as low as $125. Sports, field trips, and various themes held at Delaware County Christian School.

Heaven’s Gate Horse Camp – $295 for a full-day program. During camp, each child discovers the joy and responsibility of caring for their very own assigned horse or pony. They learn and perform all the skills needed for overall care and grooming of their horse.

Camp Invention – $215-240 for full day program. Science, technology, engineering and math activities designed to develop a passion for science.

For a list of camp discounts, go to Sign Up For Camp

Lavner Camps & Programs Seven locations in Pennsylvania
Camps in Tennis, Golf, Culinary Arts, Robotics, Video Game Design, Performing Arts, Filmmaking, and Salon Services. Camps open on June 18th and many run until August 31. Half day and partial week options are available. Save 5%, ends March 1.

Heaven’s Gate Farm Summer Camp Pipersville, PA
A total equestrian experience. Each camper performs all the skills needed for overall care and grooming of their own horse. $265 per week if you register by March 1.

Penn Charter Summer Camps Philadelphia, PA
A wide variety of academic, sports, and arts activities for children ages 3-15. Extended-day and transportation available for most camps. Early payment discount before April 1.

Camp Teekna  Devon, PA
Fun, Christian camping experience. Early Bird discount $245.00/week before June 1.

Kaiserman JCC Day Camp Wynnewood, PA
Swim, sports, outside fun, gymnastics, art, drama and more. Sibling discount: $50 off for 8 weeks; $25 off for 4-7 weeks. $300 off when you register for 8 weeks.

ESF Summer Camps Locations in PA, NJ, CT, MD
The perfect blend of education, sports, and fun for ages 4-15. Customized sessions allow you to pick the right camp for your child. Multi-week discounts and 5% Family Discount for families enrolling two or more children.

Phillies Baseball Camps Locations in PA, NJ, DE
Campers take the field in their own official Phillies Baseball Academy uniform and learn from baseball’s best. Multi-week discounts and 5% Family Discount for families enrolling two or more children.

Major Camp Locations in PA & NJ
Campers ages 10-16 select their major from a variety of options and are exposed to their area of interest on a college level. Multi-week discounts and 5% Family Discount for families enrolling two or more children.

Union Soccer Schools Locations in PA & DE
Receive unrivaled on-field instruction and meet and learn from Philadelphia Union players and coaches. Multi-week discounts and 5% Family Discount for families enrolling two or more children.

Curious Jane Multiple locations in PA, MA, LA and FL
Our class themes give girls the opportunity to explore science, design and engineering in a fun, creative environment. $25 off per week for siblings or multiple sessions.

Join Sign Up For Camp’s free email newsletter for a chance to win! Or write a camp review or share your camp calendar for more ways to win.

Deadline: Enter by April 30, 2012.

Prizes: One winner will be randomly selected. The winner will receive a free week at any ESF summer camp. For more details see the Official Rules.

ESF Summer Camps offer a unique assortment of customized camps that appeal to children of all ages with varied interests. We have filled our camps with the perfect blend of education, sports, and fun. ESF Summer Camps have 9 locations in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey and Maryland.

- Keep a journal of your child’s thoughts and feeling about each camp.  Not only will this help you to evaluate the camp, but it will also illuminate your child’s interests as they grow and change over the years, making it easier to find those perfect camps each summer. Also note the quality of your own interactions with the camp: was it easy to get accurate information, to enroll, to converse with staff when necessary, etc.

- Post reviews of the camps where other parents can find the information.  The summer camps website Sign Up for Camp, www.signupforcamp.com, houses a review section where your insights will reach hundreds of parents.

- Fill out any feedback forms that the camp distributes.  If forms aren’t available, call or email the director with a few specific points about the camp’s strengths and weaknesses from your child’s and your own perspective.  Often times people just go happily about their business when they are satisfied – so make a point to give positive feedback as well as to discuss any concerns.

Search for camps with late summer sessions at Sign Up for Camp, www.signupforcamp.com, to find options in your area.

Here are some of the key bits of information you need to know:

• Children who attend the camp must be under 13 years of age.
• Both parents must be working, or looking for work (with some rare exceptions).
• The credit is not for the full cost of the camp care, but ranges from 20-35% of the cost depending upon your income.
• There is a maximum yearly dollar amount of $3000 for one child, or $6000 for two or more children.
• Only day camps qualify, not overnight camps.
• You must file a form 1040 or 1040A (not a 1040EZ) and additional forms (at least Form 2441) are also required.
• You must identify the care provider (camp) on the forms, including name, address and taxpayer identification number.
• If you are married, you must be filing a joint tax return, not separate returns.

Please keep in mind that we know a fair bit about summer camps, but are NOT tax experts.   There are additional restrictions to this tax credit, so read  IRS publication 503 carefully and/or consult your tax advisor before claiming the tax credit.

Reference Links:

• IRS Publication 503, Child and Dependent Care Expenses

• IRS Summertime Tax Tip 2010-01:  Summertime Child Care Expenses May Qualify for a Tax Credit

• Take a Tax Break for Summer Camp.  msn.com

Lango Philly CCS, Philadelpha, PA
Expand your child’s learning with summer language classes at Lango Philly with a five-class card in July and August for $40 ($80 value).  Purchase by July 13 on DealOn.

Curious Jane Camp, Springside (Philadelphia, PA) and Shipley (Bryn Mawr, PA)
Curious Jane still has spaces for July 11 – 31 at Springside and August 1 – 19 at Shipley! Discounts: $25-off per week for both multi-week and friends-and-family enrollment.
Curious Jane is for girls 8-11 and CJ Junior is for girls 5-7 – with great ‘themes’ like Toy Design, Life Science, DIY Fashion, Story Arts and Robotics.

Saginaw Day Camp, Oxford, PA
Children or grandchildren of active or retired personnel or employees of the U.S. Military, or any fire or police department receive a discount of $50 per week
Saginaw Day Camp provides a wide variety of activities including a comprehensive athletics program, instructional and recreational swimming, an adventure course and zip-line, ATVS, arts & crafts, Laser Tag, Go-Karts and much more.

Mercersburg Summer Programs, Mercersburg, PA
10% discount off on Mercersburg Adventure Camp Session 1(June 26-July 8), Teen Adventure Camp Session 1(June 26-July 8), Teen Adventure Camp Session 2(July 10-July 22), Mercersburg Summer Theatre Workshop((July 3-15), and our Young Writers Camp (July 3 – 15). Cannot be combined with other discounts and can only be used for new enrollments.
Nestled in the mountains of south-central Pennsylvania, our beautiful campus provides the perfect setting for a wide range of opportunities for learning, personal growth and, most importantly, fun.

For middle school and high school students, music camp may even be required for school participation in band, orchestra or choir. Such a week of strong focus can really result in a boost in skill, advancement in theory understanding and increased confidence playing alone and in different ensembles.

There are many, many types of music camps. Here’s a sample of music camps (and specialized camp sessions) from SignUpForCamp.com. Many more camps of all types are listed on the website, so make sure to browse there too. For additional ideas, particularly for older children and teens, check with your local schools and music schools. This article about some prominent music camps may give you some ideas of what to look for.

School of Rock, Fort Washington and Berwyn, PA
Summer Performance Camp focuses on improving performance and musical skills by covering music theory, instrumental and rehearsal techniques and performance practice. It’s a great way to learn a lot in a short amount of time but is meant for students who, at a minimum, are able to play basic chords and rhythms. Grades 6^th-12^th.

Summer Spree at Community Art Center: Rock and Roll Summer, Wallingford, PA
This program is an introduction to rock band performance, open to musically-inclined students ages 10-17 who are interested in developing multi-instrumental skills. Some previous experience is necessary and the goal is for each student to work toward performing one song on every instrument (vocal, guitar, bass and drums).

Georgia E. Gregory Interdenominational School of Music, Philadelphia, PA
Music instruction in keyboard, percussion, voice, dance and recorders with weekly camper performances. In the afternoons there are chess tournaments, Scrabble, swimming, cultural trips and recreational activities. Sliding fee scale and scholarships available. Ages 5-13 years.

United Friends Summer Camp: Born to Drum, Quakertown, PA
Got a kid who loves music? Let them embrace their “inner Ringo” at Drum Camp. From Tito Puente to Ringo Starr, learn to play at the beat of your own drum. Campers will create their own percussion instruments and take several walking field trips to explore the hidden music all around them. There’s also a performance by guest African Drummers. Ages 4-9.

Search for more music camps at Sign Up For Camp.

All parents with accounts at Sign Up For Camp are automatically entered into a drawing to win a free week of camp at ESF.  You can receive an additional entry each time you tell a friend about Sign Up for Camp and they sign up for the newsletter.

Signing up is easy!

Sign Up For Camp is easy and free. The site provides free information on camp registrations, discounts, and offers a handy camp calendar you can share with friends. You can sign up for just the newsletter, or jump in and create a free parent account to participate in the drawing!  Then you too can tell a friend and get more chances to win.

Dates and prizes:

The winner will be chosen on April 30^th.   For more details see the Official Rules.

ESF Summer Camps offer a unique assortment of customized camps that appeal to children of all ages with varied interests. We have filled our camps with the perfect blend of education, sports, and fun.  ESF Summer Camps have 9 locations in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey and Maryland.

There are tons of art camps in the greater Philadelphia area that accomodate kids of all ages and offer full and half day programs. Everyday Artists Camp holds creative art camps for ages 3-13 and has kids painting on anything from a canvas to a coffee cup to a miniature dog statue. These camps run from $125-195 based on the subject nature and camp duration.

Darlington Arts Center’s Summer Arts Camps hosts painting and drawing camps that are specifically focused on cultural topics. Your child would be recreating art in the spirit of the pilgrims, the Southwest Indians, the 60s and other memorable eras and peoples. This is a great way for your child to learn and appreciate different cultures while creating unique art.

Moore College of Art and Design also offers a high quality artistic experience for grades 1-12 where boy san dgirls can attend morning or afternoon sessions and learn the essentials of art. Kids will advance their skills and take classes Monday through Thursday for a month for this camp, making the camp a little more pricey at around $590 per session.

No matter where you send your child, they’re sure to enjoy the simple arts no matter what age or skill level!