Nature- Just What the Doctor Ordered

Today's USA Today has a very interesting story about a national consortium of federal parks and the National Environmental Education Foundation and a new program they are trying, where people are giving "nature prescriptions." The prescriptions encourage patients to eat more fruits & vegetables, step away from the TV or computer and go outside and breathe fresh air, awaken their senses and lose some weight in the process. That sounds a whole lot like a typical day at Camp Anokijig.

We often forget it when we spend so much time at Anokijig, but just the layout of our facility almost necessitates that our campers will walk several miles each day, just going from their section to Western Lodge and around to various program areas. Anokijig's kitchen staff always offers healthy items and vegetarian options and our natural surroundings promote activity amongst our campers.

The story continues to talk about the significant obesity problem our country faces and nature hikes up hills that will "get your heart racing." Nestled in the rolling hills of Wisconsin's Kettle Moraine, we offer plenty of those hills for kids to scamper up and explore, all the while living a healthier lifestyle.

We're big fans of programs like these and not just because they very much mirror what we offer at Anokijig. Programs like these help promote our natural resources to the next generation. Kids can sit in a classroom and learn about rain forests and the importance of protecting our environment, but no amount of classroom learning can ever replicate a hands-on experience in a natural environment. When kids have a better understanding of their natural environment, they have a better appreciation for it. That results in a society that truly values these irreplaceable natural assets.

It is a win/win scenario and we hope momentum for this cause continues to grow. We'll keep doing our part! If you'd like to read the entire USA Today story, click on this link.

Sign up for Summer Camp & Save Money!

The first day of summer camp is less than five months away and while that may seem like a long way off, it will be here before we know it. We understand many families like to plan their schedules early in the year, so we make every effort to open up our summer registration as soon as possible.

Even with months of time to prepare, we always seem to end up with kids on waiting lists, who miss out on our most-popular weeks, because they didn't sign up in time. We don't want your child to be left out of all the fun and excitement that comes with being an Anokijig camper, so we're doing our part to encourage parents to make sure their child doesn't get left out this summer.

Parents who sign their children up for summer camp at Anokijig before May 1, 2011 will receive a discounted rate of $540 per week. After May 1st, a week at Anokijig will cost our regular fee of $565. We know there is still plenty of time, but please don't wait too long because space is limited. Click on this link to sign your child up today!

So Your Daughter Wants a Horse?

Is your daughter so interested in horses, that she would like you to buy one for her? You're not alone. We always want to provide wonderful learning opportunities for our children, but from an ownership perspective, how much does it cost to own a horse?

We can start with the purchase price. Although some horses can cost tens of thousands of dollars, for a first-time rider/owner, a good horse can probably be found for well under $1,000. Let's conservatively say you can find one for $600.

The next expense will come in stabling fees. If you happen to live on a 10-acre parcel of land, you might be able to save a significant amount of money on boarding, by keeping the horse on your property (if your community zoning laws allow it). If not, monthly boarding fees can run anywhere from $200-500 per month. Let's again suppose you can find a very affordable place to keep your horse, which is also a short drive from your home and it only costs $200/month. With the cost of the horse, that puts us at $3,000.

As it turns out, the board was so cheap, because it didn't include feed. An average horse can eat about 20 lbs. of hay per day (1/2 bale). That can also vary, based on how much a horse grazes, but if we calculate 183 bales of hay at about $2.50/bale, that adds a approximately $450 more in just the first year, bringing our grand total up to $3,450. Most horses should also get some grain, so we can conservatively add another $150 a year, bringing our total so far to $3,600.

Some boarding fees include bedding, which can run about $200/year, so we'll again be conservative and assume that's included in the $200/month boarding fee. We'll also assume that bargain of a boarding fee includes mucking of the stalls (stall cleaning), so we wont tack any additional expense onto that.

Your horse will need to get shots twice a year, so do plan on paying a veterinarian about $300 per year, bringing our total up to $3,900 per year. You'll also need to pay a farrier to keep your horses' hooves properly-trimmed. That can sometimes get expensive, if an animal needs shoes (just like kids, huh?), but we'll assume it's healthy in that regard and you'll only spend another $100 a year, bringing your total up to $4,000. You're almost ready to go. All you need now is another $500 for tack, which includes a helmet, saddle, blanket, bridle and other riding equipment. If your daughter has little or no experience on a horse, you'll probably want to make sure she gets good instruction, so add another $1,000 per year onto our total and when it's all added up our the first year of horse ownership will run you at least $5,500.

This assumes you don't want mortality insurance on your horse and your daughter doesn't have expensive tastes in horses, stables, clothes or riding lessons. The good news is, that initial $5,500 investment drops by at least $1,000 in year two, because you won't need to buy a new horse and tack every year (at least in theory). In subsequent years, spending $4,000 per year on a horse can be done, provided the horse stays healthy and you don't end up buying a horse trailer, so your daughter can go riding in other places. Some horses can live for 20 years or more, so assuming your daughter will never let you sell "Blacky" or whatever your horses' name is, this purchase could approach nearly $100,000 over the life of the horse.

Why do we lay all this information out for you? Because Camp Anokijig offers a reasonable alternative to buying a horse- use one of ours! We have more than 50 horses at Anokijig, many of them formerly owned by parents just like you. We also have dozens of miles of riding trails, all the tack, hay, safety equipment and proper riding instruction that any youngster needs. All this can be had for just $580 per week and that includes food, lodging and all the other fun activities at Anokijig! If you would like more information on our Ranch program, follow this link.

$5,500 vs. $580 The math makes the choice look simple, but we know kids always do their best to complicate things. Even if your daughter insists on her own horse, why not encourage her to spend some time learning her way around them at Anokijig, before buying one of her own? She might fall in love with one of our horses and decide she doesn't want one of her own or she could just decide horses weren't her cup of tea. Either outcome could end up saving you thousands of dollars and countless headaches.

How To Pick The Right Summer Camp For Your Kid

Barbara Rowley recently wrote an article for Parenting Magazine on how to pick the right summer camp for your child.  As a former camper and staff member herself, Rowley knows the ins and outs of sleepaway summer camps fairly well and her insight can be very valuable to families considering a sleepaway camp for their child.

Some of her key points for selecting the best camp for your child include the following-

A History
While Rowley knows there are some great new camps out there, she knows some experts and families believe that camps that have been operating for decades, especially with the same staff, has significant meaning.  Camp Anokijig has been in operating since 1926 and our core group of staff members- Jim Scherer, Darin Holden, Don Hill & Scott Stewart all grew up as campers at Anokijig and have more than 100 combined years of adult working experience at Anokijig.  Rowley states that in today's world, a camp simply couldn't stay in business for generations if it were unsafe or suffered from poor leadership and management.

A Philosophy
Rowley thinks it's important to know the philosophy of a camp before sending your child there and she's absolutely correct!  If you are looking for a camp that focuses on sports, there are hundreds to choose from, but Anokijig isn't one of them.  The week many children spend at Anokijig will be the most active week of their year, but it won't be spent on our soccer field or baseball diamond, because we don't have either.  We do play earthball and no one plays scatterball like we do, but they aren't the focal point of our activities.  We like to tell folks anything your child can do at Anokijig, they probably can't do at home and anything they can do at home, they probably can't do at Anokijig. 

An Emphasis on Creating a Community
Rowley believes good camps think about how they place kids together to create the most inclusive experience for all.  Anokijig has more than a dozen different tent sections and cabins, which allows us plenty of flexibility for assigning bunk space for campers.  Three years may not seem like a long time to adults, but we know it is an eternity for kids.  The social experience of camping is important and we know the differences between nine year old campers and 12 year old campers, because we see them every year.  While there are plenty of opportunities for all campers to interact, we do our very best to make sure kids are comfortable with the bunkmates in their sections and part of that is grouping kids appropriately by age.  Our size still allows us the flexibility to accomodate many requests for bunkmates.

A Well-Trained Staff
Rowley feels it is important for camps to be adequately-staffed and we couldn't agree more.  She suggests low ratios of 10 to 1 for kids ages 8 to 14.  Even during Anokijig's busiest weeks, our capacity is about 315 campers.  If we were at Rowley's low ratio, we'd only have about 32 staff members to monitor all those children.  Our actual ratio is far better than Rowley's, as our cooks feed more than 400 people during our busy weeks.  Rowley also feels it's important for staff to be background-checked and have plenty of references as well.  As an ACA-accredited camp, we follow all of those procedures for staffing and have known many of our current staff members, since they were campers at Anokijig.  We also run two weeks of staff training before the first summer camper even arrives at Anokijig.

An Element of Choice
One of the great things about a summer camp experience, is that a child is free from their daily, pre-set schedules.  When they arrive at Anokijig, we evaluate their swimming ability and then ask them to select two skills, from a wide variety of program areas.  Examples could include archery, arts & crafts, woodworking, fishing, trail crafts, and sailing.  Anokijig campers will devote time each day to their two choices, but we also leave plenty of unstructured free time, allowing campers the opportunity to try out other program areas as well.  Rowley believes this structure (or lack thereof) will help your child to feel more independent, especially if they are making the choices for which activities they participate in.

A Communications Plan
Rowley believes a consistent policy on camper phone use is important, as well as making sure there are procedures in place for contacting parents about upcoming events or if their child becomes sick or injured.  Safety comes first at Anokijig and a good portion of our camper orientation focuses on safety and emergency procedures.  Although cell phones are not allowed at Anokijig (and most don't work anyway), we always have staff on duty at all hours of the day and always have the ability to contact parents whenever needed.  We do encourage our parents and campers to write letters to each other throughout the week, but we know that frequent phone conversations can actually make it harder for both parents and children to be away from each other.

A High Standard of Accreditation
Rowley encourages parents to ask camps if they are accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA), which conducts on-site visits and reviews programs, facilities, and hiring and safety policies.  Rowley claims only the most professionally run camps qualify and we're proud to tell parents we scored a perfect 100 on our most recent ACA inspection.

Choosing the right camp can be a challenge for parents, but the experiences their children will have can last a lifetime and are well worth the effort.  If you'd like to read Rowley's entire article, you can find it here- http://is.gd/bER5o

A Brief History of Camp Anokijig

We've noticed a spike in traffic lately to the Anokijig Insider. We're not sure why that has happened, but we're glad you're here. It did occur to us that you might not know anything about who we are or what we do, as many of our blogs are written with the idea that most of our audience is already familiar with Camp Anokijig. With that in mind, we'd like to use this blog to give a brief history of Anokijig.

In the mid-1920s, the Racine YMCA decided they wanted a summer camp for the boys in Racine and they gave two men the task of finding a suitable location, within a reasonable drive of Racine, Wisconsin. The ideal location would be a large parcel of land, located on a body of water that had not been over-run with development. Wisconsin was a popular weekend destination for the Chicagoland area in the 1920s, so this was no easy task.

The two men searched the 1920s version of Google (the real estate listings in local papers) and set out to find the perfect spot for a camp. As they continued to fan out from Racine, they stopped for lunch one day about 70 miles north of Racine, in a town called Plymouth. They were having trouble locating a lake and shared their story with the locals at the restaurant. Upon hearing their story, it was recommended that they take a look at Little Elkhart Lake, a body of water so hidden, many locals didn't even know how to find it, they just knew it was somewhere north of town.

The two men parked their vehicle and hiked through more than a half mile of Kettle Moraine forestland, before emerging on a shoreline and taking their first glimpse of Little Elkhart Lake. A local farmer was building a small cabin on the shoreline, but no other buildings were visible from their position and the water sparkled crystal-clear, with trees surrounding the shoreline and the only sounds coming from the birds in the area and the wind blowing through the trees.

The two men struck a deal with the farmer to lease both the cabin and 40 acres along the shoreline for $50 per year and Camp Anokijig was born. The idea of camping took hold in Racine and the first 40 acres was soon purchased and Anokijig's home was made permanent. In the subsequent years, more land was added and Anokijig's total acreage now approaches 400, including 3/4 of the water frontage on Little Elkhart Lake.

Camp Anokijig hasn't just grown in size. Our summer camp program now operates in nine one-week sessions and we welcome more than 2,000 summer campers (boys & girls) every year from more than 20 different states and seven foreign countries.

Why is Camp Anokijig still appealing after more than 80 years? Because kids are still kids and as much as the rest of the world has changed, much of Anokijig still remains the same. We've added quite a few cabins over the years, but many of our campers still sleep in platform tents. Our ranch program now has more than 50 horses, but it's still all located on our property and ranch campers still earn scarves in our Ranch Program.

We don't have any ipods, computers or cable TV for campers to use, but they can still shoot arrows, paddle a canoe or learn how to catch a fish. In short, anything a kid can do at home, they probably can't do at Anokijig and anything they do while they're at Anokijig, they probably can't do at home. Amazingly enough, even in the digital era we live in now, there's something very appealing about that to kids.

Getting back to the Anokijig story, Anokijig was struggling in the late-1970s and early-1980s. The Racine YMCA was even considering selling the camp at that time, but a former camper and staff member, Jim Scherer, stepped forward and offered to try and turn things around. No previous Camp Director had ever lived at Anokijig year-round, but Scherer felt that being here all the time was the only way to make the camp successful. Scherer was soon joined by other former campers and part-time staffers, Darin Holden, Scott Stewart, and Don Hill. Together they turned Anokijig around in a relatively-short amount of time and soon had it operating in the black.

The Racine YMCA continued to own Camp Anokijig until 2005. At that point, Anokijig had been operationally-profitable for more than 20 years, but the Racine YMCA found themselves in between a rock and a hard place and decided Anokijig had to be sold. Once again, Scherer and his staff rallied camp supporters and a grass roots effort was formed to save Anokijig from development.

A non-profit corporation was formed, financing was secured and the Friends of Camp Anokijig placed a successful bid to purchase Anokijig from the Racine YMCA. 2010 marks the fifth season of operation as an independent, non-profit youth and family camp, but the camping experience is very much the same as it has been for the last eight decades. Anokijig offers a wonderful environment, with a staff dedicated to maximizing the camping experience for all of our visitors.

There are plenty of great stories about Anokijig on this blog, but we'd encourage you to visit Anokijig in person, as there really is no substitute for the real thing. Thanks for stopping by and catching a bit of the Anokijig spirit!

Jim McIlvaine
Vice President, Camp Anokijig

Did You Know Camp Anokijig has a YouTube Channel?

Did you know Camp Anokijig has it's own YouTube channel?  Anokijig's YouTube channel has several of the great videos you may have seen on various sites, all in one place.  We'll also be adding videos throughout the year.  If you have a favorite Anokijig video on YouTube, let us know, so we can include it in our favorites.  To visit our YouTube channel, just follow this link

0-100 In Less Than 24 Hours!

Camp Anokijig's Facebook fan page hasn't even been up 24 hours and already we have more than 100 fans!  That's a pretty incredible number and we appreciate everyone's support.  If you haven't become a fan of Anokijig on Facebook yet, you can do so, by visiting this link- http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Camp-Anokijig/112799212069046

A Record Week for Anokijig

Summer camp hasn't even begun yet at Anokijig and already we've had a record week! Darin Holden and the rest of our staff have been busy this past Spring, attending outdoor and camping shows all over the Midwest, telling folks about the incredible value and outrageous fun that can be found in an Anokijig experience.

All the hard work is paying off, as we just set records for registrations in a single week and a single day! All of our summer sessions still have availability, but we do have weeks that sell out every year, so be sure to register early- https://www.anokijig.com/Registration.aspx

On The Road Again

It's that time of year again- SHOW TIME! As parents and families try to map out their summer plans, one of their activities often includes time at a sleepaway summer camp. We like to think Anokijig isn't just one of the best summer camps in Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest, but the entire country! So, we send Darin out on the road to tell our story.

Starting Wednesday, Darin will be at the Camp Anokijig booth at the Milwaukee Sports Show at the Wisconsin Expo Center at State Fair Park. We encourage you to stop on by and pay him a visit, find out what's new at Anokijig for 2010 and plan a trip to Anokijig for yourself or a loved one. We hope to see you at the show!

Tube-A-Thon 2010 Is Just Days Away!

We hope to see you at Anokijig's 2010 this weekend. Here's a primer for you from one of our recent guests-

A Wonderful Wedding Gift

Some of our long-time readers may remember a post we made almost a year ago, discussing the current state of some of Anokijig's boats and the need for some upgrades- The Anokijig Insider: A Need Indeed

We're happy to report that our call to action has been answered. Mike McGrath of Minocqua, Wisconsin heard of our need for a newer pontoon boat and he happened to have a boat he was considering selling. The boat is a beautiful, 24-foot Manitou Limited pontoon boat and it is just what Anokijig desperately needed.

Two of Mike's good friends were married this past summer and he knew of their affinity for Camp Anokijig. As a very generous wedding present, Mike offered to donate his pontoon boat to Anokijig, in honor of their union.

Even though the boat is 14 years old, the Manitou Pontoon Boat company makes a high-quality boat, as this one looks nearly-new and is in great shape! It features comfortable seating for up to 12 passengers and a 90-horsepower Honda four-stroke outboard motor. That's great news for camp, as this motor is far more efficient (and quieter) than the motor on our other pontoon boat.

What will become of our other pontoon boat? Our waterfront director, Don Hill, has spent countless hours over the last several winters, reparing and welding that other pontoon boat back together. It no longer has any fixed seating, but he thinks it could still make an excellent boat for our fishing program. In order to make this happen, we would need to upgrade the outboard motor that is currently on the boat. It is simply too costly to operate and seems to burn as much oil as gasoline.

Ideally, we would like to replace it with a smaller outboard in the range of 20-25 horsepower, since it would only be used for moving campers to all the prime fishing spots on Little Elkhart. If you know of someone who might be able to help us find such a motor, please have them call Camp Anokijig at 920-893-0782.

Thank you again Mike McGrath for your wonderful gift to Camp Anokijig! Check out this video of her maiden voyage-

Bring the Whole Family To Camp Anokijig!

Camp Anokijig's 2009 Summer Camping Season has ended, but Anokijig's 2009 Camping Season is far from over! If your child is still raving about their experience at Anokijig this summer and begging for more, there are still plenty of chances to come back in 2009.

Camp Anokijig is offering several family camping weekends this year and there's still space available in all of them. Family Camping weekends allows families to do all the fun stuff that the Anokijig summer campers did all summer long, from horseback riding to archery and all the cool boats at the waterfront. There are also some special family activities on these weekends that are not available during summer camp, like pumpkin carving contests and hayrides.

Our August Getaway Weekend runs from the evening of the 28th through the 30th and we have a couple of rooms available in the Health Lodge, one of the Thunderbird bunkhouses and several tents left. Our Labor Day weekend is nearly full, with only one room (two people) available in the Health Lodge and Fall Colors is also close to being full with only platform tents remaining.

These weekends are all great opportunities for families to enjoy Anokijig together, without the hassles of packing up a tent and cooking meals over an open fire. Your accomodations will be waiting for you and all your meals are included. Best of all, the price is more affordable than you might realize.

An average family of four can enjoy our Fall Colors weekend for about $325, which includes two nights stay, five all-you-can-eat meals in Western Lodge and unlimited access to all of our program areas (horseback rides and some arts & crafts projects do have additional fees). As always, children under four years of age are always free on all of our family weekends.

If you would like more information on our Family Weekends, please visit this link- http://anokijig.com/09family.htm

Don't delay though, because space is limited and it's filling up fast!

Thank You Johnson Controls!

Did you know Camp Anokijig benefits from over 50,000 volunteer hours each year? That staggering number happens for several reasons. We have an outstanding core group of adult volunteers, who seem to spend nearly every free moment they have at Anokijig. We also have a fantastic group of junior staff, many of whom volunteer countless weekends at Anokijig in the Spring and Fall months.

Another group of people that help us tremendously are companies and service organizations, who organize work days at Anokijig. Today, ten employees and executives from Johnson Controls and their Optima Batteries Division spent the day doing various work projects at Anokijig.


The weather didn't look good in the morning, but this group showed up early, worked hard and stayed late. Our staff is used to the rigors of working at Anokijig and they don't impress easily, but they were surprised at the effort put forth by the folks from JCI.

This was Johnson Control's first work day at Anokijig and sometimes we schedule easier tasks for first-time groups, but that wasn't the case today. In the morning, half the group cleaned saddles down at the corral, while the other group split logs down by the supply shed.


After lunch, the group enjoyed a tour around Little Elkhart on the Allegheney, before returning to work. The first order of business was upgrading all of the batteries in our fleet of vehicles to Optimas.


As that task finished up, one group headed out to tear out old fence line, while the other made much-needed repairs to our horse shelters. We also had folks doing filing for us in the office, which will make Carol very happy when she returns from her vacation next week.


Volunteer work like this is the lifeblood of Anokijig and its what keeps us accessible and affordable for so many children and families. Thank you Johnson Controls and Optima Batteries for all your hard work and generosity!

Thank You Anokijig Campers!

The sun has now set on another fantastic summer camp season at Anokijig. In typical Anokijig fashion, thousands of children had the time of their lives, with lasting memories that will stretch well beyond the upcoming winter months.

As in years past, Anokijig welcomed campers this year from all corners of the world, including Singapore, Russia, Spain and Germany. We also hosted campers from 24 different states, but more than 90% of our campers still come from Wisconsin and Northern Illinois.

One trend that did change dramatically from 2008, was the number of campers who received campership assistance. Since 1926, Camp Anokijig has never denied a child the opportunity to go camping on the shores of Little Elkhart, due to a lack of financial resources. In 2009, 240 campers received more than $100,000 worth of assistance.

While it is amazing to think of the incredible fun and personal growth these children experienced during their time at Anokijig, it's even more impressive to think of the generosity of our donors and supporters, that made this all possible. Without your help and support, many of these children simply would not have been able to come to Anokijig.

We say it often, but maybe not often enough- For many campers who visit Anokijig, the experience is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Their first campfire, their first night away from home, their first fish caught, their first night away from their parents, their first horseback ride and the list goes on. It may be hard for some people to believe, but we meet campers every year, who have never swam in water without chlorine, before visiting Anokijig!

A big "RIC TIC" also needs to go out to our hard-working staff, dedicated volunteers and all the other donors and supporters who make Anokijig one of the best places on earth. We appreciate your unwavering commitment to camping excellence!

Camp Anokijig's Fishing Expedition Program

Someone once said, "The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of that which is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope." As you can see from this video, Camp Anokijig's Fishing Expedition Program tends to make his pursuit more attainable than most of us are accustomed to experiencing.

When campers come to Anokijig to fish, we make sure they not only catch some fish and have a good time, but learn a little bit about fishing and themselves. Camp Anokijig's Fishing Expedition Program covers everything from cane poles with bobbers to fly reels and salmon fishing on Lake Michigan.

We offer Fishing Expedition as a specialty program during several of our summer camp weeks, for just an additional $80 over their resident camping fees. Most Lake Michigan charter boats won't even start their engines for that price, but campers in our Expedition Fishing Program will have all their bait, boats and equipment supplied, including a chartered fishing excursion on Lake Michigan (weather permitting).

While many of the campers in this program have some previous fishing experience, almost everyone learns something new or experiences fishing in a way they never had before. This program is also designed to accomodate the first-time angler, so if your son or daughter would like to give fishing a try, this might be the perfect introduction for them.

We have already successfully completed three weeks of Fishing Expedition and the campers in this program have really enjoyed themselves. Next week is our final Fishing Expedition program for 2009, so if your child is signed up for Resident Camp and would like to experience an exciting week of fishing, give us a call at 1-800-741-6931 today!

Beware of Hidden Costs at Summer Camps!

Even though we're in the midst of the summer camping season, we realize parents are still looking for the best camping opportunities for their children. Some are still planning for this year, while others may be planning already for 2010.

If we could give one piece of advice to cost-conscious parents about selecting a summer camp, it would be to make sure they understand all the expenses involved in sending their child off to camp. The fee to send a child to camp can literally, be just the tip of the iceberg. At Anokijig, the current rate for our Resident Camp Program is $510 per week.

The hidden costs parents may encounter with resident camp fees at some camps include mandatory multi-week commitments. Some camps require that campers attend a minimum of anywhere from three to eight weeks (Anokijig has no multi-week requirements). That's a big commitment for a parent to make, especially if their child has never been to an overnight camp before, which brings us to the next potential hidden expense for parents.

What if your son or daughter gets very homesick and decides they want to leave? What if a family's schedule has changed and sending a child to camp is no longer possible? How much of your deposit is refundable, especially if you've committed thousands of dollars to a multi-week camp? That's an important question to ask before making such a huge commitment, because any number of situations could arise, which would prevent a child from staying at camp (or even getting there in the first place). Anokijig's $100/week deposit is non-refundable and non-transferable, but the balance of the fees are fully-refundable.

Whether you are taking your child to camp or sending them on a bus, make sure you factor in travel expenses in your decision. Travel expenses alone can often result in hundreds of dollars worth of savings (or added expense). How far away is the camp from your home? If you're trying to save a few dollars and one camp's fees are $40 cheaper than another's, will you really be saving that much if you have to drive an extra 100 miles each way to drop your child off and pick them up?

If you choose to send you child to camp on a bus, how much will it cost? Camp Anokijig's bus service runs to ten different locations in Southeastern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois. We offer one-way service for prices varying from $26-$47 and roundtrip service from $52-$94, based on location. Last year, Anokijig hosted campers from 23 different states. Some of those families have found the total cost of flying their child to Wisconsin and sending them to Anokijig is actually less, than sending them to a camp in their home state!

What activity fees are not included? At Anokijig, the only resident camp programs that have additional fees are some of our Arts & Crafts projects (typically 50 cents up to $3) and our Ranch program, which offers trail rides for anywhere from $10-$12. Our trading post sells some snack items and keepsakes, so most families will send an extra $25-$50 per week for their children, depending on how much horseback riding they plan on doing.

Are there any costs incurred before arriving at camp? For health and safety reasons, Anokijig requires that all campers coming to camp must have a recent physical exam. All ACA-accredited camps have this requirement, but the time and expense involved in getting the exam done before coming to camp needs to be considered.

Finally, will your child be required to purchase special clothing for their trip to camp? While Anokijig maintains a modest and appropriate dress code for our campers and staff, we do not require special uniforms for attending our camp.

We hope these tips have been helpful in your search to find the best camp for your child!

Paying for Camp

Jenny Wolkowitz recently wrote a story for Tips on Trips and Camps on paying for summer camp. You can read the entire piece here- http://www.tipsontripsandcamps.com/payingforcamp.html

We'd like to take a look at some of the points she raised in her story and how Camp Anokijig fits into the picture she paints. First, she points out that for parents, who went to a camp as children, the idea of sending their own kids to camp makes a lot of sense. It is an amazing experience and one that many former Anokijig campers will claim is well worth it. However, as Wolkowitz points out, finding the "right fit" is very important.

As much as we'd like to say Camp Anokijig is the best summer camp for every child, that probably isn't the case. While we have a broad range of offerings, there are many camps that offer activities that we do not. As a general rule of thumb, we like to say that anything you can do at home, you probably can't do at Anokijig and anything you do at Anokijig, you probably can't do at home. That means kids who want to play a lot of traditional sports at camp, like soccer, baseball, football or basketball would probably have more fun at a sports-specific camp that offers those activities. However, if a child would like to try windsurfing, horseback riding or archery, Anokijig is probably a good choice.

Wolkowitz also points out that there are two types of camps- agency camps and private camps. She also claims there is a pretty big price differential between the two, with camps subsidized by organizations like the YMCA or JCC being far more affordable than private camps. Anokijig may be unique in this regard. Although we were once a YMCA-affiliated camp, we are now what Wolkowitz would consider a "private camp."

Wolkowitz claims that campers at private camps must pay for all the costs of running a camp. That means most campers can expect to pay between $750-$1,000 per week for a a private camp in the Midwest, while agency camps in this part of the country typically charge between $500-$650 per week. Fortunately for our campers, Anokijig is at the low end of Wolkowitz's cost scale for subsidized camps at just $510 per week.

She also points out that camps in Missouri and Southern Illinois might be a little cheaper than those in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, because they don't offer extensive water sports, like sailing and waterskiing. While we no longer offer waterskiing at Anokijig, we offer just about everything else on the water, from fishing, kayaking and canoeing to sailing and windsurfing. She also points out that camps in the Midwest are traditionally less-expensive, than East or West Coast camps. Based on her description of these camps, it sounds like Anokijig offers the best of both worlds- the ammenities and offerings of a typical private camp, for the price of a subsidized, agency camp.

Extra/hidden costs were another point of emphasis in this article that is worth mentioning. The only fee-based activities for Anokijig campers are horseback rides and some arts & crafts projects. None of our waterfront activities carry any additional fees, nor do our pellet gun or archery range or any other program areas. We do offer day trips and adventure trips for an additional fee, but if a child just wants to hang out at Anokijig all week (and most do), they can take a horseback ride or two, make some cool arts & crafts projects, grab a few snacks at the trading post and mom and dad will still not spend more than $550 for the entire experience.

Finally, Wolkowitz talks about scholarships (we call them camperships) and other ways to make a camping experience more affordable. Like many other camps, Anokijig offers a variety of options for families looking to make the Anokijig camping experience even more affordable. You can read more about those opportunities by following this link- http://anokijig.com/scholar.htm#finanacial

What Makes Anokijig So Affordable?

We realize parents consider many factors when selecting summer activities and summer camps for their children. Given the current state of our economy, cost is at the top of the list for many parents who choose Anokijig. As a result, Anokijig has not only built a reputation as one of the most affordable summer camps in Wisconsin, but in the entire Midwest and beyond! That might be part of the reason why campers from 23 different states and seven foreign countries chose Anokijig last year.

There are many reasons why we have been able to keep our costs down, but the biggest is the tremendous support we receive from our volunteers. Last year, volunteers at Anokijig spent more than 52,000 hours helping us keep things runnning smoothly. That's the equivalent of approximately 25 full-time employees! These volunteers range from teenaged- junior staff members, to service organizations and adult volunteers and alumni.

Anokijig has been around since 1926, but we also draw on the extensive camping experience of our current staff. Our Executive Director, Program Director & Waterfront Director have more than 100 combined years of experience in camping! That vast experience helps us avoid costly mistakes and focus on what's really important in camping. These are not seasonal jobs either. Anokijig has nine full-time employees, whose only jobs are to create the best possible camping experience.

ABC news recently ran a story about summer camps being a recession-proof industry. We're not sure if that's entirely accurate, but we do know many camps that once required minimum stays of four weeks or longer are now offering shorter sessions. We've known for years that the summer months can be a challenging time of year for families to schedule activities. As a result, we've been offering flexible, three-day Mini Camp options for our campers for several years now and at just $320, that price is tough to beat.

One of the best bargains at Anokijig might be our Ranch Program. At just $565, this program is just $55 more than our regular Resident Camp program. The reason we're able to offer this program at such a reasonable price, is because the entire program is on-site. Our herd numbers between 50-60 horses and we farm approximately 80 acres of hay, producing about 7,750 bales per year. We're blessed to have the land and facilties that allow us to keep our ranch costs low, but having an on-site ranch program means more than just a short walk from Western Lodge for our campers. It means campers can spend more time on and around our horses.

Even though Anokijig feels like it is a world away from our everyday life, it is actually a very convenient drive for most of our campers. We're just 2.5 hours from Chicago, 1.5 hours from Madison and one hour from Milwaukee and Green Bay. That means many families taking their children to Anokijig aren't spending a full day's drive and a couple of tanks of gas just to get to Anokijig and back. We also offer a very reasonably-priced bus service to ten different locations around Wisconsin and Illinois.

We've done our best to provide an outstanding camping experience at a very affordable price, but we know many families need additional help and we have several different programs available to help those families. You can read more about them by following this link- http://anokijig.com/scholar.htm#finanacial

While Anokijig is physically larger than many other camps in terms of the size of our facility and our enrollment, we match that size with our full-time and seasonal staff, which keeps our camper to staff ratio at less than 4:1. Anokijig may seem like the perfect combination of a quality camping experience at an affordable price, but this hasn't all happened overnight. We've been working at perfecting the summer camp experience for more than 80 years and we're not done yet!

All Weeks Still Open, But Not For Long!

As Week 2 comes to a close, enrollment at Anokijig continues to rise. All remaining weeks still have openings, however, three of those weeks are nearing capacity.

As of Friday, Week Four's Whitewater Rafting Day Trip and Adventure Trip are both close to closing. Week Four's Mini Camp is also near capacity and Competitive Swim Camp is at capacity.

There are also only a few spots remaining for Ranch Camp in Week Five and Resident Camp in that week only has about 16 spots left.

For Week Six, the Paintball Day Trip is near capacity, Circle A Riders are at capacity, Mini Camp is full and Resident Camp only has about 20 spots remaining.

Week Seven still has some space left in all areas (except Stampers), but Week Eight has just five spots remaining for Resident Camp. If you'd like to get your child into Anokijig for the week beginning on August 2nd, you should register today. The Ranch Program is nearly full for that week and the Mini Camp is already at capacity.

As we mentioned previously, our Stamper program is completely sold out for the entire summer. It's shaping up to be another wonderful summer at Anokijig. We hope your children can be a part of it!

Another Tube-A-Thon Success!

Many thanks go out to Anokijig's army of volunteers, who made our 2009 Tube-A-Thon another wonderful success. More than $9,000 was raised over the weekend for Anokijig's campership program, which helps send children to camp, who might not otherwise be able to do so.

We are so thankful for all the generous folks, who know the powerful impact an experience at Anokijig can have on a young child. If you weren't able to join us this year, but would like to help send a child to Anokijig this summer, you can do so by following this link-https://www.anokijig.com/pledge.htm

As a special treat, please enjoy this amazing video of one of Anokijig's legendary tube trains