In a world largely centered around technology, it can be tough to convince your kids to get outside for some fun outdoor activities. With the constant distraction of smartphones and TV, it’s no wonder why children are more likely to spend their summer days indoors glued to a screen. However, kids will benefit greatly from spending time outside while interacting with nature, other children, and enthusiastic adults. A day camp is the perfect combination of sports, creative outlets, and togetherness that will make outdoor activities a tempting option for kids of all ages.

Yoga is not just for adults. Kids have as much to gain from this exercise as anyone else. The mixture of breathing techniques, behavioral guidelines, and physical postures can help them better deal with emotional, social, and physical challenges. Children with special needs, like ADHD and autism, in particular, have been shown to get a lot out of doing this activity.

Sending kids off to a day camp has long been a part of the summer experience. As the team at Camp Hillcroft in Lagrangeville, NY, explains, today’s camps are better than ever, offering a wide variety of wholesome activities for your children to enjoy. It’s a great place for your kids to enjoy new experiences they wouldn’t get at home, but that’s not the only reason why you should send your kids to day camp.

Although it’s never too late to learn how to swim, there are several worthwhile reasons to sign up for swimming lessons at a young age. According to the instructors at Camp Hillcroft in Lagrangeville, NY, youngsters won’t only learn how to stay safe in the water but also develop athletic abilities they can use throughout life. If your child doesn’t know how to swim, the Camp Hillcroft staff highlights the importance of enrolling them in swimming instruction.

Choosing staff members to work at a summer day camp is one of the most important decisions that a Camp Director will make as Greg and Sally Buttinger well know. Directors and Owners of Camp Hillcroft in Dutchess County, Greg and Sally, hire over 180 summer staff and picking the “right” employees is a task that they take very seriously. They make sure that all Hillcroft campers are exposed to positive role models and fun, caring, loving, enthusiastic individuals who join in with all of their summer activities.

The end of the school year is right around the corner, which means now is the time for parents to start thinking about fun, engaging ways to keep kids busy during the long summer. Enrollment in a day camp should top the list of options, as it gives children the opportunity to socialize with their peers and participate in activities to keep the mind active. To find a summer day camp that’s the right fit for your child, here are a few tips to make researching options easier.

Outdoor activities, arts and crafts, and new friends are a few of many reasons to enroll your children in a day camp this summer. Ensure your kids enjoy exciting, fun adventures in the sun this year by taking the time to find the perfect camp. Go beyond day camp websites and social media pages—visit the summer activity centers to make the best decision for your young ones.

As a devoted parent, you only want the best for your child. However, with months of time off of school in the summer, it can be challenging to keep them entertained and engaged at home. That’s why Camp Hillcroft of Lagrangeville, NY, is committed to enriching the lives of their young campers. They offer a slew of exciting summer activities to keep kids’ minds and bodies active, from arts and crafts to swimming.

We have a lake, three swimming pools, large ball fields, a garden and a farm, a playground and separate courts for tennis, basketball, street hockey and volley ball. Our Outdoor Adventure program has special locations for climbing walls, obstacle/rope courses and zip lines.

Toys and handy gadgets come out of our camp woodworking shop, as the children learn how to use hand tools and simple power machinery. Camp Hillcroft's wood shop is carefully supervised, with the use of machinery on a one-to-one basis of camper and instructor.

The Ceramics Studio is always a busy and exciting place for children who love art. Here our older children practice the art of throwing a pot on one of our wheels, and all aged campers perfect a variety ofhand-building techniques. Our Ceramics Studio is located in a beautiful setting surrounded by trees and most of the class instruction takes place on a spacious and airy porch, enabling all classes to continue despite the weather.

Our extensive weaving program is of special interest to many children where some may even learn to weave on professional floor and table looms.

In our graphics art workshop at Camp Hillcroft day camp, children learn poster design, lettering, paper making, stamping as well as silk-screen printing with which they may create designs for tee shirts, stationery, posters or wall hangings.

Enameling is a very popular Camp Hillcroft Program Area that is offered to campers in the 3rd grade and older. Campers learn to appreciate jewelry design and the intricacies of copper enamel work. Campers love to show off their wonderful projects that emerge from this art shop such as earrings, pendants, little trays etc... Campers also explore other forms of jewelry design using elements such as leather and wire.

A hugely popular area for obvious reasons (!) is Cooking at Camp Hillcroft. Campers learn all about the Food Pyramid, general nutrition and create wonderful snacks to eat! Cookies, pretzels, pizza and smoothies remain firm favorites every summer! 2nd-9th graders enjoy this program area very much. Under the instruction of our CIA (Culinary Institute of America) Graduate the campers not only enjoy yummy food but they experience the preparation work behind all the food that they create. After prepping and cooking the item of the day campers enjoy time at the end of each class and get to sample the food!

At our Nature/Ecology Area, campers explore the environment around them while learning an appreciation for the natural world. Campers examine the cycles that occur in weather, within the animal kingdom and on the earth’s surface. Another favorite activity here is helping to care for turkeys, ducks, chickens and small reptiles.

While visiting our farm, campers learn how to cultivate vegetables and how to care for sheep and goats. Campers grow tomatoes, squash, beans, broccoli, radishes and other produce which they taste test. Somehow, broccoli tastes better outside surrounded by a beautiful garden.

Yoga integrates the entire camp! Whether your camper leans toward sports and the physical activities or the creative arts -- Yoga draws them all! Here campers experience age appropriate, creative and fun ways to increase self-awareness, strength, flexibility and social skills. Nestled near the woods off the beaten trail, the classes on the Yoga Porch are a peaceful and calming experience that campers want to revisit again and again!

At our private lake, supervised activities include swimming, rope swing, fishing, and our flotilla of fun-yaks, canoes, paddle boards and boats. There are fish in our lake to catch, frogs and turtles to examine and a fascinating swamp to explore.

From age 4-14 year old all campers enjoy this fun and fast paced activity. Whether they are working towards a performance or just enjoying the freedom of dance, campers learn pre choreographed routines and perfect their moves in preparation for our 2 Dance Shows.

On the open fields and many courts at Hillcroft, our full athletic program includes softball, kickball, soccer, T-ball, basketball, volleyball, lacrosse, field and street hockey, pilo polo, newcombe, kick ball, track and field, cricket, and “New Games”. Every camper, regardless of ability, is given a chance to participate and improve skills in individual or team sports. Campers with a competitive edge will enjoy extra Hillcroft swim team and inter-camp games.

What is International Children’s Festival (ICF)??? It is the Festival of the heart…the Festival of feeling and giving to others less fortunate than ourselves. We firmly believe that our campers are not too young to learn about issues which face others less fortunate - poverty, hunger, illness, homelessness. Why do we have ICF???

As part of our International Children's Festival all of our campers will walk for "Relay for Life". Prior to participating in this amazing event a member of the American Cancer Society speaks to all of our campers and explain how they will be contributing and helping others. Hillcroft has been participating in Relay for Life for many years now and we have always been so touched by the response from our campers.

At Drama, campers get the opportunity to pretend, make-believe, and act out situations. At the Little Theater in the woods campers can transform themselves into someone or something else. In addition to games and improvisations, campers can choose to participate in one of several performances throughout the summer. These performances are for other campers and are often a highlight for those with a dramatic flair!

All ages from 4-14 years old have the opportunity to experience Gymnastics at Camp Hillcroft under the guidance of 2 certified coaches. A fully equipped Gym gives the campers the chance to work on their skills on the beam, uneven bars, floor and vault. Many campers also enjoy performing in our Gymnastics Show at the end of each 4 week session. Campers also learn about Rhythmic Gymnastics and Sports Acrobatics.

Campers from 1st to 9th grade receive instruction from our 2 experienced Tennis Coaches. Using the 2 available tennis courts our younger campers are exposed to fun hand/eye coordination games and experience small game situations. Our older campers learn technique through fun drills and play full court games while learning all about scoring and general game tactics.