In 1963, Alan Sherman composed a parody song about the fictional “Camp Granada,” a name that was derived from the following lyrics:

Hello Muddah,
Hello Fadduh.
Here I am at
Camp Granada.
Camp is very
entertaining.
And they say we’ll have some fun if it stops raining.

He wrote the song based upon letters of complaint that he received from his son Robert who was attending a sleep away summer camp in Westport, New York. Amazingly, the song was a smash hit and went to number two on the Billboard Hot 100 for at least three weeks in the summer of 1963. You could say that it was the first “Song of the Summer.”

Back in the 1960’s, parents that wanted to send their children to a summer camp really did not have many choices. Basically, the only camps that were available were sleep away camps. These camps tended to focus on archery, theater, and water sports.

A lot has changed since the 1960’s, especially for summer camps. Parents can now send their children to language immersion camps, equestrian camps, and even farm camps.

Here are six summer camps that we found particularly interesting:

International Riding Camp
Location: Greenfield Park, NY
Cost: $14,700 for 10 weeks

Located about 2 hours north of New York City, this camp is designed to facilitate horseback riding for girls ages 7 to 17. Activities include a minimum of three hours of riding per day with the option of an additional hour and a half for the true horse lover.

Camp BizSmart
Location: Stanford University
Costs: $1,590 for a 12-day session

Instead of the typical campfires and marshmallows, this camp focuses on training tomorrow’s executives through team building and problem solving. But really, what did you expect from a camp that was founded by entrepreneurs working for Google, Microsoft, and Cisco?

French Woods Performing Arts
Location: Catskills Mountains, New York
Costs: $4,159 for a three week session

This camp offers a wide range of performing arts activities including dance, theater, music, circus arts, and music. The goal of the camp is to allow children to immerse themselves in their craft. Adam Levine, the lead singer of Maroon 5, is an alumnus of their rock and roll program.

Pali Overnight Adventures
Location: Running Springs, California
Costs: $1,692 for one week

This is not your grandfather’s sleep away camp. This camp allows kids to choose between aerial arts, Hollywood stunts, gourmet cooking, broadcasting, motorsports, and even how to be a secret agent.

Quantum Cryptography
Location: University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Canada
Costs: Free to attend

This camp is focused on developing math and physics in order to create unbreakable encryption for use in communication and other areas. It is free to attend, as long as you can afford to get there everyday on your own.

Brain Chase
Location: Your Living Room, Your Vacation Home, or Anywhere
Costs: $200 for six weeks

Brain Chase is a online summer academic camp wrapped up in a global treasure hunt. The program was designed to ensure that kids do not lose math, reading, and writing skills while they are on summer break. Completing weekly assignments unlocks clues that lead participants to a real buried treasure worth $10,000. It is probably the only summer camp where participants can win their tuition back.

If you would like to know more about Brain Chase, please visit our website today.