Definition

Noun: A supervised program and facility, typically located in a rural or outdoor setting, where children and adolescents engage in recreational and educational activities during their summer vacation from school.

Usage

"Summer camp" refers to the institution, program, and physical location itself. It is used as a countable noun.

Examples

• My children are looking forward to going to summer camp this July.
• She made her best friends at summer camp when she was ten years old.
• The organization runs a summer camp for kids interested in science and nature.

Advanced Usage

• "to be at summer camp": to be attending or staying at a summer camp.
  • Our son is at summer camp for two weeks, so the house is very quiet.
• "summer camp experience": used to describe the collective activities, memories, and personal development associated with attending camp.
  • The summer camp experience teaches children independence and teamwork.

Variants and Related Words

• Camp (n): A shorter, more general term often used interchangeably with "summer camp" in context.
  • He's a counselor at a sports camp.
• Camper (n): A child or person who attends a summer camp.
  • The campers learned how to build a fire safely.
• Sleepaway camp / Overnight camp (n): A type of summer camp where participants stay overnight for an extended period, as opposed to a day camp.
  • Her first time at a sleepaway camp was a big step.

Synonyms

• Children's camp: A more formal term emphasizing the participants.
• Holiday camp (chiefly British English): A similar concept, though not exclusively for children or limited to summer.

Related Phrases

• Camp counselor: A person, often a young adult, who supervises and guides children at a summer camp.
  • As a camp counselor, her job was to lead the hiking trips.
• Send someone to camp: The action of enrolling a child in a summer camp program.
  • We decided to send him to camp to help him gain more confidence.

Noun

1. a site where care and activities are provided for children during the summer months
   • city kids get to see the country at a summer camp