Camp Lakewood
For years, YMCA Camp Lakewood has been proving the Village People right: It is fun to stay at the YMCA. Situated on a 360-acre lake surrounded by 5,200 acres of forest, Camp Lakewood offers co-educational resident camps for kids ages 6 to 17. This traditional summer camp offers all the basics: hiking trails, horseback rides, campfires and a broad range of outdoor and water sports. Campers can tailor their experience based on their needs and interests. Resident camps are available in one- and two-week sessions. Camp Lakewood is located between Potosi and Steelville, roughly 75 miles south of St. Louis. Camps cost $475-675 for a one-week session, and $925-975 for a two-week session. A four-day mini camp is offered for $285.

YMCA Camp Lakewood is located at 13528 State Hwy AA, Potosi, Mo., 63664. Call them at 314-241-YMCA.

Cub Creek Science Camp
For youngsters with a passion for wildlife, Cub Creek Science Camp might be just the ticket. Located at Bear River Ranch near Rolla, Mo., Cub Creek offers kids a truly unique camp experience. In addition to offering a broad range of science-based activities, Cub Creek also offers the only overnight animal camp in the United States. The camp is home to more than 300 animals from 100 different species. Campers ages 7 to 17 have a chance to rub elbows with animals ranging from kinkajous and kangaroos to alpacas and armadillos. The camp offers a junior veterinary program, crime science courses, Adopt-an-Animal classes and much more. Campers stay in comfortable air-conditioned cabins nestled amid 240 acres of Missouri Ozark forest. Camps cost $795 for a one-week session and $1,590 for a two-week session.

Cub Creek Science Camp is located at 16795 Hwy E, Rolla, Mo. 65401. Call them at 573-458-2125.

Western Illinois Youth Camp
Located two hours from St. Louis in Jacksonville, Ill., the Western Illinois Youth Camp offers a traditional summer camp experience for kids ages 7 to 15. Activities include cooking by campfire, learning about wildlife, creating arts and crafts, as well as typical camp activities including fishing, swimming, hiking and canoeing. The camp also offers a number of other programs including day camps, family camps and teen programs. The camp costs $250 for a Monday through Friday session.

Western Illinois Youth Camp is located at 2244 4-H Club Lane (P.O. Box 48), Jacksonville, Ill., 62651. Call them at 217-673-3771.

Sherwood Forest Camp
Each year, Sherwood Forest Camp serves nearly 450 children and adolescents, the vast majority of whom come from families living in poverty. Campers participate in a range of activities designed to improve team-building and decision-making skills while also helping develop independence and responsibility. Campers are taught to respect themselves, others and their natural environment. Sherwood Forest Camp offers a five-day "Mini Camp" for 7- and 8-year-olds who have completed first or second grade. Separate boys and girls camps are available in 12-day sessions for students in third and fourth grade and in a 26-day session for students in fifth grade. The camp is located near Lesterville, Mo., a two-hour drive from St. Louis. Camp costs $50 for most programs.

Sherwood Forest Camp is located in Lesterville, Mo., 63654 (P.O. Box 210). Call them at 314-644-3322.

Camp Manitowa
Camp Manitowa in Benton, Ill., is open to campers entering grades 2 through 8 in the fall of 2012. Campers can choose from one- and two-week sessions,  each of which emphasize fun, adventure, community, commitment and responsibility. Campers will participate in a range of activities each day, the majority of which are selected by the campers themselves. Activity categories include ropes courses, water activities, arts, sports, outdoor education and indoor games. Campers sleep in large circular structures called yurts. Camp Manitowa is located about 90 minutes from St. Louis. Camp costs $1,000 per week.

Camp Manitowa is located at 12770 North Benton Road, Benton, Ill., 62812. Call them at 314-375-6766.

This article was originally published in March 2011 and has been updated as of March 2012.

Visit Sprout & About's 2012 Summer Camp Guide

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