I worked as a counselor at Camp Fern in the mid 1980s, and now I've been lucky enough to send my two daughters to girls' camp at Fern every summer for the last four years. For my campers, Fern is Shangri-La. They love everything about camp. They especially love the tribal competition, the day trips, the traditions, the various activities and classes, the friends they've made, and spending all day outside in nature. As a parent, I love the benefits of camp I see reflected in my daughters' values and characters. Each summer they grow to be more resilient, more independent, more confident socially, and more mentally tough. These are the qualities that a good summer camp will foster in kids. At Camp Fern, in addition to having fun, kids have the opportunity to take on leadership roles within their tribes and cabins. They try new activities which might be outside their comfort zones. They experience both success and failure, but they learn how to bounce back and keep trying. This is an old school Texas summer camp. Camp activities include arts and crafts, horseback riding, archery, riflery, waterskiing, swimming, tennis and other sports, nature, trampoline, mountain biking, canoeing, et cetera. There's a ropes course and a big blob in the lake, for jumping. Kids can also work toward earning special individual advancements, which teach goal-setting and how to work toward meeting a goal. The camp hosts vespers in the evenings and a church service out-of-doors on Sundays. There's also singing, campfires, marshmallow roasting, trail rides, and coke raids. I highly recommend Camp Fern. It's well worth the cost. The four generations of family who own and run Fern are invested in every camper's camp experience. You can trust that your child will be in good hands. read more
