Summer Camps

Summer Camp Abroad

I had a dream of sending my kids to summer camps in Spanish-speaking countries for various reasons:

My number one reason was the more pure immersion environment to improve their language skills - both understanding and speaking - and for older kids this could include literacy as well. Since the other kids don’t speak English, this will motivate the kids to try to communicate with them in Spanish (even if it is a challenge). Another reason was that summer camp abroad would give the adults a chance to relax and enjoy vacation or get work done while still giving plenty of time with your kids.

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We have now sent our kids to 2 camps abroad one in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (Little Tesla Kindergarten) and one in Sámara, Costa Rica (Sámara New Camp). While the process has not been as simple as I had imagined, it's been an amazing experience and look forward to continuing this tradition in the future. If you're interested in doing this with your family, the following is more information about how I made this happen and some general tips. 

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Puerto Vallarta, México

When the kids were 3 and 5 years old, we spent 2 weeks in Puerto Vallarta. There were convenient flights there and places with beach and pool access. We stayed in a condo (Icon Vallarta) in part so the kids would be able to interact with other vacationing Mexican families and not just English-speaking tourists, we also got the benefit of a concierge to help with the camp-finding mission. It was indeed a mission, but we got there in the end!  We found 3 options in the end:   

• Little Tesla Kindergarten (we chose this one for the location) 

• Wimari 

• Club Idea Kids Camp PV 

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Sámara, Costa Rica

Building on our experience in Puerto Vallarta, I reached out to friends that knew Costa Rica to help plan another beach and pool vacation. We chose Sámara for its family friendly vibes, its beach location and because I found Sámara New Camp searching on Google. While the camp was more bilingual than I'd hoped, it was still a wonderful experience for the kids. The instructor always spoke to the kids in Spanish and they made some Costa Rican friends as well! We also found the BEST swim instructor for their afternoon swim lessons that they did at the small condo we stayed at near the camp. 

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 Some tips for making it happen

• Having someone local to help you find opportunities is very important/helpful (the concierge at the condo we rented helped us find 2 of the 3 options we eventually found after many weeks/hours of research, my friends helped me think through the different possible locations in Costa Rica to find the most family-friendly options)

• At least in Mexico and Costa Rica more information is available on Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp than established websites

• It’s best to find a camp that’s close to where you’re staying - check the map carefully!

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 Some challenges to consider

• It can be more mentally and emotionally taxing for the kids to attend camp in an unfamiliar place in a language they’re not as comfortable with (this can be mitigated some with a stronger base in the language going into it, having some familiarity with the camp itself and the location, having a more risk taking/outgoing temperament etc.)

• It can be stressful not knowing much about the camp or having a chance to tour beforehand (the locations aren't always open when you'd like to visit before starting!)

• It can be stressful leaving your kids crying in an unfamiliar place, though seeing their smiling faces and hearing their stories at pick-up helps make this feel worth it! 

• The dates of the camps are often not published as far in advance as necessary for booking trips (this was one of the advantages of Sámara New Camp, and one of the downsides of all of the camps I found in Puerto Vallarta)

• The dates of the camps don’t always align well with your own school schedule (ex. "summer holidays" are not the same dates everywhere, in many parts of Central America the kids are on a shorter "winter break" because the seasons are different, some Mexican schools are only out in late July/August etc...)

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