I am an American living in Italy. I have lived here for almost 10 years and I have two children, a 5 year old daughter and soon a 9 month old baby. Last year I sent my daughter to summer camp for the first time and was pleasantly surprised.
Summer camps in Italy are nothing like what we think of in the United States. But there’s good and bad to that, in some ways.
Camp is cheaper in Italy
My daughter goes to camp where we live in our small town. So while I can’t understand the cost of a camp in big cities like Rome or Milan, the camp she goes to costs 160 euros per month. Yes, a month. And that’s for a full day of camp, which includes a fresh lunch prepared and served on campus.
Even though it’s been years since I’ve been to camp, all I know is that when I was younger, my parents sent me to a prestigious theater summer camp and it cost around $2,000 a month and we’re talking 20 years ago.
My child plays freely and there is less structure
In summer camps in Italy, children are a bit like free-range chickens. There are not always organized activities and children are encouraged to play freely with their friends. Additionally, children of all ages play together and are not separated into age groups.
I really like this. I believe that in the summer, children should have the freedom to just have fun rather than having a more strict routine and schedule like when they are at school. But on the other hand, children, especially at a certain age, can benefit from more structure.
My daughter learned about agriculture
Italy is a country that depends a lot on land. Italians are very proud people and want this tradition to continue, especially when it comes to taking care of their own land and reaping the rewards.
The camp my daughter attends is based in the countryside, surrounded by olive trees, cherry trees and a beautiful vegetable garden. There are also kids, a donkey and chickens. On the first day of camp this year, they picked fresh cherries from the cherry tree. I cleaned them. And then I made fresh cherry jam. The children were sent home with bags of fresh cherries and a small jar of jam. Last year the kids collected eggs from the chickens and made frittatas for lunch.
I love that at such a young age they are teaching children the benefits of owning and conserving land and all that can be gained from it.
She eats freshly cooked food
The food served in camps in Italy – and in schools elsewhere – is prepared freshly and on site. At my daughters’ camp, no processed foods are served. Every day, children receive a first course (usually pasta) and a second course. Last year’s lunch included pasta with beans, pasta with peas, pasta with cheese, prosciutto with fresh mozzarella, chicken cutlets with cucumber salad, and baked fish with carrots. You won’t see any camp lunches served here.
The camp in Italy is awesome. My daughter and all her friends love it. Yes, it’s completely different from an American camp which generally has more structure and routine, much like going to school. But that’s what makes it so wonderful.
businessinsider
