Newtown Athletic Club’s Camp NAC is providing a healthy, educational summer experience for local kids
By Samantha Bambino
The Times
It’s officially the most dreaded point in summer for kids and teens. Casual trips to Target are suddenly stress-inducing as they attempt to veer parents away from that annoyingly colorful display bearing three simple words — back to school.
How could this be? Didn’t final exams take place yesterday? Sadly, all good things — yes, even summer vacation — must come to an end. Thankfully, one camp is making sure local kids can enjoy their coveted break in unique ways until the last possible second.
While most summer programs end in the middle of August, Camp NAC is different. An annual staple at the Newtown Athletic Club for more than 30 years, the camp works to align with local school district calendars, including Council Rock, Neshaminy and Pennsbury, and runs through the last week of August. Registration is accepted all summer, so even if a child has attended a different program for multiple weeks, they can come to the NAC for the remainder of their vacation.
According to youth director Amanda Brown, Camp NAC runs like a traditional camp in many ways. Ages 3–15 are accepted, with a typical day running from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Before-care is offered, and kids are able to enroll in a lunch program at the NAC’s onsite restaurant.
In other ways, Camp NAC is truly one-of-a-kind. To keep campers excited and engaged, weekly themes are offered, encompassing everything from cooking and sports to arts and musical theater. The best part? It’s up to the kids how their time is spent.
“The camper chooses what they’d like to do,” Brown said. “We have a theme for every type of child and what their interests would be.”
For children who enjoy hands-on learning, a number of Camp NAC themes incorporate STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) into the activities. These include Jurassic World, superheroes, escape room, Lego City and Pokemon, during which campers make their own playing cards.
“STEM is important because it introduces a fun way of learning,” said STEM camp manager Ami Rao. “It teaches children at an early age to be curious in the world and inspires them to possibly begin a career in a related field. Our goal is to change their perspective on science and learning. We want them to walk away from this camp with an understanding and positive outlook on science.”
This mission was certainly accomplished with the magical theme of Harry Potter, which Brown said went over extremely well. The kids were able to craft their own butterbeer (a popular, non-alcoholic drink in the book series), try on the Sorting Hat to discover which Hogwarts house they belong in, and participate in a rousing game of Quidditch, the main sport of the wizarding world.
This theme in particular truly encapsulated the key initiatives of Camp NAC — education and health, all while having fun. Potter participants practiced science by measuring and combining the ingredients to the butterbeer, and got their hearts pumping during the Quidditch tournament.
“We incorporate fitness because we are a health club,” Brown said. “There’s movement even in STEM.”
As the creator of lesson plans and curriculum for Camp NAC, Brown works meticulously to provide the perfect combination of learning and exercise, all with the goal of bridging that three-month gap between the last and first days of school. She explained that when a child spends hours inside playing video games or watching television, they usually suffer summer learning loss, making the prospect of returning to the classroom that much harder.
“We keep their brains energized,” Brown said. ••
For more information on Camp NAC, visit campnac.com or call 215–944–8860. Camp NAC is located inside the Newtown Athletic Club, 120 Pheasant Run in Newtown.
Samantha Bambino can be reached at sbambino@newspapermediagroup.com
