Director Jud's Blog

At SMA Teen Camp, we are always looking for ways to innovate and meet the unique needs of our camper families. That’s why we are thrilled to announce our brand-new Sleepaway Day Camp—the perfect solution for parents who want their teens to experience all the joys of overnight camp, without the actual overnight part!

Starting this summer, parents will have the option to drop their campers off each morning and pick them up at night—ensuring they get all the adventure of camp while still sleeping in their own beds. We understand that sending your child away for an extended period can be tough, and we are committed to helping parents slowly adjust to camp life…even if it means driving a few hundred miles every day.

Pick-Up and Drop-Off Schedule:

• Morning Drop-Off: 6:00 AM sharp!
• Evening Pick-Up: 11:00 PM (right after campfire songs and s’mores)

Of course, we recognize that for some parents, this new schedule might involve just a bit of extra driving. For example:

• If you live three hours away, that’s only 12 hours of driving per day!

• If you live five hours away, you might want to start looking into an overnight hotel near camp (don’t worry, we won’t tell your camper that you get to stay overnight).

And for our international families, we’re pleased to announce that we’ve partnered with several major airlines to accommodate our campers flying back and forth from France each day—or every other day, for those who prefer a more relaxed schedule. With red-eye flights arriving just in time for morning drop-off and return flights departing after the final campfire, our global campers can now enjoy the full SMA experience while racking up an impressive number of frequent flyer miles. (Passport stamps make great camp souvenirs!)

To help ease the transition, we will also be offering “Parent Carpool Corners”—rest areas along the highway where you can briefly stretch your legs, nap in your car, and swap driver shifts with another parent in the same boat.

We hope this new program allows families to get the best of both worlds—camp adventures by day, family dinners by night, and an absurd amount of time spent in transit in between.

For those who prefer the traditional overnight sleepaway camp experience, don’t worry—we’ll still be offering that too…for now.

Happy April 1st from everyone at SMA!!!