Liberty Lake Day Camp gives all children an opportunity to succeed and welcomes campers with special needs who can benefit from a total inclusion experience. We have had great success with children with a wide range of developmental disabilities including Autism, ADHD, Downs Syndrome, and physical disabilities such as Cerebral Palsy, sight/hearing impaired and eating disorders/allergies.  Our goal is for these campers to succeed in our extraordinary and supportive world amongst typical campers- just as they will when they become adults.

Liberty Lake Day Camp is primarily a day camp, but functions under the belief that all children should benefit from the Camp experience.  Campers with Special Needs are placed in groups according to age and gender along with their typical peers.  Groups are supervised by an adult Group Leader and 1 or 2 high school aged counselors.  Many of our campers with special needs require additional one-on-one assistance. We refer to these additional helpers as Advocates. Camp families can secure advocates in the following ways:

■ Some school districts provide advocates if it is part of the student’s summer plan.

■ Some campers qualify with DDD who refer them to an agency that provides advocates (i.e. The Bridges Program at Advancing Opportunities).

■ We can help identify staff who we believe will make great advocates.  Parents would pay the salary of the advocate.

■ Some parents have hired their own advocates.  Often times they have found people who already work with their child during the year and are very familiar with their needs.

Resources For Inclusion Success

■ Our year-round Inclusion Coordinator, Ellyn Kellerman, oversees all program logistics and communicates with parents on an ongoing basis.

■ Specific staff training about working with inclusion campers.

■ An "Elective Based Program" that allows campers (with parental assistance) to choose the electives that they are interested in and are able to participate. 

Funding Options

Liberty Lake Day Camp is approved through the NJ Department of Health and Human Services for their “Real Life Choices (RLC) Program.” This program provides some funding for DDD and DDS qualified children to attend Camp.  To see if your child qualifies for services from DDD or DDS, please contact the Department of Disability Services at (888) 285-3036.  Liberty Lake also partners with many school districts, county, military and religious organizations who make funding available for families.

 CALL TO SCHEDULE A TOUR TODAY ~ 609.499.7820

Whether your a camper, parent, teacher or even a camp director, none of our roles in the 21st century are as easy as they once were! We've created this Liberty Links page as a resource for everyone in the Liberty Lake family to keep up to date with current events affecting today's kids.

If you have any suggestions for articles, websites or books that you think should be included as a Liberty Link, please e-mail them to us fun@libertylakedaycamp.com. We hope you find the information on this page to be valuable and informative. 

Check back often for updates!   

   Articles     Books     Articles by Andy     Websites     Camps 

Articles

• S'more Than Camp - by Scott Arizala
  
• Camp - by Michael Eisner
• Campingly Yours: A Heartwarming Journey of a Lifetime at Summer Camp - by Thomas Adler
• Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder - by Richard Louv
• Camp is for the Camper: A Counselor's Guide to Youth Development - by Connie Coutellier
• Generation Me - by Jean Twenge
• Grown Up Digital - by Don Tapscott
• The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens - by Sean Covey

Camps

Virtual Tours in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania

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• Your child will be part of a warm and nurturing environment, led by teachers and child care professionals.

• Your child will be CHOOSING most of their schedule, thus ensuring their own fun and happiness each day.

By Andy Pritikin, Director/Owner of Liberty Lake Day Camp,  as published in Curious Parents, The Princeton Packet, Messenger Press, and Register News (2007).

While child obesity has been the national kid-concern of choice for the past few years, recent research on the lack of adult “friendships” and the sad trend towards social isolation has given youth development experts serious cause for concern. Childhood is when we learn the skills of making and keeping friends, and our net result, adulthood, is not showing dividends. The data and its conclusions come from two renowned, identical studies- done 20 years apart.

American adults are far more socially isolated today than they were two decades ago. From 1985 to 2004, the number of people saying they have no one with whom they discuss important matters nearly tripled. 23% of Americans now report they have no confidants, family or non-family. Another 20 percent say they have just one confidant. That’s 43% of Americans who have either no close friends or just one, a percentage that has doubled in the past 20 years, and half do not have any confidants who aren’t family. The average size of Americans’ social networks decreased by a third between ‘85 and ‘04, from 3 to 2, basically meaning the loss of one close friend. We have gone from a quarter of the American population feeling isolated to almost half of the adult population. Think about that for a second. Almost half the people you know have at most one person they feel they can talk to about what is most important to them.  20-30 year olds may have hundreds of friends on MySpace or Facebook and e-mail/text 25 people a day, but most of these communications are not with “close friends” that they would confide in. They also are most likely not neighbors, people “from town”, or co-members of local/voluntary organizations- these are the types of relationships that have decreased the most amongst middle and upper-middle class suburban adults.

What are parents doing at home to help the next generation of adults? Generally, not enough. Increased responsibilities, working more to make ends meet, and long commutes leave many parents too exhausted or busy to seek social or family connections. Families eat together less, and watch TV more. Parents check their Email more and talk to/play with their kids less. Typical neighbors have cordial “waving” relationships, with no true connections or close friendships. Automatic garage doors open up, cars sneak in, and the door closes behind. Kids spend summer days in central air, insulated from the outside- but generally, nobody is playing outside in the streets or yards anyway. Besides the occasional “playdate”, kids swim in their own backyard pools, play video games, watch TV, Instant message/text message, and other relatively solitary activities.

Kids come home from school with hours of homework, then have music lessons, karate, gymnastics, sports practice or games- where is the time to hang out with friends or even family? As we’re seeing, society is making it more challenging for our kids to become the kind of well-adjusted adults we strive for them to be. Camp can be a summertime oasis, providing a safe environment for children to relax and play without the pressures they have during the school year. Camp creates a temporary community each summer in which Campers are programmed to participate in all kinds of activities with all kinds of kids, with a staff of positive role models monitoring the “friendship making” process. Good Camps teach children important life skills, including communication and social skills like the art of making and keeping friends. These skills will help them in childhood, adulthood, the workplace and beyond. Contact the American Camp Association to find an accredited Camp near you!

Other Published Articles By Andy Pritkin-

The Lasting Positive Impact of Summer Camp

Our Kids Need Camp!

Why Camp?

Let The Children Play!

How to Choose a Summer Camp

Economic Spotlight on Childcare 

Interview with Andy Pritikin from "SNJ Business People"

CALL TO SCHEDULE A TOUR TODAY ~ 609.499.7820

By Andy Pritikin, Director/Owner of Liberty Lake Day Camp, as published in The Tri-Town News, Moorestown Sun, Haddonfield Sun, The Princeton Packet, Messenger Press, Register News and others (2006).

We love our kids. We give them everything we can, determined to give them a better life than the one we had. Our homes are places of love and support, as well as state-of-the-art media centers with big screen TVs, high speed internet, vast libraries of entertainment, and more toys than a child could ever need. But for over 10 million children every Summer, the best thing that their parents do for them is to actually get them OUT of the house, away from their cushy suburban lives of luxury with their parents watching their every move, and into some real-life excitement at Summer Camp! While this liberating freedom may seem daunting (mostly to parents), the facts show that today’s children truly need Camp.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

The saying goes: "IQ is what gets you through school, EQ is what gets you through life". Watching the recent fight between pro basketball players and sports fans was a sad display of how easily adults with low EQ can be emotionally hijacked to the point of violence. Studies show that EQ (empathy, managing emotions, handling relationships, self-motivation, self-awareness,) is three times more the predictor of success than IQ. Leadership (self-confidence, team skills, social awareness) accounts for 90% emotional intelligence. The various group settings and activities of camp provide a virtual classroom for this kind of social development, teaching children and young adults the important skills of making friends and maintaining relationships.

EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION & ENRICHMENT

While more and more advanced countries have gone to a model of year-round education, many American families continue to keep their children at home all Summer, allowing their minds and bodies to go on a two-month hiatus. Today’s Camps offer a wonderful mix of experiential education: Athletics, Fine Arts, Performing Arts, Boating, Fishing, Hiking, Science, Nature and more. While some stay-at-home Moms take on the challenge of entertaining their children themselves, “Camp Mom” rarely can compare programmatically or socially to a real Camp experience. Camp is a magical place for doing things that you could never do at home- Rock Climbing, Horseback Riding, Rocketry, Gymnastics, Ceramics, Theater Productions, to go along with Camp “standards” like Color War, Campouts, Jello Wrestling, Water Slides, and Simon Sez with 300 kids!

HEALTH AND FITNESS

Remember back before the days of “playdates” when we used to play outside all day- in streets, parks and neighbor’s backyards without a care? Today, even in the safest suburban developments, most parents can’t feel comfortable unless their children are within total view. Technological advances coupled with media-enhanced fears for safety have influenced us in raising the most out-of-shape, sedentary generation of children ever. The Federal Centers for Disease Control estimates that 16 percent of people ages 6 to 19 are obese, compared with 4.4 percent 40 years ago. A Department of Education study declared 40% of California middle school children unfit and 25% overweight. Today’s parents are busy, don't have time to cook, and many stop at fast food restaurants several times each week.  According to the Federal Department of Health and Human Services, by the time our kids are adults, obesity will most likely become this nation's No. 1 killer, and will surpass tobacco use as the leading cause of preventable death. Yikes!

Currently, New Jersey schools are mandated (but not enforced) to give all students 150 minutes of health, physical education and safety per week- and it rarely happens. My daughter’s “blue ribbon” elementary school gives children phys. ed. for two weeks every two months- on rotation with music, art and computers- and only 10 minutes per day of recess after lunch. After school there is homework, plus countless obligations which leave little time for the physical activity necessary for a healthy child. The programs and inherent set up of Camp require the kind of outdoor physical activity that children used to get on a regular basis.

MEDIA-FREE!

Children spend more time watching television than any other activity except sleep. In addition, TV has dramatically decreased the amount of time that families spend talking with each other. 40% of American families watch TV while eating dinner, and on average, American parents spend only 38.5 minutes per week in meaningful conversation with their children, compared to the three to four hours daily that many children spend in front of a TV or computer screen.

And what are our kids watching? The war in Iraq, violent cartoons, and Disney Channel shows which focus on teenage dating? Who are their role models? Eminem, Paris Hilton and 50-Cent? Good Camps and good Camp directors create controlled, ideal communities with an alternative, more traditional vision of what it means to grow up. A camp can control its value system, maintaining a magical environment that can inspire children to imagine anything is possible, and that their potential is limitless!

                 RESEARCH CONFIRMS

Philliber Research Associates, a nationally reknown firm specializing in the evaluation of youth development, health, and education programs recently completed a three-year study which confirms that Camps build skills necessary to prepare children to become successful adults. Parents, campers, and camp staff independently reported growth in areas such as self-confidence, independence, making friends, exploring and learning new activities, and spirituality. Camp provides growth experiences for youth that benefit them through adulthood.

Campers Say

• Camp helped me make new friends. (96%)
• Camp helped me to get to know kids who are different from me. (93%)
• The people at camp helped me feel good about myself. (92%)
• At camp, I did things I was afraid to do at first. (74%)
  

 Parents Say

• My child gained self-confidence at camp. (70%)
• My child continues to participate in some of the new activities he or she learned at camp. (63%)
• My child remains in contact with friends made at camp. (69%)

For those who went to Camp as a child, these statistics come as no surprise. For generations, Camps have been creating experiences and memories that most of us can’t provide at home or in our neighborhoods. Camp is a step back in time, giving our children the opportunity to be happy, healthy kids in a warm, safe community of friends and role models. We all want the best for our children, and now more than ever, our kids need the Camp experience!

Other Published Articles By Andy Pritkin-

The Lasting Positive Impact of Summer Camp

Friendships: Get Them While You Can At Camp! 

Why Camp? 

Let The Children Play!

How to Choose a Summer Camp 

Economic Spotlight on Childcare 

Interview with Andy Pritikin from "SNJ Business People"

CALL TO SCHEDULE A TOUR TODAY ~ 609.499.7820

By Andy Pritikin, Director/Owner of Liberty Lake Day Camp, as published in The Princeton Packet, Messenger Press, Register News and others (2004).

This summer over 10 million children will attend over 12,000 camps.  At the same time, many more millions of children will be spending their summers “hanging out” around the house, the local pool, etc, oblivious to the amazing experience they could be having at camp.  There are all kinds of camps available for all kinds of children, at all kinds of prices (be sure to look for the ACA American Camping Association accreditation logo when looking for a quality camp).  But when I try to explain to non-camp parents the tremendous positive impact that camps make on children, I’m often met with blank stares or silence on the other end of the phone.  While most camps will give you personal references from people you may or may not know, I would like to share a couple of success stories from some former campers that you might know of:

Academy Award Winner Denzel Washington, as quoted from his press bio: "A native of Mt. Vernon, NY, Washington had his career sights set on medicine when he attended Fordham University.  But during a stint as a summer camp counselor he appeared in one of the theater productions; he was bitten by the acting bug and returned to Fordham that year seeking to become an actor.

What actually happened was that Denzel’s campers and fellow counselors convinced him to participate in a silly role in the camp musical.  Being away from home, and amongst a new group of supportive peers gave Denzel the courage and temporary confidence to try an exciting new experience that changed the course of his life- and has enriched all of ours! Every summer, campers are taken out of their comfort zone (read: off the couch in front of the TV), enabling them to try activities like boating, fishing, archery, mountain boarding, acting in the camp musical, and numerous other options that you can’t get at home!

Disney and ABC President and CEO, Michael Eisner has just released a book entitled Camp, in which he explains how he learned much of his leadership and drive… at Summer Camp!  The following testimonial is paraphrased from a speech he recently gave at the ACA-Tri-State Camp Conference in New York City.

“I loved camp- as a camper, and later as a counselor. Every moment, every year, every ball game, canoe trip, wilderness experience and just being a team player- and I’ve long been fascinated by why this is. After all, camp takes children and separates them from their families, from their televisions, telephones, VCR’s, PlayStations and computers for weeks at a time to take them to what? To live ten to a cabin without air conditioning or their Mom’s cooking/bed making/driving/one-day laundry service… unable to watch TV, sleep ‘til noon or visit a mall? And, yes, they love it! When it’s over, they don’t want to leave, and, when they grow up, they want to go back. The fact is, today’s children have amazing toys and gadgets at their command that allow them to experience everything but the REAL THING. I have nothing against most of these toys. (Disney) makes a lot of them. But, at the end of the day, reality is what kids prefer. Camp puts them in a world of their own creation. What could be more exciting? What could be more empowering? No video game can compare.”

It’s true.  Camps build their own safe community each summer, and recreate it again, year after year.  Every day at every camp, children are presented with more variables than any computer programmer could ever put into a video game.  Campers are empowered to make snap decisions that directly impact them- without Mom or Dad’s safety net.  This is one of the main reasons that kids love camp– because they get to feel like grown-ups.  Camp empowers kids, and gives them a sense of respect that they equate to the “grown-up” world.

It’s an interesting paradox that as adults we yearn for our youth, while our children starve for the freedom of adulthood.  But is it mostly lip-service?  At home, kids may SAY they want to be grown-ups, but they’re more than willing to have someone else get them ready in the morning, make their beds, serve them meals, and get them from place to place on time!  At camp however, these responsibilities rest in the hands of the campers, where all of a sudden, their choices actually have immediate implications!  To quote Eisner, “(Campers) get to be little grown-ups- and, in the process, they actually do some growing up.”

Camp is a liberating experience.  While today’s children have wondrous toys, hundreds of TV channels, and video games that boggle the mind, these products have a much shorter play time than their manufacturers warranty.  Camp is real- a real-life, truly “magic kingdom”, untouched by time and commercialism,  that can inspire children to believe that anything is possible and that their potential is limitless.  And Camp Memories, if you ask anyone who has them, come with a lifetime warranty!

The inspirational actor Christopher Reeve told a group of camp professionals a few years ago how as a young teen he never thought he had the ability to swim to the bottom of the lake at his summer camp to retrieve the coin thrown in by a counselor (a rite of passage at his camp for the older campers).  After dozens of attempts over the course of a few years, he was finally able to hold his breath long enough to come up with the coin.  This was a life altering experience that proved to him that he had the inner fortitude to achieve the seemingly impossible.

Alas, it is not just campers whose lives change at camp-  In my 10 years as a camp director I’ve seen dozens of adults, both young and young at heart change the course of their lives based on an eight-week summer experience.  Just last summer, a college senior decided to put off law school in order to get a teaching degree and try a career working with children.  Working with children in a camp setting is not theoretical and boring “Management 101”- once again it’s real-life, sink or swim, and it’s a great barometer to see if you have what it takes! According to Eisner:  “The lessons I learned!  On canoe trips, we could never survive the first day if we didn’t practice teamwork, show initiative, handle adversity,listen well and, not least important, maintain a sense of humor.”  As adults, we know that these attributes don’t just apply to canoe trips.  They represent keys to success in one’s career and in life, and they won’t be learned while spending summers playing X-Box or PlayStation!

Camp transports kids to a place where everyone has the same stuff:  a T-shirt, pair of sneakers, bathing suit, and little else.  Camp takes kids away from many of the superficial things they value, to teach them the things of real value- adaptability, responsibility, and how to become a successful human being. Take a cue from the Head of Disney:  “I can hardly think of an aspect of my life that wasn’t positively affected by my camping experience…  What a gift camp gives to kids.”

Other Published Articles By Andy Pritkin-

Why Camp?

Our Kids Need Camp!

Let The Children Play!

Friendships: Get Them While You Can At Camp!

How to Choose a Summer Camp

Economic Spotlight on Childcare

Interview with Andy Pritikin from "SNJ Business People"

CALL TO SCHEDULE A TOUR TODAY!  609. 499. 7820

 Click the tabs below for more info on each program 

 Athletics Activities

■ Archery - Real bows, real targets and real fun for all ages!

■ Baseball - Swing for the fences on the Liberty Lake field of dreams!

■ Basketball - Shoot, pass, dribble and score on the Liberty Lake blacktop!

■ Fitness & Nutrition - Physical fitness through exercise & health education!

■ Fencing - Real swordplay with our NJ Renaissance Faire professionals!

■ Flag Football - Punt, pass & kick on the Liberty Lake gridiron!

■ Ga-Ga - The #1 Sport at LLDC every year- Give it a try, and you’ll soon see why!

■ Gymnastics - Real instruction on the mats, bars & trampoline with ENVISIONS!

■ Hulla-Ball - It’s LLDC 4-square, with lots of fun surprises-Click for Rulebook!

■ Karate - Martial Arts training with the resident Liberty Sensei!

■ Learn 2 Ride - It’s beginner biking on our BMX-style Treks from D&Q.

■ Mini-Golf - 18-hole, state-of-the-art ,MEGA Mini-Golf course fun!

■ Newcomb - It’s Sand Volleyball, but you can catch the ball- making it fun & easy!

■ Outdoor Laser Tag - It’s 10x10 excitement- aim for victory!

■ Skate Park - Learn the gnarly tricks of skating with our resident sk8er boy!

■ Strength & Conditioning - Physical training to get you in top shape for sports!

■ Soccer - GOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!! Kick it with your friends on the LLDC Soccer Field.

■ Softball - Ladies hit the diamond, learning skills at bat and in the field!

■ Street Hockey - Things get serious when the puck drops at Liberty Lake!

■ Swim Team - Get your strokes ready for our annual Inter-Camp Swim Meet! 

■ Ultimate Frisbee - Frisbee + Football type rules = ULTIMATE FRISBEE!

■ Wall Ball - This old-school playground favorite is VERY popular at LLDC!

■ Wiffle Ball - It’s wild baseball fun, in a smaller, faster, more “plastic” setting!

CALL TO SCHEDULE A TOUR TODAY ~ 609.499.7820