International Summer Camps Abroad: Pros & Cons (+ How To Find Them!)
Most expats can agree that while making friends as adults is insanely hard, especially in the era of working remotely, making friends with other expats abroad is definitely easier, as you can connect over similar experiences, whether good or bad, and more importantly, you’re all eager to bond, learn, and experience different cultures together.
While I move around the world way too often and can live out of a few suitcases with two kids and a cat in tow, I know that not everyone can drop everything back home and try their luck abroad, especially if you have a job you love back home, relatives nearby, or, as I’m recently finding out myself, kids in sports.
International Summer Camps
However, just because you can’t move abroad for an entire year, it doesn’t mean that you can’t give your kids an enriching experience abroad. You can book an international summer camp in a country of your choice, where your child will experience a different culture and make international friends.
Ironically, especially if you’re coming from the US, where to afford a summer camp in metropolitan areas, you might need to sell a kidney or two, this experience might end up being even cheaper than staying home, if you rent out your house (on top of the obvious, an amazing experience abroad).
Growing up, I was lucky enough to experience some summer camps focusing on language immersion with EF. The experience was incredible, despite forcing me out of my comfort zone, but up until this day, I think about it fondly and keep in touch with friends I met in my class and dorm.
On the other hand, by the time I attended a summer camp abroad, I was already late in my teenage years, and my parents stayed at home (or went for their own vacation, I’m not entirely sure). It’s safe to say that my parents didn’t experience anything that way…
Our Experience Sending Kids to Traditional Summer Camp Abroad
Summer camps are the best place to make meaningful friendships and gain new experiences, so it was unsurprising that I wanted my children to experience the same. Last year, my kids were way too young for a sleepover camp, let alone in a foreign country.
Fortunately, I discovered many international summer day camps where I could drop my kids off at camp and pick them up in the afternoon. There are so many of these camps around the world, organized by international schools or other organizations for kids as young as 3 years old.
I signed both kids up for one of the camps in Poland during our trip around Europe, so I had to work remotely while the kids were entertained. Plus, while traveling around for 2 months, it’s always good to give the kids an opportunity to connect with other kids their age.
The camp was reasonably priced and offered different activities. The kids were shy at first, but after the first day, they both claimed they were having a great time and went in willingly.
However, while the childcare and entertaining aspect was there, I felt like the kids got zero exposure to the Polish language or culture (although it’s been promised), and both my older son and I felt slightly disappointed about it.
From my perspective, it definitely felt like an experience for children and not me. My kids made friends and participated in outings and activities, while parents just stared at each other awkwardly at pick up – the same way we experienced attending a regular school in the US or France. I made zero friends, and at the end of the day, I was just shuffling my kids to and from the camp and looking for a coworking space on day 3 when things got slightly lonely…
Summer Camps Abroad for the Entire Family
After our last year’s experience, I realized that whether working remotely or taking a break from work, parents would like to have their own summer camp experience as well. Why were only my kids allowed to have this experience and not me?
I started looking for places where my kids and I can make connections and friendships, while getting immersed in local culture, learn something new, and most importantly have fun! And while these spots are harder to find, it doesn’t mean that they’re impossible!
This summer, we’re headed to Eastern Europe for an intense ice skating camp where I can also have fun in an adult group, simply because sitting at the ice rink for a few hours while my kids skate didn’t sound appealing. Who knows, maybe I’ll even land my double jump before my 6-year-old does 😉
Boundless Life Summer Camps
On top of that, we’re also finally doing a worldschooling summer camp with Boundless Life. After visiting our friends who participated in the Boundless cohort at Estepona location in Spain last winter, where we got to see firsthand that the experience was very different from the regular international school camp or school, I decided it was the best choice for us.
During our time in Estepona, families were connecting more easily, and so were the kids, which resulted in joint yoga classes for the moms, group dinners while the kids had a movie night, or big birthday parties that the parents also loved attending, and not just dropping their kids off and leaving.
Now, what is Boundless? Boundless Life is a worldschooling organization providing families with an opportunity to live abroad for 3-month cohorts, where kids can go to school inspired by the Finnish education system, combined with an experimental, hands-on approach. Some families might want to take a gap year, while others are using remote work to taste life abroad. It’s basically a hassle-free experience for digital nomad families.
For families like ours, who can’t commit to a full 3-month experience with Boundless at the moment (whether it’s school, in-person work, or sports), there’s a summer camp option for just a month.
With Boundless, no one has to worry about researching AirBnBs and figuring out where everything is, because you can just rent one of the Boundless apartments of one of their partners and see everything on a dedicated map. There’s also a person in the group responsible for making sure no family is stuck due to an issue with anything, connecting people, and organizing activities and outings for everyone.
It’s a month-long camp that allows the kids to have a meaningful experience, while offering parents a coworking space, events, and activities, allowing everyone to connect and fully immerse themselves in a place they’re staying. Instead of focusing on a single activity, these camps focus on creating a community that traveling families always crave.
These are the pros of Boundless, but are there any cons? The community and experience definitely sucks you in, and you don’t want to leave. It’s safe to say that my kids had no desire to leave Estepona and go back to their regular school after a few days.
Summer Camp Options with Boundless Life
Boundless Life has 8 different locations to choose from, and they’re always working on adding more:
- Sintra, Portugal
- Kotor, Montenegro
- Estepona, Spain
- Sanur, Bali, Indonesia
- Syros, Greece
- Pistoia, Italy
- La Barra, Uruguay
- Kamakura, Japan
Each location offers a different vibe and activities, so you can try different locations. Many families try multiple cohorts and team up to travel together later, so your friendships will actually last instead of being one-and-done.
This July, we’ll be heading to La Barra, a small coastal town in Uruguay. Yes, I’m aware that July in Uruguay is going to be their winter, and honestly, I don’t mind at all. I enjoy experiencing places off-season, and while it’s going to be too cold to swim in the ocean it won’t stop of from doing other activities the place has to offer.
Most importantly, we picked La Barra because Boundless Life’s La Barra camp is the only Boundless Life camp run primarily in Spanish, and my kids need to practice because, since leaving Mexico and now living in France, their second dominant language has become French, and I don’t want them to forget their Spanish.
While my older son still takes Spanish classes, he’s not the most enthusiastic about them because it’s much more fun to practice the language naturally in all routines and adventures, rather than separating it, and that’s the way things are done in Uruguay.
You can still come with us to Uruguay to experience the Boundless Life summer camp. If you decide to sign up, don’t forget to use my code to get $400 off your Boundless experience!
When it comes to cons of picking your perfect summer camp, I know many families are worried about the cost, and it might seem like it’s higher than for everything else, but on the other hand, you get a lot in return that you won’t get anywhere else if you just sign up for a regular international camp. It’s a truly stress-free experience, so in the end, you’re also saving the time spent on planning.
To illustrate it perfectly, I just spent an entire day trying to figure out my accommodation for the skating camp that I could have spent working on my business or playing with the kids, and I still have questions that no one can answer for me. Versus our Boundless camp, I can just shoot an email to the coordinator, and my verified and well-situated accommodation was booked with one click.
Personally, if you’re coming from the US with smaller children, whether preschool age or early elementary, it’s safe to say that prices are high and Boundless might actually be cheaper (when both of my kids were preschool ages, we used to pay over $3300 per month, not including aftercare, lunches and activities!).
