Finding a summer camp that works for both of my girls - especially when they’re different ages - can be tricky. I want them to have fun, make friends and enjoy their summer, but I also love when they come away from an experience having learned something new.
This summer, my 4-year-old and 7-year-old had the chance to attend Spanish Immersion Camp at ILSCA, and it ended up being one of our favorite parts of the summer.
What I loved most was that it never felt like “school.”
A Beautiful Place to Spend the Summer
The camp is held on the beautiful ILSCA campus, which made for such a nice setting for a summer camp. The kids had space to move around, explore and participate in activities while spending their days in a really welcoming environment.
And there was a lot going on.
The camp wasn't simply sitting down and learning Spanish vocabulary. The kids were singing, dancing, moving, making crafts, doing experiments, playing and exploring - with Spanish incorporated throughout the day.
That was a big part of what made it work so well for my girls. They were having fun first, and the language was naturally woven into everything they were doing.
Hands-On Learning Made It Fun
My girls are both very hands-on learners, so I loved seeing how much of the camp involved actually doing something.
There were crafts, music, movement and experiments, all tied into the camp's Niños & Nature theme.
Instead of learning a list of Spanish words and phrases and then moving on, they were hearing and using Spanish while they were engaged in an activity. It made the language feel much more natural.
And, honestly, when your child is having so much fun that they forget they're learning, that's a win in my book.
Different Ages, Together
I also really liked that the camp brought different ages together.
My girls are 4 and 7, so it's not always easy to find an activity where both of them can participate and have a good experience. At camp, they were able to be part of the same overall experience while still being grouped in ways that made sense for their ages.
I loved that they could come home and tell me about their day together, even though they each had their own age-appropriate activities and experiences.
Spanish That Followed Them Home
One of my favorite parts of the experience was seeing how much the Spanish followed them home.
My 4-year-old and 7-year-old would come home from camp speaking and singing in Spanish - sometimes repeating songs they learned that day or using Spanish words and phrases in everyday conversation.
It was so sweet to see them having fun with the language and, even better, using it naturally without being prompted.
That's what stood out to me most about the experience.
They weren't coming home saying, “We learned Spanish today.”
They were coming home singing it, speaking it and excited to share what they had learned.
Between the music, dancing, crafts, hands-on experiments, age-appropriate groups and the Niños & Nature theme, Spanish became part of their day in a way that felt completely natural.
Would We Do It Again?
Absolutely.
As a mom, I loved that the camp gave my girls a chance to learn, be creative, move their bodies, socialize and have fun - all while being immersed in another language.
But really, my favorite test of any summer camp is pretty simple:
Did my kids have fun?
They did.
And when they came home singing Spanish songs and casually using Spanish words throughout the day, I knew they had gotten so much more out of the experience than just a fun week at camp.
They were actually bringing the language home with them.
For our family, that was the magic of ILSCA - and why Spanish Immersion Camp was truly one of the highlights of our summer.
Missed Summer Camp? You Can Still Learn Spanish!
If you missed Spanish Immersion Camp this summer, don't worry - you didn't miss your chance to get your kids learning Spanish at ILSCA.
ILSCA also offers language classes, giving kids the opportunity to continue learning Spanish beyond the summer and build on the skills and confidence they developed at camp.
And after seeing how naturally my girls picked up the language through songs, activities and everyday interaction, I'm excited to keep that momentum going.
Because if there's one thing I learned from this experience, it's that learning a new language doesn't have to feel like work. Sometimes, it can just feel like having fun.
