The Camps That Finally Fit My Son — and Why I Built Campella

Last summer, my phone would ring almost every week.

It was always some version of the same call: "Can you come get him? He's not acting right today." And every time, my heart sank a little more. Because I knew my son wasn't being difficult. He was overstimulated. Big, loud, crowded camps were just too much for a kid who feels everything deeply — and no one had put him somewhere that actually fit.

I remember thinking: there has to be a better way to know before I sign up. Not the marketing photos. Not the polished website. The real thing — which camps other parents' kids like mine had actually thrived at.

That feeling is the whole reason I built Campella. So let me do the thing I wish someone had done for me, and share the camps that finally worked for our family — just in time for the end of summer.

It's not too late. Plenty of camps still have open weeks in August, and some let you book last-minute or buy day passes — perfect for filling those last gaps. You can browse what's open near you and grab a spot in minutes.

Here's the thing about both camps I'm about to share: they came from local parents, just like everything on Campella. These are parent-recommended, parent-reviewed camps — no ads, no rankings you can pay your way into. You can read what other families actually said, right on each camp's page. That's the whole idea: real reviews from real parents in your area.

Pine Cove — for the kid who needs to be seen

If your child has ever felt like "too much" for a camp, Pine Cove (Richmond, TX) might change your whole summer.

Here's what won me over: they actually ask if your child has an IEP — and then they use that. They place kids into groups that suit them, so a child who needs a little more patience isn't lost in a crowd of forty. It's such a small thing to ask on a form, and it tells you everything about how a camp thinks.

And the counselors — I know they're young, but I promise you they are out of this world. Patient in a way that's hard to describe until you've watched someone gently talk your anxious kid through a hard moment instead of calling you to pick him up. My kids have loved it, every single year. No pickup calls. Just a happy kid at the end of the day.

Steve & Kate's — small, personal, and flexible

The other one I have to share is Steve & Kate's Camp (Richmond, TX).

It's small — and that's exactly the point. For a kid who does better in a smaller group, that difference is everything. The counselors genuinely work with you and your child, not around them. And because it's flexible with day passes, you can ease in, try a day, and see how it feels before committing to a whole week.

I'll tell you a secret: it's how we found our new school. That's the kind of place it is — the people are so tuned into your kid that the right connections just happen.

This is the reason for Campella

I don't share these because anyone paid me to. I share them because last summer, I would have given anything for another parent to tell me the truth about which camps work for kids like mine.

That's what Campella is: parents like you and me, sharing the camps that actually fit our children — so you can find your fit faster, and skip the year of pickup calls we lived through. And once you've found the ones that work, Campella makes it easy to schedule, coordinate with friends, and plan your whole summer in one place.

If a camp changed your summer, add it and leave a review so the next parent finds it too — your honest words might be exactly what another mom needs to read. And if you're still searching for the right fit, start here — I hope you find the one that finally feels like home for your kid. 💛