Rye Y Sponsors Father, Child Camping Trip in Catskills

 Camp Greenkill in the Catskill Mountains was the setting for a recent family camping trip sponsored by the Rye YMCA.  Over the weekend of October 4-6, nine fathers and their children, ages 5-9, enjoyed hiking, canoeing, building survival shelters, sleeping in a lodge, and eating that sticky staple of all camping trips—s’mores.

 The trip was designed to offer fathers the opportunity to spend quality time with their children in a safe, fun, outdoor setting. Hillary Southard, the Y’s Teen, Camp and Family Director observed “Dads in our area often work long hours outside the home and can’t spend the kind of time they’d like with their kids. We wanted to give them a chance to create lasting memories, for both the children and themselves.”

 “The weekend was fun for everyone,” Southard continued.  “As we were saying our goodbyes, two little ones were crying because they didn’t want to leave. Many of the dads chatted with me about how great it was to have an organized opportunity to spend time with their kids.” 

The Camp Greenkill trip was the precursor to a new initiative that will be launched at the Rye Y this fall.  Adventure Guides is a school year program for children in first through fourth grade and their fathers. The goal of Adventure Guides is to strengthen the bond between young children and their dads through activities and expeditions that focus on family, nature, community and fun. Since not all children have fathers, adult males who play an important role in the child’s life may also participate. 

For more information about Adventure Guides, contact Hillary Southard, Director of Camp, Teen & Family programs: hillary@ryeymca.org.