Camp Sonshine — Hotel in Colesville

Okay, so my 10yo son had the "summer of camps" this past summer where he participated in six camps from basketball, robotics, coding to basic summer camps to see what he liked best. Well, I can say with honesty that his experience at Camp Sonshine was his absolute favorite! So much so, that the one that he was most excited about prior to actually going has fallen off the list for next summer and he has requested that I increase his weeks at Camp Sonshine. Why? From a parent's perspective: Professionalism: From the initial registration to the final blast, I was always communicated with in a timely and professional manner. Taylor S. was typically my point of contact and you could not ask for better. Staff: From the bus driver to the staff who ride with campers everyone is NICE and actually seems like they enjoy their jobs! Good Communication: From bus delays to overnighters and all points in between I was kept in the know in a timely manner. Cost: That was not a primary factor for me as my focus was on his experience, but it is very good for what you get. Safety: I always felt like my son was safe in their care and I like their drop off and pick up at the bus stops. Convenience: Multiple bus pick up locations so I could use one for drop off close to home and one for pick up close to work. Inclusion: Parents were included in an end of camp barbecue which they hosted and it was chance to have food and fellowship. Community: They give back to the community both locally and internationally. Being shown God's love is important, regardless of your religious affiliation and I feel that Camp Sonshine achieved the perfect balance. From my son's perspective: The most prevalent theme was that he felt "welcomed" and that he "belonged". He looked forward to going to camp every day and was always chatting about what he did and what he was going to do. He still sings his favorite song that he learned there: Jumping in the House of God complete with the dance moves. :-) Their camp facility is very nice and large and is just what a camp should be... FUN. The icing for us was his counselor Latrell S. At the end of every week, the counselors would write a note to the camper just outlining things and with it would be a group picture of the campers and counselor. When reading these notes it let me see that Latrell took the time to get to know my son as a unique INDIVIDUAL and that was a huge factor to his feeling of belonging. My son celebrated his 11th birthday today. Guess what came in the mail yesterday? A card from Camp Sonshine and Latrell with birthday wishes. Do you know how special that made my son feel?!? I'm sorry for being long-winded. For me, camps are more than just a place to send my children when school is out of session and I have to go to work. It is a place where they are nurtured and enjoy themselves. Camp Sonshine did that for my son and helped shape him as it was a very positive experience, so much so that he is now hopeful to be a counselor there when he is of age. Thank you for all that you do!! Our camp is Camp...

Summer 2024:

My son had an amazing summer at Camp Sonshine!

He really loved the field trips and the autonomy associated with them.

More especially he loved going to 7-Eleven and the grocery stores to buy snacks with the money he had while on the field trips.

He felt so grown up budgeting his money and making it last, all while paying it forward to his fellow campers and counselors by sharing what he bought.

He's really growing up!

The staff as always was amazing and we can't wait to see what you have in store for summer 2025!

From Summer 2022:

Camp Sonshine was there during the height of COVID-19, they were there last year (2021) and this was the best year yet! 2023 we can’t wait to see what they can do to top this year.

The staff rocks! This year they added international counselors from the 4 points on the compass. They brought the passion they developed in their home countries to Silver Spring. The kids thrived and had an awesome time.

The overnight stays were a great opportunity for a date night and for our child to grow under the watchful eye of the counselors.

When asked if I recommend Camp Sonshine I say if it’s good enough for my child, it’s good enough for your child. Besides if it wasn’t a great place, why would we continue going back year after year?

Camp Sonshine truly equates to Happy Campers!

PS: The bus is super convenient for working parents. Plus lots of fun...

Mixed review. I think this is a good camp for the early years without question. The activities are endless. My children loved this camp when they were younger. It becomes less than great for me for the older years. My oldest has attended this camp for 8 years. Once you get into the later years - the teenage years is when it became dicey for me. If you have difficulty making friends, its been my experience with my teenager that you are on your own. Rather than counselors doing more to bring the campers together, the direction was to "put yourself out there." If you remember having the kids pick the students for their team. The 2 smallest, less athletic kids are usually left standing in a very embarrassing slightly ostracizing middle selected only because the have to participate. Imagine that in a teenage trip setting. Again, not a bad camp. My young son has no problems. He is the child who can play with others or alone and be perfectly fine. But then again it's not the teenage years. If you are the student who wants to make friends and are a bit timid, this may not be for you unless you enroll with a friend and impress upon them that the 2 want to be in the same group. This is not a knee-jerk reaction post. This is the second year that this same kind of thing has happened to my oldest. Seeing as this is a faith based camp, I...