The way this camp is managed is like MacGyver surviving in the wilderness. Everything is re-built by maintenance every year. NOT licensed contractors or verified companies that follow strict building regulations. The owners have done everything privately, undermining any IL regulations that stand in their way. The sicker issue is that you wouldn't have to work here to know all that. I've never been someplace as jury rigged as this. Most of the grounds were originally built by the original owner and his son along with their maintenance crew. Even the pool was built up of PVC pipes along with all the other plumbing. Id like to also mention that it's a known fact in the surrounding neighborhood community that the owner's have cut every corner possible to be as cheap as possible. Even the counselors are a blend of high school students along with undertrained adults who are supposed to take care of your kids. If that wasn't shady enough, they have their own people drive the buses too, not seasoned professional bus drivers. It's all dangerous, unsanitary, and unprofessional. Like seriously, painting over rust doesn't prevent rust either and this place is for kids. I'm sorry for any kid being told they were going to camp and got this instead, and on top of all that, to charge as much as they do to run a literal garbage heap, they could at least buy quality food for the kids. They are eating SISCO! That's prison quality food. The cheapest possible option. Once again the surrounding community knows Decoma and the family that owns it for this. That's why a vast majority of their kids that attend come from completely different neighborhoods, and for the price, your kids could attend an ACTUAL camp in IL or elsewhere and be assured their safety and well being under actual rules and regulations governed by law. You have been seriously warned. read more

This is my warning to all people thinking about working at this camp, PLEASE DONT. Worked at this camp during the 2023 summer. horrible experience. The only pleasant thing about it was the campers, everything else was disgusting. To start, the way Gary, Abbey, Sammie, Robin, and Stacy treated the staff was horrendous. One girl I go to school with quit 3 weeks in because the head staff members were treating her so poorly. I stuck it out, although I thought about leaving many times. They were disrespectful and cruel towards young staff members especially. There was also a lot of suspicious things going on at the camp that parents didn't know about. For example, there was an 18 year old girl who was fired from the camp and arrested for stealing more than $10,000 worth of money from the camp. There was also a male counselor there who was making a lot of the young female staff members uncomfortable. The new staff members in particular barely got to eat lunch because the returning staff members used them as "potty break takers" for the little kids, even if it wasn't their camper. There was so much manipulation going on at this camp and new staff members were severely taken advantage of. I will never EVER be working here again, and you shouldn't either. read more

I was a former camper and employee. I had nothing but great times as a camper and employee. I highly recommend Decoma to any parent or kid looking for a great summer. You will make friends for life being a camper or employee!! read more

For most the summer of 2020 didn't look or feel normal; however, for my kids (4 yr old) they had the best time at Decoma. You would never know there was a pandemic going on when I saw my kids smiling each day I picked them up. Decoma took all the necessary precautions to ensure that camp was a safe and clean environment given COVID and we couldn't be more grateful. My kids loved all of the activities, especially swimming daily. It's amazing to see the improvement they've made this summer. I wish I could go to Decoma, but am so happy my kids get to spend their summers there! read more

Decoma Day Camp is a first class organization. The owner, Gary Deutsch is a man of his word and anyone sending their child to Decoma is in good hands. Facility is well-maintained and my child enjoyed the camp a lot. I highly recommend Decoma. read more

For starters the fact that they pick up at your door in the city is AMAZING! They are flexible about the weeks your child chooses to attend which is testament to their understanding about last minute summer vacations. I love the way they escorted my child on AND off the bus and made sure he was in safe hands every single time. The staff (across the board) is highly trained, friendly, and professional. Camp is located in a beautiful location in a VERY safe suburb with an onsite pool, sports fields, and indoor multi-purpose spaces because let's be honest, Chicago weather is imperfect at best. My son was upset about eating camp lunches UNTIL he tasted them (and we are talking about one VERY picky eater who did not come home hungry on a single day of camp). KUDOS CAMP COOKS! Also worth noting is that they are very meticulous about food allergies! Activities are widely varied and give the children plenty of exercise and fresh air (the way camp SHOULD be). Examples include mountain biking, tennis, martial arts, fishing, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, art, dance, theater, rock climbing and swimming (usually twice a day)! Theme days are a blast for the kids from nature experience to western day and Halloween, not a week goes by without innovative and carefully planned surprises. In addition to all of that, they offer specialty camp experiences such as horseback riding and golf which keeps things even more interesting for the kids. There are also over-nighter opportunities and under-nighters that end about 9pm which is great if you haven't been on a date with your husband for a long time! There is a reason this family run business can celebrate sixty-seven years of profound success and I truly hope to see AT LEAST sixty-seven more magic summers for the Deutsch family! You do not send your child to camp here, you send them to be part of a family! read more

The most fantastic summer camp around! Our 3 year old daughter absolutely LOVED everyday of Decoma day camp. The lunches, swimming program, themed days, the counselors, and loving staff make this camp top notch. My daughter gained such independence that at 3 years old she is now getting dressed by herself. Gary and his staff worked tirelessly during this rainy summer to make everyday special for our kids. I cannot say enough positive things about our experience. We can't wait till next summer. read more

The best summer experience! Amazing activities,staff, and facility. Gary has his counselors well trained. The facility is adept to serve campers from small to big. My kids are learning swimming from their red cross certified instructors. Nothing I would change. I wish i were young enough to go with my girls. I'm so glad to give them this smazong experience. They are so excited for camp each day that they sleep in their clothes, brush teeth, and say their "please and thank you's" with no reminders. No regrets. This has been the best decision we've made for our kids...and us! read more

We discovered Decoma Camp three years ago and have loved every summer there. I wish I had known about this camp earlier and had sent my two older children. Amazing staff that really know the children, creative activities and a genuine philosophy that camp should be fun. On the practical side, having pick up and drop off, as well as a hot lunch every day, was a huge bonus. Cannot recommend this camp enough. read more

Decoma Day Camp is a fabulous summer experience not only for the multitude of fun, constructive, engaging activities it offers, but because your kids are in the hands of people who truly care. The Deutsch Family has a gift of making everyone at Decoma feel like family. I went to Decoma as a child and now my children are going there and we all couldn't be happier! To have your kids eager to go back day after day all summer long, look forward to meeting new, and reconnecting with old, friends, is a gift. We lived vicariously through them last summer -- they had fun, learned new skills, made new friends and most importantly, gained confidence in themselves -- all while being in a safe and beautiful outdoor environment. We're not sure who's happier, the kids or the parents! Thank you Decoma and Deutsch Family for making us feel at home. read more

DO NOT send your kids here. Let's start with food. They are very cheap on food in many ways. Their "juice" is just snow cone flavoring and tastes awful and when they have hamburger days there aren't even buns. They give bread, a dried thin patty that falls apart, and ketchup and mustard. No cheese no anything. Everything else is packaged like their cheap mac n' cheese that tastes like plastic. Second, their equipment and facility is awful. The balls are all ripped apart, the bows all backfire and take their eyes out, the bikes scratch and cause kids to fall, the trampoline is very dangerous with many metal pieces sticking out due to the padding which has worn out, the pool is dirty and poorly maintained, and the staff are not capable of running a camp safely. A lot of the equipment is taped up like the fishing poles and .Thirdly, the counselors are under-payed(3$ an hour) which in turn causes them to not care about the kids. Their lack of spending on the children and the camp itself is a cause for all of these problems and that's not even considering the fact that the camp is situated 300 feet from I-294. I have worked at this camp and the owner, Gary, is just an ordinary business man that values money more than kids. It is obvious that he is pocketing all the money and he does not know of work ethics. This is why 6 staff members quit during the summer I worked. Furthermore, he does not have the proper work ethics and said to a 17 year old counselor "let me call your mother to tell her what a piece of crap you are" after being reluctant to give a prorated paycheck which he promised to delay until the last legally allowed day. Gary simply doesn't care about kids and is a business man who just wants to make money. It's sad to me how the parents who pick up their children everyday are being tricked by the fake character he and the other owners put on only while around parents. Concluding statement: DO NOT send your kids here. Note: The other reviews are fake and one can even tell that they are written by the camp by the writing style. read more