I am 14 years old, and I just got back from Mystic Lake YMCA camp. I spent 4 weeks there, unlike the usual 1 week. I LOVED it!!!!!!!!! I participated in Teen Nation, Senior Girls, and Teen Extreme. I highly recommend this camp! Not only do they have a program for all age groups, but all the counselors are amazing! From my standpoint, they all work well with kids, and can relate to them. Most of the counselors have been campers themselves, so they have a relationship with the camp.
Meals are incredibly unique. Chants and songs are fun to participate in during the meals, and the food isn't bad at all. Flagpole is one of the things I've noticed that most kids have a hard time getting used to, and to get involved in (mainly the older kids). But here, I felt like I didn't have to be embarrassed to sing these crazy songs. Once I gave these songs a chance, I really started to enjoy singing along.
Making friends is also a big part of my time at Mystic Lake. I made so many close friends, and from what I noticed, there was absolutely NO BULLYING going on. Everyone was friendly with each other. The bad thing about staying for 4 weeks is the closing ceremonies. Each week, a whole new group of people come to the camp. All of my friends leave, and new people arrive. The transition day (Saturdays), when no one is on camp, is the hardest day. The problem was, I live no where near Mystic, so my parents couldn't pick me up on Saturdays. I was pretty much just left there with no one to talk to, plus I was still sad from my friends leaving that same day. But I think that was the only sad/bad thing about the entire Mystic experience.
I am 100% sure that I will be coming back to Mystic next year as both an L.I.T. and a C.I.T. I hope to work there the year after.
Also, about the comment below, it is true that Mystic does NOT send letters back home. I wrote a letter to my parents the first week I was there, and I gave it to my counselor to be mailed home. I come home, and ask my parents about the letter. Their response, "What letter???" That kind of frustrated me, but it wasn't a big deal.
About the seniors only able to do high ropes - it's just a safety thing. Kids younger than 12 can't even reach the cables. Some Challenge kids are pretty tall, but for safety purposes, only kids 12 and up are allowed on the high ropes. Sorry Peggy about your son, I wish he could have gone up and had a better experience at camp.
And about homesickness, the counselors easily take kid's minds off of home and keep them busy with activities.
If you have a teen at home, and you have no idea what to do with them for the entire summer, send them to Mystic!!! I bet you a hundred bucks that they will LOVE Teen Nation and Teen Extreme. The only thing you have to decide - send them for 1 or 2 weeks?? Teen Extreme is a 2 week program, when Teen Nation is 1 or 2 weeks long.
So, this is my review about Mystic. Hope this helped. read more