Camp Taunton offers a summer of adventures far beyond the Silver City

TAUNTON — Old Colony YMCA Camp Taunton Director Brittany Lanoue said trail hikes, arts and crafts and sports are being offered to children this summer.

“We are a field trip-based camp, and we make four field trips per week," she said.

Camp Taunton’s weekly activities have been underway since June 27 and will continue until Aug. 26.

Lanoue said the field trips include going to Water Wizz in Wareham, swimming at Houghton’s Pond in the Blue Hills and hiking at Massasoit State Park.

Camp counselor Kelly Simmons, a 2021 Taunton High School graduate, said the campers “do super cool stuff many of them have not done before.”

Upcoming camp adventures will include visiting the Museum of Science in Boston on July 22 and Brenton Point State Park in Newport, Rhode Island, on July 29.

Brenton Point Park provides visitors a sweeping view of the Atlantic Ocean and opportunities to enjoy kite flying, hiking and bird watching.

Campers will also be taken on Aug. 5 to Battleground Z in Lincoln, Rhode Island, where they can do archery and play tag, paintball, dodge ball, laser wars and arcade games.

Camp counselor Jeremiya Andrade said the outings have included going to Breezy Point Picnic Grounds Waterslides Park in Douglas.

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“We’ve also gone to Plaster Fun Time in Braintree,” he said.

Plaster Fun Time provides painting opportunities for children “to do it their way,” according to the firm’s website.

Five-year-old Nolan Green said he likes field trips because the campers sing songs while traveling on a bus.

“I like the songs,” he said while throwing a football to a playmate during a recent field trip at Hopewell Elementary School in Taunton.

Lanoue said the children “do a lot of singing” while aboard field trip-bound buses.

“They sing songs they make up,” she added.

Camp Taunton team activities

Old Colony YMCA Senior Executive Director Ronan Davis said the camp has “a lot of team building activities to help children learn how to solve challenges together.”

“One of the most rewarding things is to see the kid’s level of growth through their activities,” he said.

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These team activities include basketball, t-ball, soccer, four-square-“and much more,’ according to the Old Colony YMCA website.

Davis said the camp offers “a lot of swimming activities.”

“We have swimming lessons on Tuesday at the Old Colony YMCA,” he said.

Davis said the camp partners with Taunton Public Library and the Taunton Public Schools.

“Kids can check out books every week,” he said. “Kids will eat four different lunches or breakfasts a week, and the Taunton Public Schools provide them.”

Camp works to meet needs of children with disabilities

Davis said Camp Taunton effectively helps children with autism or complex mental challenges.

“A fair amount of our campers have an autism issue or difficult mental challenge,” he said. “We get funds from the state Department of Mental Health to pay a clinician and support staff at all our (Old Colony YMCA) camps. They work with children and with their families.

Taunton Camp counselors praised

Davis said the children “absolutely adore” the camp counselors.

“We have some of the best hard-working people,” he said.

Andrade, a 2018 Taunton High graduate, said he is serving as a counselor to help him prepare to be a mentor for children.

“I want to get into law enforcement in some capacity and help kids in need and be a mentor and to bring them on a trip,” said Andrade, a senior criminal justice major at Plymouth State University in New Hampshire.

Andrade said he is serving in the New Hampshire National Guard and expects to graduate from the university in December.

Simmons said she is working as a counselor to strengthen her ability to be an influential child psychologist upon graduating from Endicott College.

“I just completed my freshman year,” she said. “I want to work with kids.”

Simmons said she developed an interest in helping children from her mother, Kristen Simmons, a Mansfield kindergarten teacher, and as an intern at Tiger Tots, a Taunton preschool program.

“I was able to do some teaching,” she said.

How to enroll in Camp Taunton

Old Colony Vice President of Public Affairs Michael Ricci said approximately 75 children participate daily in camp activities.

“We have more room for enrollments if a family wants to enroll their child,” he said. “You don’t have to commit to signing up for the entire summer.”

Lanoue said most of Camp Taunton’s campers live in low-income households.

“Ninety-five percent of the parents who have enrolled their children have received assistance from the state or YMCA,” she said. “They can get a discount rate.”

Lanoue said additional information for parents who need financial assistance enrolling their child is available on the  Old Colony YMCA website or by calling 774-517-7139.

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Camp Taunton run by the Old Colony YMCA focuses on field trips