Baroody Camps
Pete Baroody with a few of his campers.
When it comes to deciding where to send your kids to summer camp, it’s important to make sure it’s a place where they can grow not just academically, but socially and emotionally.
That’s the idea behind Peter Baroody’s Alexandria-based Baroody Camps. Baroody, a physical education teacher and athletic director at Alexandria Country Day School, started the after-school programs and camps in 2007.
Baroody’s 9 to 11 weeklong summer camps in particular help kids ages 3 to 18 gain social skills and not feel isolated during the summer.
Baroody Camps
“When they head off to school next time, they’re finding the joy in actually collaborating,” said Baroody, owner and founder of Baroody Camps. “It’s a low-risk environment where they have fun.”
The students seek each other out and have to collaborate during team games and projects. The camps also accommodate children with special needs.
“There’s not a lot of kids standing alone,” he said.
Baroody started his business as a way to provide programs that would allow children to experience everything from academics and athletics, to imagination and creativity.
“If anybody is looking for great, fun, well-run summer camps for their kids in the DC area, try Baroodycamps.com,” wrote Greg Hill on Baroody Camps’ Facebook page. “Pete is the best at what he does.”
Community is also what sets Baroody apart from other camps.
“We’re not like a factory,” he said. “We’re not just trying to do daycare, we’re trying to really get to know these kids.”
It’s a high-energy environment and people love that. Counselors really care about the kids and the parents will pick up on that, said Baroody, who’s lived in Alexandria for 17 years and is a Northern Virginia native.
Camps include credentialed teachers, college-aged counselors and junior counselors.
“We provide a place where kids, teachers and high schoolers can build relationships,” he said. “It’s a safe place for the summer.”
Baroody Camps
Baroody creates the camp curriculum in house with the help of several local teachers.
Each of the summer camps tackles different themes. The Tyson’s Playground camp is sports-focused. Students can sign up for Lego engineering, movie making and animation, dance, American Girl-themed camps and more at Saint Rita School. Baroody also includes basketball and Harry Potter-themed camps.
His camps are also hosted at Grace Episcopal School and Falls Church Community Center and Little Hunting Park.
Baroody’s after-school programs will be in 20 schools including Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax and Falls Church in the fall. About 4,000 students attend Baroody after-school programs each trimester.
Nine weeks of summer costs $2,400.
The camps’ nonprofit wing Baroody Project will be funding several needs-based scholarships there as well as some special needs assistance.
Sign ups for summer camp are still open. Baroody accepts drop-ins throughout the summer. Its website includes a full list of its camp offerings.
Baroody Camps was founded in 2007 with a mission of developing programs that would enrich children's lives and provide them with a place to have fun, grow, and learn. Call 703-864-2318 or email pete@baroodycamps.com for more information on Baroody Camps.
