I would like to have a community conversation about the summer camp options we have for our kids in Palo Alto. I have no pre-conceived notions about the options families have at this point for kids at various ages.

What do people think and feel and want?

I am proud of both my kids for being well regarded Camp Counselors at Camp Galileo in Palo Alto over the last several years. My daughter is home for the summer from college out East, and she is working Camp G at Walter Hays School campus this summer. Her brother was there at the beginning of Camp G, and he wants to be a school teacher as a result of his experience.

My kids are grown and my whole Peninsula summer camp (and beyond the Peninsula, such as a week away camps in the mountains) recollections are running together. There also are some wonderful family camps that I am sure many have experienced. I was fortunate to do the Stanford Family Camp on Fallen Leaf Lake for a number of years.

My own kids learned how to swim at Palo Alto sponsored swimming camps. They did SkyHawks and Decathlon sports camps several times over the years. They did a music camp at the Lutheran Church in Midtown a few times. They have cousins who participated at the NASA Camp near Moffett Field , and they loved it.

All that said, different people and their kids have had varied experiences with summer camps. Many families have two working parents, and rely on camps to keep the kids engaged while they are at work. Some kids thrive in various camp environments, while others are just miserable, for any number of reasons.

I interviewed my daughter as I was developing this blog, and here are some of her observations:

Favorite camp in which she participated: Decathlon Sports Camp in Los Altos;

Worst memory: she claims not to have any;

Best part about being a camp counselor: friendships with other counselors. and she likes the money;

Worst part about being a camp counselor: the “whiny” (her word) 6 and 7 year olds she works with.

There are many other camps in the Palo Alto vicinity and I welcome posters to this blog suggesting camps that have been highlights for their family. Any good stories or nightmares also are encouraged.

I hope everyone had a good Fourth of July. I enjoyed being a judge at the Chili Cook Off again this year, but after tasting 20 chilis and being out in the hot sun for a few hours, I was ready for a serious nap when I got home.