Camp Cardinal Aims for Fun, Enrichment, Adventure at SUNY Plattsburgh Campus

College Auxiliary Services at SUNY Plattsburgh will once again offer a week of activities and learning opportunities this summer for school-age children July 7-11.

Camp Cardinal — a reimagining of the former Summer Safari program — offers a variety of programs for students age 5 through 17, including a new option that gives students the opportunity to sign up for a full day of camp.

Similar to Summer Safari, Camp Cardinal was designed “to offer different types of classes to our local youth community,” said Amanda Varin, CAS director of events and marking. “Kids can try something new or pick something they already know they enjoy.”

Variety of Offerings

Camp sessions include “Reading, Art and Snacks” for kids 5-7 who have already attended pre-K or kindergarten, “Artsy Animals” for ages 5-10, “Spy Camp” for kids 9-12, “Fables in Action: Kids’ Theater Workshop” for ages 6-9, and “Bake and Create at the ‘Flour Power’ Camp,” “Cursive Writing Creativity,” and “Nano Adventures: Exploring the Tiny World” especially for middle- and high-school students, are all among the offerings this year.

New this year is the full-day option, which has students arriving at 7:45 a.m. for activities before being escorted to the 9 a.m. classes. A bring-your-own brown-bag lunch break, “Burghy’s Nourish and Nest,” will run from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and then afternoon camp selections until 3 or 5:15 p.m. Fees apply.

“Last year, we found on our post-camp survey that parents were looking for something that would be all day so it fits their work schedules better,” Varin said. “Having the lunch break between the morning and afternoon session allows the campers to stay at the camp between sessions so their parents only have to drop off in the morning and pick up in the afternoon.”

In its Second Year

Unlike the old model of Summer Safari, which extended through several weeks in the summer, Camp Cardinal is only one week.

“As this is the second year of bringing it back after almost five years of not having something, we’re starting off smaller,” she said. “We are still gaining and working on increasing participation.”

‘Hope Kids Learn New Skill’

That’s where the differences end, however. Like its predecessor, Camp Cardinal is poised to give students a variety of programming to keep them engaged and having fun.

“We hope kids can learn a new skill or continue to develop skills they already have,” Varin said.

For a full schedule or to register, visit https://fs30.formsite.com/CASplattsburgh/CampCardinal2025/index. SUNY Plattsburgh employee and military discounts are available. For more information, visit College Auxiliary Services Camp Cardinal online or contact Varin at 518-564-3054 or email [email protected].

— By Associate Director of Communications Gerianne Downs