This summer, Emina Dervisevic will once again be immersing herself in a unique experience.
She will be attending the British Columbia Family French Camp with her husband and two kids, ages six and 10. The North Vancouver family first attended the camp last summer and plans to go again this summer.
“I had no idea it would be this much fun,” says Dervisevic of her first time there.
The camp is offered in three different locations and the Dervisevic family attended the one in Nanaimo.
During the camp, families stay in their own tents, kids participate in organized activities during the day (returning to their parents for lunch), and parents are free to do what they want. Dervisevic notes that there are plenty of organized activities for parents as well, such as volleyball games and yoga, but participation is optional.
Parent and family events are also organized for the evenings, such as a wine and cheese, a potluck dinner, and nightly shows put on by the counsellors.
There is also a “Sleeping Under the Stars” night during which kids and parents can sleep out rather than in their tents. And parents are welcome on some of the kids’ day trips to nearby beaches and other areas. There are also overnight camping options for some of the older kids, and activities such as zip-lining.
“We really like being together as a family,” says Dervisevic of why they decided to attend camp together. She notes that a family camp is a good option for kids who may not be ready to attend a sleepaway camp on their own.
With both of her kids in French immersion school, Dervisevic says the camp was also a way to offer a continued French immersion experience in the summer.
“For kids it’s a fabulous French immersion experience,” she says.
Kids do have to be fluent in French for this camp, but parents don’t, and Dervisevic says it’s a great place for parents to improve their own French if they know some.
While the family has done some camping together, they are not avid campers, says Dervisevic, and this experience has allowed them to explore that activity a little more together.
For more information visit the website at bcffc.com.
This story originally appeared in a special section of the North Shore News that was focused on local summer camps.
