It’s an annual cause for celebration. For kids and teenagers, the final bell on the last day of school means the onset of three months of summer: poolside visits, late nights and picnics at the park.

But it’s all too easy for those lazy days to turn in to the dreaded dog days of summer, when boredom takes over. The solution? Summer camps. The St. Louis Jewish community has a variety of options appealing to all kinds of families.

David Shapsovich, a junior at Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School, spent many summers at Jewish day camps in the St. Louis area when he was younger. Shapsovich said the camp proved an easy way to meet new friends and keep in touch with old ones.

“I loved it,” he said. “We played so many fun games. I met so many new people. I still talk to some of my friends from there.”

Shapsovich said the programs instilled in him a deep knowledge and appreciation for his culture.

“I loved singing songs each day and playing games with people of the same faith,” he said.

Two camps in the area stand out for Jewish students: Camp Emeth and the Jewish Community Center day camps.

Program director Beth Kodner said Camp Emeth is “a Jewish day camp offering traditional and innovative activities  such as swimming, art, music, sports and specialized activities.”

Camp Emeth also has an above average counselor-to-camper ratio.

“While counselor-to-camper ratios differ in each age group, we surpass the American Camp Associations guidelines,” Kodner said.

Camp Emeth, which serves kids entering kindergarten through eighth grade, offers fun activities including swimming, basketball and volleyball. On Mondays and Wednesdays, kids have time to work on art projects; on Tuesday and Thursday, the Israeli shaliach leads activities that share Israeli culture.

A camp favorite activity is Ga-Ga, a game in which players enter an enclosed area and hit a rubber ball with the intention of hitting another player’s legs.

“Campers love the pool, Chuggim (elective activities), overnights, out of camp trips and our Friday Special programs … especially Yom Sport (color war),” Kodner said.

The J Day camp differs in its scheduling and administration, but the lessons it teaches are similar.

Brad Chotiner, director of J day camps and youth programs, said the camps offer traditional sports, arts and crafts, swimming and gymnastics, among other activities.

J camps accept children ages 3-14; its counselor to camper ratio is 1-to-8. 

“The activities we offer vary from camp to camp,” Chotiner said. “Everyone swims daily. In sports camp we offer both a variety of daily sports and programs that are more of a clinic.”

Information the camps is available at sestl.org/2018-camp-emeth-brochureor jccstl.com/camps-afterschool/j-day-camps.