Summer

From June until the end of August, the Double H Ranch offers children, age 6-16 during regular sessions and ages 17-21 during the alumni session, dealing with life-threatening illnesses the chance to experience the magic of the Adirondacks. During each of the 8 Summer Residential Camp sessions the Ranch comes alive with the sounds of laughter and the joys of childhood. The Double H Ranch provides camp experiences that are medically sound, memorable, exciting, fun, and empowering.

Whether it’s participating in a team building activity, bead making for necklaces and earrings in Arts & Crafts, or soaring through the air at the High Ropes course, all of the programs at the Double H Ranch are designed under the fundamental principle that no child should be denied the joys of childhood due to an illness or physical limitation.

Each session lasts 6 days and accommodates approximately 126 campers with a camper to staff ratio of 2:1. The fully equipped medical facility is staffed 24 hours a day by onsite doctors and nurses and enables us to provide a physically safe and medically sound summer camp experience. 

During a typical day at camp, children are encouraged to participate in a wide variety of activities. Here are a few of the programs they enjoy:

Campers can participate in sports such as kickball, basketball, tennis, soccer or volleyball. Here they are given the opportunity to expend some energy by participating in these adaptive sports on our fields and courts while learning the importance of team work.

Our Creative Arts Program offers campers a chance to participate in music, drama, and creative writing. Campers work with staff to create videos, slideshows, photography projects and record music. They can also practice their singing and acting to prepare for the Talent Show.

In Arts & Crafts campers can express themselves by using their creative skills on a variety of projects. Campers learn how to tie-dye, make necklaces and earrings, create wooden critter cages and learn to make pottery. 

Our Happy Barn for Happy Children houses our horseback riding program and small animal petting zoo. Children are able to learn proper riding techniques using adaptive equipment and are able to help with the care and feeding of the many animals that live at the Ranch.

Our Discovery area, offers campers the opportunity to learn hands-on science and nature projects such as making ice cream, volcanoes, soda pop and the ever so popular SLIME.

Outdoor Extreme offers all campers the opportunity to appreciate our natural surroundings in the Adirondacks. Campers learn to build a fire, participate in wildlife scavenger hunts, and our older campers are able to experience a traditional overnight camp-out.

Each cabin group is scheduled for a half-day visit to the High Ropes Course, where they will challenge themselves and encourage others as they work to complete the course. The high ropes course instills in our campers a sense of accomplishment and self-confidence that stays with them throughout the year.

Each week Double H Ranch campers enjoy an offsite visit to our local amusement park Six Flags (Great Escape) and the older children are able to experience the thrill and excitement of whitewater rafting.

The Double H Ranch campers are also visited by a variety of special guests throughout the summer sessions such as local fire departments, singing/dancing performers, therapy dogs, and Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream.

Every night there is a different camp wide event such as a campfire, poolside party, a dance, Water Olympics, and Talent Show. After the fun and excitement of the day, campers reflect on their experiences during Cabin Chat. Here they share their thoughts and feelings with their friends and counselors and enjoy downtime before bed.

Each session ends with a very special Wishboat Ceremony, which is held at the waterfront peninsula. Throughout the week cabin groups create a wishboat made from tree bark, leaves, flowers and items from nature. During the Wishboat Ceremony each camper writes a wish on a piece of bark and sends it off on the wishboat onto the waters of Lake Vanare. The entire camp enjoys the glow of the candles reflecting in the water as they sing our three Double H Ranch camp songs and reflect on the week at camp together. It is truly a memorable moment for campers and counselors. It is a perfect way to end an amazing week at the Double H Ranch, where campers are given a “Chance to get away and just be a kid.”