Forget simply surviving a family vacation (or the weekend, for that matter!) - consider thriving, exploring and bonding as a family at YMCA Camp Cullen Family Camp. These weekend camps, scheduled monthly from September through May, are action-packed with fun and adventure for the whole family. My family was given the opportunity to participate in the Labor Day Camp and we spent an amazing, active weekend in outdoors... testing our strengths, exploring new passions, goofing around and making memories to last a lifetime.
The camp is located near Huntsville in Trinity, on the shores of Lake Livingston. The quick drive was just over an hour (around 70 miles north) from The Woodlands. We arrived Friday night, grabbed a schedule and map, signed up for watersports and watched the sunset over the lake. We were escorted to our modern, air-conditioned, private cabin and appreciated not having to lug bags around! My husband and I each slept in our own twin bed and our three kids each slept on a bottom bunk (with three vacant top bunks). The private bathrooms featured multiple sinks, toilets and showers. The camp is five years old and the facilities still look brand new and incredible well clean and cared for. After our arrival we oriented ourselves, unpacked, made our beds and crashed for the night.
We were off to an early start on Saturday, beginning with a hearty breakfast in the communal dining hall. We killed a little time on the tire zipline before our banana boat ride. In a former pre-kid life I was happily towed behind many a speedboat, but add my three kids to the mix and I'm a ball of nerves! Fortunately my kids had the time of their life, screaming "This is awesome!" at the top of their lungs. A quick change from wet to dry clothes and we were off on our horseback riding adventure. Horseback riding is an add-on experience for $25 per person for an hour-long trail ride through the piney woods. My kids have never really been around horses that weren't walking in a circle at a petting zoo. They were excited to pull up to the barn to hear about each horse, learn their name and how to mount and guide them. All three of my kids were led by their own wrangler (due to their ages) with my husband and I riding solo in the pack. The ride was shaded and slow and perfectly paced for our gang. It was truly a memorable experience.
After lunch we walked to the archery range, which my oldest son was desperate to try. The younger twins quickly grew tired of bows and arrows and therein lay the fun and flexibility of Family Camp - don't like what you're doing? Try something new! We ventured over to the Marathon Pipeline where the twins slid down a huge pipe over and over again until their big brother joined them. The entire family then harnessed up and took a few zooms down the zipline before heading over to the Alpine Tower and jumping pillow. After a scrumptious dinner there was a Clue-style scavenger hunt with the counselors, s'mores and the warmest, most welcome and cleansing shower on earth. I'm confident everyone passed out the minute their heads hit the pillows.
We woke up to an overcast Sunday and excitedly hit the banana boat a second time, followed by multiple exhilarating slides down the massive Wet Willie slide. My oldest son and husband headed for a repeat trip to archery while I took the twins to arts and crafts. After lunch we all hiked through a rain shower to the rock quarry to collect river rocks and finished our day with more arts and crafts and canoeing. My husband and I were appreciative to be able to spend 1:1 time with each kid and explore their interests. After dinner we wound down with a few episodes of Spirit and finished the night with even more s'mores. Our final morning was a bit stormy, but my husband quickly packed the car while we played board games waiting for breakfast.
A recurring theme across the weekend was that I knew my kids would be actively challenged and I was expecting fear, tears and meltdowns. Impressively, none of that happened. My kids flew a few hands in the air on the banana boat instead of hanging on tight, they hopped right on a horse without hesitation, tried archery for the first time, went airborne on a slide, scrambled over rocks and soared to crazy heights on the zipline. Not once did I hear anything other than excitement and squeals of delight. I think they also surprised themselves. I essentially dragged everyone to the rock quarry, but my older son actually said to me afterwards how he appreciated us making him go, how much fun he had there and how that would be the first thing he does "next time." Camp Cullen Family Camp was also the perfect environment for my kids to experience those parental reigns loosening up. Don't want to wait with Mom and Dad for dinner to start? Go play basketball where we can see you or grab a new board game. The kids have an opportunity to explore their own (carefully calculated and monitored) independence and boundaries.
The camp counselors who facilitate each activity are also a special bunch. They are a young, friendly tribe, full of smiles and kid-focused conversation. Some of our older son's most special memories came from the connections he made with a few of the counselors, like Mason who helped guide him in archery and Cameron who led us on a hike to the quarry. Many counselors during our session were from other countries (Ireland, Australia, Scotland, England, Brazil and more!), which we learned is part of the Camp America cultural exchange to help expose American campers to other cultures and traditions. We really enjoyed speaking with the counselors and learning more about where they were from and what they were getting out of the camp experience.
Family Camp is truly what you make of it. You are not held to a rigid itinerary - each day had large blocks of time where multiple activities were available. Some activities are facilitated, some are not. You can loaf around the cabin all day or get out and experience what camp has to offer. Impress your kids with how loud you can scream going down the zipline or how fast you zoom down a slide into a lake. Get dirty. Make a mess. Cheer your kids on as they hit their first target or find a treasure in the quarry. Make friends in the dining hall or while playing on the lawn. Or don't! The choice is yours and the entire experience is extraordinarily flexible. And as my older son said, "Mom, it's like a vacation for you. You don't have to cook or do dishes!" Truer words have never been spoken.
YMCA Camp Cullen Family Camps are scheduled every month from September through May, many which are seasonal or holiday-themed. Two night camp weekends are priced at $119 per person and three night weekends (over Spring Break and Memorial Day) are $169 per person. Kids 4 and under and adults 70+ are free. Rates include lodging and meals. Camp Cullen is located at 460 Cullen Loop in Trinity, Texas, about 65 miles and a 70 minute drive from The Woodlands. For more information, please visit ymcacampcullen.org.
My family was provided a complimentary stay and horseback riding for this review. View our full FTC Disclosure Statement here.
