No lying on the couch, playing video games or sleeping until noon. Summer camps, from their earliest years to the 1920s, ’30s, ’40s and through today, have always made sure there were plenty of outdoor activities to keep a kid busy.
The YMCA’s Camp Don Shelley began in 1925 in the area of Warr Acres, long before it became an incorporated city. At that camp, young boys engaged in swimming, tug-of-war, archery, boating, fishing and more.
In a July 20, 1930, story in The Daily Oklahoman, it was reported that more than 50 boys ages 10 to 14 were spending two weeks at the camp for “fun and sports.” It wasn’t just a summer camp, since it also hosted weekend camps during other months of the year, but the summer would always ensure lots of sunshine and jumping from the dock into the cool waters.
The camp’s tradition of hosting youths for summer camps continued until 1963, according to the Oklahoma Historical Society.
Through the years, many Oklahoma children have ventured outdoors, spending hot, humid days ― or weeks ― at a variety of summer camps.