New type of camps: US children learn to analyze fingertips

Littlejohn, who attended Discovery Detectives camp in Dayton, Ohio, is one of a burgeoning number of children trooping off to specialty summer camps across the United States, where they can do everything from analyze fingerprints, swing from trapezes and learn hip-hop dance moves.

Photo: New type of camps: US children learn to analyze fingertips

New type of camps: US children learn to analyze fingertips

The popularity of such camps has flourished in the past several years to meet children's evolving interests, although traditional camps remain the mainstay of the 18,000 operating in 80 countries.

At some themed camps around the country, children create comic books and animated cartoons or try to emulate celebrities by learning to act, sing and dance.

There also are finance camps that give children the chance to learn about the stock market and others that turn them into junior debaters focusing on problem solving and critical-thinking skills.

Camp Invention has grown since its start in 1990 to nearly 900 weeklong day camps for about 50,000 children across the country.

Campers often create things from old items brought from home, the AP reports.

About 75 percent of camp directors were adding new programs such as cave exploring and rock wall climbing, according to a 2001 American Camp Association survey.