BIDDEFORD — Attention, kids: there are only a couple of months remaining until school lets out, and that means summer fever is in full swing.

While some children can’t wait for the season of adventure to get out of the classroom and have a variety of experiences, others have fewer opportunities to get outside during the warmest months. For those children, the end of the school year means little access to recreational or educational activities to help them learn, grow, and thrive.

Once school starts back up in the fall, that means their academics — and physical health — may suffer as a result.

The YMCA of Southern Maine is looking to change that, by offering a number of summer day camps to help children remain active, healthy and well-informed during the summer months.

“There’s the importance being able to be a kid in the summer and really experience the outdoors, which unfortunately a lot of kids aren’t getting these days,” said Sarah Leighton, director of advancement for the YMCA of Southern Maine, known locally as the “Y.”

“Having this experience where they get out in the real world, they get a little messy and have fun with their peers and have that experience.”

The Y offers five different summer day camps, all with financial assistance, to give youth an active, healthy, and educational summer, Leighton said.

Among them is Camp Sokokis in Biddeford, which Leighton said has grown significantly over the years, having served 180 children of varying demographics last year, with plans to serve 200 this summer.

“The amount of kids we’re serving is growing, which I think shows how much the community loves this camp,” she said.

In fact, Camp Sokokis was recently voted “Best Summer Camp” by Journal Tribune readers.

Other camps offered by the Y included In-Town Camp in Portland; Camp Osprey in Freeport; Camp Pineland in New Gloucester; and Otter Pond Outdoor Adventure Camp in Standish; bus services are offeredfrom Portland, Westbrook, Windham, Cumberland and New Gloucester.

Registration for the upcoming camp season has already begun, and YMCA officials say there are a number of reasons for children to partake in the fun.

For starters, children experience adventure while taking part in healthy, fun activities to engage their bodies and minds, said Helen Breña, chief executive officer of the YMCA of Southern Maine.

“Summer camp provides a variety of opportunities to ensure that youth are learning and being physically active in the summer,” Breña said in a release. “Campers learn how to be responsible and resourceful, work in groups, solve problems, and make decisions that will help them grow as individuals — all while having fun and feeling like they belong.

“We want every camper to start school telling their friends that they had the best summer ever,” Breña said.

Breña also said children and teens should attend summer camp because camps offer opportunities for personal growth — helping youth develop confidence and independence by taking on new responsibilities and challenges — and the chance to make new friends.

In addition, 30 minutes of reading time is built into each day at camp, helping to counter what is known as the “summer slump” between years of schooling.

“Without knowing it, they’re really preparing themselves for adulthood,” Leighton said of children who attend Y camps. “There is much more of this independent atmosphere where you’re making decisions for yourself, whereas during the school day your decisions are made for you.”

The Y has taken several strides in providing continuing education to children, most recently expanding its kindergarten through fifth grade before- and after-school programming to teach little ones about exercise, science and social skills.

Leighton also stressed that the Y — which has been offering summer camp programming for over 131 years — will do all it can to allow children the privilege of attending summer camp.

The Y offers summer camp scholarships to those in need, and accepts Aspire and other state subsidies and vouchers for those in need of financial assistance. She said Camp Sokokis has even pledged $120,000 in assistance for those who need extra help.

“All of our camps are available regardless of someone’s ability to pay,” she said. “Talk to us. We can make it so you can come to camp.”

For more information about summer camps or to register, visit ymcaofsouthernmaine.org/main/summer-camp.

— Staff Writer Alan Bennett can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 329 or abennett@journaltribune.com.