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Born to be wild Whether offering rock star training or the chance to care for wolves, today's summer camps drop cliches for cool.

Article Excerpt
Byline: Robert McCoppin Daily Herald Staff Writer

Hello muddah, Hello fadduh,

Here I am at Camp Granada.

Girls are acting, boys are singing,

They're at a spa and working on well-being.

Kids are cooking, and jet skiing,

Feeding wolves, and Web-streaming.

Community service for the homeless.

Muddah, fadduh, it sounds good enough for grown-ups.

How I spent my time at summer camp, version 2005:

Feeding hungry wolves in the Rockies.

Auditioning for an acting agent in Los Angeles.

Kayaking among a pod of whales in Canada.

For today's kids, summer camp has gone extreme, with edgy activities that make swimming and row-boating look as outdated as strap-on roller skates.

Of more than 12,000 camps in the United States, the American Camping Association reports that 75 percent have started offering new activities in the past few years.

Modern summer camps tap into kids' creativity and let them try alter identities, from rock star to secret agent to fashion designer.

Teens from the Chicago suburbs who've been to the new style of camp love dabbling in exotic activities. Parents like the responsibility campers take on, and say it opens their children's eyes to new worlds.

With many sites attracting 100 or more kids to stay just a week or two, the camps are not for the meek socially. At prices that can run into thousands of dollars, they're also not for those on a tight budget.

Many of the camps require the kids to get off their butts and do real work, cleaning up after animals or doing community service.

Miraculously, kids who won't even straighten their rooms at home will get up early...