Unique Summer Camps Your Kids Wish You'd Send Them To: Skip Camp Ootawaddabangbang and Go for Something Life-changing

As you plan your children's summer itineraries, explore some of these non-traditional options for summer camps. Instead of sending your teen to the same pseudo-Native-American-lore-granola-crunching nature camp, consider a week learning to surf in California, studying space exploration in Alabama or brushing up on their chops with seasoned musicians.

There are dozens of camps designed to ignite children's and teens' imaginations and give them once in a lifetime opportunities - and your kids may be too afraid to ask about them. Surprise them, this year, with a week or two of their wildest dreams.

Hang Ten

Simply called "Surf Camp," surfer and marine science educator Rick Civelli's gives teens a chance to learn the classic water sport in Oahu, Hawaii; Wrightsville Beach, NC; Outer Banks, NC; Costa Rica or Florida.

Costs range between $1,500 and $2,000 for the week which includes lessons, equipment and, naturally, a T-shirt. Costs do not include airfare, so the Costa Rica or Hawaii camps will be pricey. However, the atmosphere is worth it if your teen is deserving. Surfing in Costa Rica or Hawaii is a dream for any surf fan. Even if you choose the North Carolina or Florida locations, your teen will receive instructions from a three-to-one student-teacher ratio.

Ninety percent of the "Surf Camp" participants have never surfed before, so your ambitious pipe-liner will learn all she needs to know. Campers also review digital footage of their lessons to view their progress. There's even a nightly campfire.

Teens also have the option of a day camp and kids age eight to 12 have their own day or overnight camps. To maintain a small teacher-student ratio for effective lessons, spaces are limited. Check out www.wbsurfcamp.com for more information.

Space Camp

What kid doesn't want to spend a week playing in zero-gravity and eating freeze-dried ice cream? The U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala. offers programs for kids ages nine to 11 (Space Camp), 12 to 14 (Space Academy), and 15 to 18 (Advanced Space Academy). There's even a Parent/Child Program designed to give you both a chance to explore the Great Unknown.