Parents' Guide to

Summer Camp

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Competition includes innuendo and manipulative behavior.

TV USA Reality TV 2013
Summer Camp Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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What's the Story?

From the creators of Big Brother comes SUMMER CAMP, a reality series featuring grownups who are reliving their youth while trying to win a quarter of a million dollars. Show host and former American Idol finalist Matt Rogers is the camp director for a team of men and a team of women at the lakeside campsite. In-between camp activities like socials and playing pranks on each other, the teams compete in a series of challenges, or "color wars," for immunity. The losing team of each challenge must banish two of its own to the opposite team's camp, and wait for them to vote on who is going to be sent home. At the end of camp, the remaining members of the winning team split the $250,000 prize.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

From the manipulative blonde to the geeky underdog, Summer Camp contains all the characters one would expect from a reality show. It also contains lots of voyeuristic moments, as each person attempts to find ways to stay in the game or romantically pair up with another contestant.

Some folks may like watching people compete in canoe competitions or toilet paper each other's cabins. But aside from the refreshing lakeside camp setting, this series doesn't offer anything particularly new.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about reality shows. Why are these shows so popular? Do you think the people on these shows act the way they do for entertainment purposes, or are they showing their true colors in front of the camera? Are viewers supposed to learn lessons based on their behavior?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

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