Minnesota summer camps are filling fast. Here's how to get the right camp for your kid.

This summer, your kids can build a wooden castle, swing from a trapeze, canoe a pristine lake or live like a pioneer. Whether it's sailing, singing, signing or STEM, there's a camp for just about every interest.

The only problem? Getting into one.

This summer is shaping up to be sizzling hot for camps. From half-day activity camps in town to weekslong Boundary Waters sojourns, sessions are booking quickly.

"We're filling faster than we've ever seen in the history of the Y," said Michel Tigan, vice president of camp operations for the YMCA of the North, which offers day, overnight, wilderness and family camps.

Across the state, camps already are seeing a surge of interest, especially in programs for younger children, for whom summer day camp can be a part of day care.

"We have waiting lists for almost everything," said Tracy Nielsen, co-executive director of Leonardo's Basement in Minneapolis, which offers workshops for kids age 6 to 17.

After two years of disruption, camps haven't just made a comeback: They're seeing an explosion of interest in opportunities for kids to do what they couldn't easily do during the height of the pandemic — play with other kids.

"What we witnessed is that the pandemic forced us to go inside and stay away from others," said Tigan. "And when we pull kids away, when they lose the opportunity to play, they lose the opportunity to be creative, to imagine, to be resilient and to build relationships."

Because of the isolation and upheaval of the pandemic, summer camp went "from being one thing that people could do to fulfilling a real need," she said.

COVID-19 threw camps — and the rest of society — for a loop. The first year of the pandemic, only an estimated 18% of American overnight camps were open, according to the American Camp Association (ACA). While 60% of day camps were held, many of those limited the number of campers or shortened the length of sessions. All camps instituted pandemic protocols.

By the summer of 2021, camps had largely bounced back, said Alli Farcy, director of Camp Foley in Pine River, Minn., and a regional representative of the ACA.

Protocols were still in place, but a year into the pandemic, campers and staffers were more comfortable with masking, testing, distancing, handwashing and COVID-cautious dropoff and pickup procedures.

Camps also made swift and successful adjustments to steer clear of the disease — moving as many activities as possible outside and limiting large indoor gatherings, even at meal times.

Now that COVID infections and deaths are dropping and mask mandates are being lifted, camps are experiencing pent-up demand by families hoping to offer their kids normalcy, consistency and connection — to others and to nature.

The good news is that many camps were prepared for the deluge.

With staffing levels up (and even some international staffers returning), camps are not only operating at full capacity, but some are adding additional sessions, when possible.

"We're watching our wait lists and adding sessions when we can," said Nielsen. Leonardo's Basement has already added sessions of its popular Faerie Houses and Elf Shelves miniature building workshops.

The Y, too, is hoping to add camp offerings by partnering with parks, nature centers and other nature-focused organizations in the metro area and beyond.

But camps aren't only trying to serve more kids, they're trying to give kids more of what they need now.

Camp Foley altered the daily schedules for its overnight camps to offer kids a bit more unstructured time.

"The biggest takeaway from last summer is that the activities of camp are a draw, but once the kids got to camp, what they really wanted to do was to hang out and laugh and just be together," Farcy said.

While the pandemic appears to be waning, it's not officially "over." So many camps will continue to take precautions, although likely fewer than in previous years.

Some residential camps will continue to recommend that families test before sending kids to overnight camps. Some will require vaccinations, while others will recommend them. Day camps held in close quarters might require campers and staff to mask up. And all of them likely will watch for advice from the CDC, the Minnesota Department of Health and the ACA as summer approaches.

But camp directors say they are hopeful — and prepared.

"We're all hopeful that we're returning to more normal," said Nielsen. "We're taking advantage of being able to do what we can when we can — before and if — another variant comes along."

"Camps are thriving," agreed Farcy, "and we are more than prepared to deal with whatever COVID throws at us this summer."

They also are driven by the hard-learned lessons from the pandemic.

"We learned that we really need nature," Tigan said. "Nature is a medicine that heals the heart. We need a little of that in the world we live in now."

Camps are filling fast. Really fast. In some cases, there already are long wait lists for the most popular camps, especially for younger kids. Here are some tips for finding the right camp for your kid.