Straight Arrow Day Camp
Private
Outdoor YMCA day camp on 40 acres along Wildcat Creek, about 15 miles southeast of Lafayette, on land the Treece family donated to the Lafayette Family YMCA in 1969. Campers do archery, horseback riding, swimming, slingshots, gaga, obstacle courses, arts and crafts and team-building; groups run from a preschool camp for ages 3-5 through regular camp for ages 5-9, an overnight Youth in Action program for ages 10-12, and a junior counselor track for ages 13-15. Bus transport runs from the YMCA and from West Lafayette Elementary School, and the No Camper Left Behind fund covers costs for families who cannot pay.
The practical details
We list only what the camp itself publishes, and programs change — dates, prices, ages and availability can all move after we check. Confirm the details on the camp’s own website and contact Straight Arrow Day Camp directly before you register or pay. Last checked August 2026.
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Google Reviews
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★★★★★Staci ChismWent there for a school field trip and the 3rd graders had so much fun.
★Jenny AleshireMy son hated going here. They don't do the activities that are advertised. I'm sure it used to be a great program, but it isn't now.
★★★★★Amotion DeepFlowStudiosI HAVE THE ABSOLUTE BEST MEMORIES OF MY TIME IN THIS CAMP AS A CHILD IN THE EARLY 80s MOST MEMORABLY SHOOTINF BB GUNS, ARCHERY & CANOEING. IF IT'S STILL ANYTHING LIKE IT USED TO BE, I WOULD MAKE SUR TO SEND YOUR CHILD HERE FOR A LOT OF FUN & LEARNING NEW EXPRIENCES.
★Tina G.I have 3 very active kids who have done lots of day camps and half day camps as well as sports. This was the only camp they've ever begged not to go to (2 kids in this camp since the 3rd was too old). They said they spent a lot of time sitting around waiting (similar to the previous review). They said one of the counselors in particular was really mean and yelling at kids a lot and yelled at a very young girl for dropping cracker crumbs on the floor during snack time and made her get a broom and clean it up while she was crying. My daughter also told me the girls in her group were all mean which is odd since I can normally drop her off anywhere and she does really well and makes friends immediately. When I probed more, she told me they were crying quite a bit and maybe that's why they were being mean. In any case, this was enough to raise an alarm so I asked the staff outside the buses if any adults were supervising. I was told they all have experience but they were all teen and young adult ages with the oldest 23. I didn't feel ok with that situation, so I emailed the Y and asked them for a 50% refund. They were gracious enough to refund me $10/child for the bus fee that I paid plus 50% of each child's camp fees which I thought was fair. In my opinion, more mature supervision is necessary to deal with so many kids in varying ages. I think having some play time during waiting to get on a bus would be helpful as well. I love what the Y does in the community, but unfortunately, Straight Arrow Camp was not a good experience for us. Perhaps they'll make some positive change for next year.
★fang wuMy kids attended this camp last week. They were very disappointed. According to their brochure, they provide horseback riding. However, they didn't provide horseback riding at all for the week my kids attended. When I asked a camp teacher about it, the teacher told me she didn't know. They mentioned many outdoor activities they will provide on their brochure. But my kids told me they let them sit on the bench most of the time. Not only horseback riding was not offered, other activities such as archery was not offered neither. They did do canoeing for a very short period. Thinking about the cost I pay for the camp, I don't think it worth it.