In big cities, dense with buildings and people, bustling with traffic, this question has beleaguered generations of parents. And it was one I asked myself when I moved back with my four children in 2017 to Philadelphia after two decades away. Toward the end of that first year, an old friend, also a Philadelphia native, reminded me of a valuable resource that might ease my children’s isolation — recreation centers. I immediately scoured the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation website for camps, anything that might help recreate their lost communal magic. I quickly found a teen adventures camp for my two eldest and an ecological camp and visual camp for my two youngest.

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Organizations: Bryn Mawr College, Philadelphia Parks, Recreation Locations: Philadelphia