These Enterprising Sisters Keep Summer Doldrums at Bay

Names: Mary Kate and Megan Boyle

Ages: 14 and 12

School: Mary Kate is an incoming freshman at York High School, and Megan will be a seventh-grader at Visitation School.

Achievement: They developed Pocket of Fun, a summer day camp for girls age 2 to 10.

Key to Awesomeness: Sisters Mary Kate and Megan Boyle are used to being around younger children. Besides having two younger brothers, they've been babysitters and worked as mother’s helpers for neighbors and friends.

“We have about 30 cousins, and we had a block of 20 girls that were under 5," says Megan. "We decided to put it to work and start a camp because we loved being with them.”

Last summer, Megan and Mary Kate made up flyers and distributed them to families in their neighborhood. For their first year of “Pocket of Fun,” 12 girls signed up for the week-long camp that met every afternoon for two hours in their back yard. 

This summer, Mary Kate and Megan were thrilled to find out that most of their campers signed up again—and this time, they invited friends. Enrollment increased to 18 girls.

“Every day we do a craft, and we do games,” says Mary Kate. “We made hair tie holders, decorated T-shirts and Frisbees.”

Each day has a theme, such as Show and Tell, Beach Day or Crazy Hair Day, and most days include fun in the sprinkler or games with water balloons.

“Most of the girls like the crafts the most,” says Mary Kate. “That’s about half. Then the other half like all the games and the water stuff the most. And every day someone asks if they can swim, and we say no. We say, ‘You’ve got to wait.’ ”

On the last day of camp, the campers are allowed into the Boyle family’s swimming pool.

Meghan Martin, a 7-year-old who attends Jackson School, has attended Pocket of Fun for two summers. She says her favorite part of camp is the skits and the crafts.

“There are different ones that they make up for us,” she says, recalling one in particular where the girls had to pretend they were at a sleepover and act out parts. Meghan says her 6-year-old sister, Abbey, likes attending the camp, too. 

When asked if she thinks there will be another Pocket of Fun camp next summer, Meghan Martin breathlessly answers, “I hope so.”

Meghan and Abbey's mom, Cheryl Martin, says the Boyle sisters have a unique way with the kids that keeps them engaged, which she feels is the reason for the camp’s success. 

“They are very involving, very patient,” says Martin. “They know how to play to [the children’s] level, yet make them think.”

Martin has seen her kids become more creative when they spend time around Mary Kate and Megan.

“They have phenomenal imaginations. They know how to keep them involved, and actually keep them in line at the same time,” she says.

Mary Kate and Megan are certified babysitters through the Elmhurst Park District. By all accounts, the sisters are equal partners when it’s time to get the work done. 

“We both get the supplies, we both decide what we need each day, then during the day, we both do the work together,” says Mary Kate.

“I just love doing [the camp activities] with all the girls,” says Mary Kate. “It’s so much fun.” 

Megan agrees.

“I like watching all the girls and their expressions,” she says. “Their faces get so happy, and I love watching it.”