By Associated Press, 6/23/2003

MESA, Ariz. -- Parents sending their kids to one Arizona summer camp won't have to worry about outfitting them in the latest fashions.

Campers will be in the nude.

About 30 kids are expected to attend the camp next month at Shangri La Ranch, a clothing-optional resort in New River.

Danielle Faber, 16, will be among them. Last year, she attended nude summer camp in California.

"It's basically just like any other kids' camp. Just without the clothing," Faber said.

Faber's mother, Patty, is also the camp's director.

The camp is backed by the American Association for Nude Recreation. The organization is tapping into the increasing popularity of clothing-optional activities and is sponsoring summer camps across the country for nudists aged 11 to 18.

Parents say such venues promote a healthy body image for their children at an age when confidence can crumble.

In addition to typical camp activities, workshops on body image confidence-building are part of the program.

But there are critics.

"That sounds like a colossally bad idea," said Marlo Archer, an Ahwatukee Foothills psychologist. He said a youngster's increasing awareness of sex combined with pubescent hormones and nudity make for a dangerous mix.