Selecting the best summer camp for your child is no easy feat. The experiences that children enjoy at summer camp, are known to leave indelible marks on their memories.
New friendships get forged and they often last lifetimes. New skills are learned that can significantly grow their future job opportunities. Perhaps most importantly of all, summer camp is known for helping children to bolster their self-confidence.
Being able to accomplish feats that they never would have thought were possible encourages them to have altogether new senses of believing in themselves. It is not an overstatement to suggest that one’s summer camp experiences can change his or her life forever.
So how do you know which summer camp is the right fit for your child? Clearly, some will make better fits than others.
Some parents admit to having no experience with summer camps themselves and so they aren’t sure how to go about choosing one for their kids. Landing on the right choice will require you to take a few important steps.
Here are five:
1. Discuss the idea of camp with your child.
It only makes sense to keep your child’s top interests in mind. What does he or she enjoy?
The first and most sensible step is to have a good discussion with your son or daughter to get a clear understanding of what would make him or her the most happy.
Some kids prefer sports-specific camps because they wish to hone their skills playing their favourite games. Others relish the opportunities to participate in arts and crafts, growing their skill sets through new and exciting activities.
Some children just want to play and make new friends. And, of course, there are many who’d like a healthy mix of all of the above.
The importance of discussing your child’s interests with him or her cannot be understated. A number of studies have shown that children learn more effectively when adults engage them in everyday activities that are based on their interests.
When making a summer camp choice, taking your child’s interests into consideration is hugely important.
2. Determine which type of camp is most appropriate for your child’s age.
Naturally, there are different camp settings for children of different ages. Generally speaking, campers are placed in groups with other children who are close in age.
Often, the types of camps that are open to children are based on their age. Overnight camps, for example, are generally geared towards kids who are aged 7 and up.
It’s important, of course, to take a few things into consideration if you’re thinking of going the overnight route. Is your child comfortable sleeping away from home? Does he or she have experiences with sleepovers that have gone well? Are you comfortable being without your child for several days at a time?
Obviously, you’ll have some reasonable concerns. However, overnight camps are known for providing incredible experiences for children who begin to learn senses of independence at early ages.
If they are of age, an overnight camp may be an ideal choice. You will, however, want to get answers for some important questions if you decide to go the overnight camp route.
What will my child eat? Will their clothes be laundered? Will my child be able to keep a cell phone handy? These are just a few things you’ll want to know about.
3. Discover the distance between your home and the camp.
Some parents want to ensure that while their children are off at summer camp, they’re not too far from home. Keeping it local ensures that the majority of the kids who will be interacting at camp will have come from the same area.
However, if one of your objectives is to get your child to meet new people and grow his or her social skills, it may be worthwhile to seek camps that are further out of town. Of course, there will be a few other things to consider if you go this route.
How long will the commute be? Does the camp provide transportation or will you have to do the driving yourself? Are carpools available?
In some cases, a close-to-home camp is your best bet. In others, an out-of-town camp may be the perfect option.
4. Decide if your child would benefit from a camp with a specific focus.
As we mentioned earlier, there are many camps that offer sports-specific curriculums. Basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer, tennis, golf and more are all sports that have dedicated camps.
There are a variety of arts-specific camps as well. A focus on such disciplines as painting, drawing and sculpting can be found at these camps.
And then, of course, there are camps that provide a wide variety of activities that may include all of the above plus swimming, archery, ropes courses and music. A focus on team-building, working together and friendship-growing is part of the objective with these camps.
Many parents choose these types of camps as they provide a great range of activities that will help their children to never be bored. Parents who select activity-specific camps should be confident that their children won’t grow tired of curriculums that involve repeated practice of particular activities.
5. Do some online research.
The concept of asking around will never grow tired. In other words, it’s wise to get opinions from other parents who have sent their children to certain camps.
Inquire at your child’s school to see if you can locate other parents who would be willing to share their thoughts about the camps their kids have gone to. However, you’ll also want to further your research by going online.
The internet is filled with sites that include forums where people can discuss their views about different businesses and leave their reviews. One of the things you’ll want to pay the closest attention to is staffing.
How are they trained? Do they get screened? How old are they? How many campers are assigned to each counselor?
These are some important questions that you’ll want to have answered.
The USA Camp Association is here to help you select the perfect summer camp for your child to attend. Please don’t hesitate to contact us to learn more about the camps you can choose from!