Does your child get bored when school is out? There may be a quick cure: summer camp. With thousands of sleep-away and day camps throughout the nation catering to just about every interest — including sports, dance, acting, swimming, computers, magic, science, wilderness adventure, language immersion, and even skate boarding — it’s a good bet that you’ll find one to suit your child.
Many youngsters enrolled in summer camp discover hidden talents and, through belonging, learning, and sharing, often gain higher self-esteem and mature socially. For some, it is the first opportunity to be outdoors, walk in the woods, and appreciate our natural world. Above all, the camping experience should be fun and a time to remember.
Choosing the right one can be stressful and confusing even if you do your homework! Thankfully, there are several ways to narrow down the choices so you’ll have a better chance of getting your child into the best possible camp. A good place to begin your search is by reading Peterson’s Summer Opportunities for Kids and Teenagers, which details 1400 camps and various summer programs; or with a copy of the American Camping Association’s (ACA) Guide to ACA-Accredited Camps, which lists locations, programs, and costs for more than 2000 day and resident camps from coast to coast. It has helpful specialty indexes, information on how to know when a child is ready for camp, and what to pack for camp.
While accreditation means that the camp is accepted by the ACA as living up to its standards, being accredited is no guarantee that the camp will be right for your child, or that it doesn’t have any problems. In addition, since under a third of the camps in the US have sought accreditation, many good ones may not be listed. Whether a camp is accredited or recommended, you should, if possible, visit it yourself and, ideally, a year in advance to see what’s actually going on when the camp is in full swing. Don’t base your decision solely on an attractive brochure or videotape filmed by the owners to show the beautiful grounds. Make an appointment to speak to the director and take a checklist of questions prepared beforehand. Find examples of what questions to ask are in the sidebar.
It is equally important to bring your child with you on this important day so he/she can also judge the surroundings and ask questions. Don’t be shy when it comes to assessing the facility’s safety or cleanliness. Be aware of the space provided for games, and pay special attention to the swimming pool, lake and surroundings, because children are especially susceptible to ear infections if the water isn’t up to par. When you visit, note whether the children are well supervised or allowed to do what they wish in the water. If diving is allowed, find out if the water is deep enough beneath the diving board.
If you’re expected to prepare your child’s lunch, ask if it will be refrigerated immediately. If food is prepared at the camp, check out the kitchen and workers. In sleep-away camps, besides the necessity of a clean kitchen, find out where the food is served, how varied is the menu, and if your child is a fussy eater or doesn’t like what’s being served for any particular meal, what allowances are made? Find out the snack policy, too.
Whether day or sleep-away camp, counselors should be friendly, but also in charge. Note the atmosphere and groups; see if you children appear happy and are talking and laughing. How are the counselors behaving? Are they off somewhere by themselves having a good time, ignoring the children? Ask to review the most recent licensing inspection, and as you are taken on a walk through the facility, note whether there is ample ventilation, whether there’s peeling paint, if sharp or mechanical objects are placed out of the reach of children, and if electrical wires and cords properly secured. If a sleep-away camp, inspect the accommodations to see if the mattresses are in good shape and comfortable, and that there’s lots of space between children.
As a further check on whether the camp chosen will meet your child’s needs, ask relatives, friends, and members of local organizations who have sent their children to the camp about the strengths and weaknesses.
If you’re interested in camps for sleep-away, day, sports, or specialty camps, teen tours, pre-college programs, and community service programs, Camp Connection will send detailed directions on how to get there so you can visit in person. Day camps often deal with the general broad interests of a community, and so the program may be structured and not for every child. In that case, you may have to look for elective-type day camps or sleep-away camps (suitable for children from age 7 and up), located in New Jersey, Maine, or anywhere in the country, and get what your child is interested in.”
The best place to start looking for the ideal summer camp is right in your local area, for here, there are varied programs offering dance, sports, swimming, arts and crafts, and more.
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