How to Choose a Summer Camp

When choosing a summer camp for your children, there are a lot of things to take into consideration. The biggest decision that has to be made first is if the camp will be a day camp or a sleepover camp. Most kids should be at least 8 before going to a sleep-away camp and many are still not ready until age 10 or more. Take your child's maturity and personality into account when you think about sending them to sleep-away camp.

Choosing a camp, whether it is a sleep-away camp or a day camp can be a very complicated process. First you have to figure out what type of camp your child would enjoy. Once you do that, you have to figure out when the camp is offered and does it meet your scheduling needs. Then, you need to find out about the camp's accreditations and credentials as well as researching the staffing and facilities available. Finally, you have to take costs into account.

Choosing the right type of camp:

There are so many different camps these days. Many towns have local papers that advertise all of the camps in the area but then there are always a few you hear about from other parents who have had children attending before. Check with local Parks and Recreations departments as well as local YMCAs, Girl and Boys Scout facilities and similar organizations to find new camps you may not know about. You can also search online for camps in your area by typing in your city and "summer camps" in a search engine. However you find the camps, you are sure to have a large variety to choose from if you live in a town of any size.

There are usually camps that are geared to different sports and there may be an "all sports" camp where there are a variety of sports played. There are usually art camps, theatre camps, music camps, computer camps, space camps, and even camps that are very general with a variety of activities each day. Deciding what type of camp is right for your child is a matter of knowing what your child likes. If there are no strong likes or dislikes a general camp with a variety of activities might be best so that your child can try new things and discover what he/she likes.

Scheduling

Some camps are only offered during certain weeks and other camps are offered all summer long. Some camps you have to attend for a certain length of time while others are more flexible. Make sure to find out when the camp is being offered and that it is the right camp for your child. For example, a YMCA may offer camp all summer long but each week they may offer a different specialty. So, if you child wants to attend basketball camp and you sign him up for week 4, that might be the week they are offering ballet dancing and your child may be very disappointed!

If you are trying to fill up the entire summer with camps for your child, scheduling can be a logistical nightmare so be sure to keep careful notes on which camps are offered at which time and make sure you are happy with the full summer schedule before signing up. Of course, you have to be careful not to miss registration deadlines and to register for some camps as soon as the registration is open or risk not getting a spot in that camp. We have a camp locally that is so good and the price is so right that it fills up on the first day of registration. People even line up first thing in the morning to be sure to be among the first to get their forms in! So, try to find this out ahead of time either by calling the organization or by talking to other parents.

Beyond weekly schedules you also need to make sure that the daily schedule fits your schedules. If you have to be to work by 9AM but camp does not start until 9:30AM, what will you do? If you have a friend attending camp with your child this may be a solution or perhaps the camp offers extended day hours. These re things you need to plan in advance so that you are not surprised on the first day when the staff tell you that "no, you cannot drop your child off at 8:45AM because there will be no supervision until 9:30AM." Working out the details now will save a lot of headaches later!

Camp Research

Many summer day camps are accredited by the ACA (American Camping Association). This means that they have to meet certain standards and guidelines. This is a good thing to know but you should still do further research to make sure that everything is up to your standards. There may be other local groups that accredit or certify day camps and even the local health department or child day care licensing departments may have some say. Still you should do your own research about the camp.

Here are some questions you may want to ask the director:

How many staff members are directly assigned to supervise each group of campers?

How big is each group of campers

What are the qualifications of the staff? How old are staff members directly supervising campers?

Do staff members teaching special skills have the right qualifications to do so or is a college student majoring in English who happens to like to sing giving music lessons?

Is there someone ON SITE who is certified in first aid and CPR?

What happens when it rains?

Are there indoor facilities when it rains?

Are there planned activities when it rains?

If there is a pool....what are pool staff qualifications? Are all lifeguards properly certified in Basic Lifesaving or Advanced Lifesaving (Red Cross courses)? Are there an adequate number of lifeguards according to state/local codes?Costs

Some camps cost more than others. Overnight camps are going to cost more than day camps. Specialty camps are going to cost more than general camps. You need to decide how much you have to spend and if the costs are justified or not. Camps running longer hours may be what you need to accommodate your work schedule so you have to go with a camp that costs more. But, if you are a stay at home mom with a kid who loves basketball, there might be a half day camp out there that would be better suited to your families needs. Weigh all options carefully before making decisions because the costs can vary so widely from camp to camp.

In sum go with your gut instinct and choose camps that will work best for you entire family. If one camp costs more and you can afford to have your kids at home another week to make up for it, that might be a great solution for you. You can make it work by making the right choices!