loading...
Choosing the Right Camp for Your Child
Wednesday, Feb 20, 2008 - 12:00 AM Updated: 11:39 AM
Email a Friend
RSS
digg it
Printer Friendly
Mobile Alerts
Sphere IT
Save This Page
With the myriad of summer camps from which to choose, parents might feel overwhelmed. The fundamental rule in choosing a camp is to know your child. If your child is seven or under, it is best to select a day camp, not an overnight camp. Young children still need the security of home. They need to have experiences like staying the overnight at a friend’s before going away. Children need time to form secure friendships at home, develop confidence and play well with others. Know your child’s maturity level. Johnny might be twelve years old, but if he hasn’t spent time away from home and needs to be reminded of everything, he isn’t independent enough for overnight camp. He might enjoy a day camp with extra supervision. Conversely, your child might be young at nine, but if she’s responsible, independent, makes friends easily, and exudes confidence, she might enjoy a week at an overnight camp.
Listen to your child. If she’s always interested in the “why” of things, she might like science camp. Kids will let you know what intrigues them, what sparks their interest. Summer camp is—or should be—about fun, friends, and new experiences. Sending a child to camp to improve a weakness is a bad idea. Don’t send Johnny to baseball camp because he looks like a wimp on the field. Many fun baseball camps help an athlete develop and improve. Remember, though, that these kids like baseball and want to be there.
If your child is curious about lots of things, why not try a general day camp? Most of these camps offer a variety of activities: swimming, arts and crafts, archery, canoeing, music, and sports, maybe even horseback riding. If your child falls in love with soccer and looks forward to it every day, try a soccer camp the next year. If your child wants to attend the same camp the next year, that’s great, too. The sign of a good camp is campers who want to return. What is the wrong reason to send your child back? It’s convenient. Camp is not meant to take the place of daycare. Camp should be an experience that enriches, and nurtures a child’s development. Children will forge friendships, learn new skills, and have experiences that they may not have had.
There are traditional camps, academic camps, arts camps, special needs camps, overnight and day camps, and skills camps. Some traditional camps are more rustic with cabins in the woods. Many academic camps, on the other hand, have Internet access, university settings and all the modern amenities. Ask whether your child would like to go away to camp or stay closer to home. Does your child have a wide range of interests, or one particular interest? Would your child prefer a large, co-ed camp or a smaller gender-based camp? Is religious affiliation important? In this guide, you will find a wide variety of camps to fit many individual interests. The options are many. Know your child. The key to a memorable camp experience is in your child’s hands: talk together and select the right fit.
by Blair Koster
Important Questions to Ask: 1. Is the camp accredited? The best source of accreditation is the American Camp Association, which has stringent standards. An ACA-accredited camp meets more than 300 standards. Don’t send your child to an unaccredited camp.
2. What is the schedule? Is there downtime between activities?
3. What is the ratio of counselors to campers? (Look for a ratio of 1: 4 for very young children and 1:8 for older children. Make sure that the camp meets licensing requirements of the state in which it is located.)
4. What is the return rate of counselors? Anything 50% or above is good.
5. How is the staff chosen? Does the director conduct background checks?
6. What is the discipline policy? How will the camp react if your child is harassed or outcast? Also, make sure you know the camp’s rules and explain them to your child.
7. What is the camp’s policy for calling home? If your child needs to reach you, how will he/she contact you?
8. If your child takes medication, how will the staff handle this? Will the camp nurse dispense the medication and track whether or not your child is taking it?
9. How is the camp prepared to meet your child’s needs?
10. Does this camp fit the personality of your child? If your child likes to doodle on his clothes and is creative, mandatory uniforms and rigid schedules might not suit.
Camp Checklist contributor: David Elkind, Ph.D., Professor of Child Development at Tufts University.
Listen to your child. If she’s always interested in the “why” of things, she might like science camp. Kids will let you know what intrigues them, what sparks their interest. Summer camp is—or should be—about fun, friends, and new experiences. Sending a child to camp to improve a weakness is a bad idea. Don’t send Johnny to baseball camp because he looks like a wimp on the field. Many fun baseball camps help an athlete develop and improve. Remember, though, that these kids like baseball and want to be there.
If your child is curious about lots of things, why not try a general day camp? Most of these camps offer a variety of activities: swimming, arts and crafts, archery, canoeing, music, and sports, maybe even horseback riding. If your child falls in love with soccer and looks forward to it every day, try a soccer camp the next year. If your child wants to attend the same camp the next year, that’s great, too. The sign of a good camp is campers who want to return. What is the wrong reason to send your child back? It’s convenient. Camp is not meant to take the place of daycare. Camp should be an experience that enriches, and nurtures a child’s development. Children will forge friendships, learn new skills, and have experiences that they may not have had.
There are traditional camps, academic camps, arts camps, special needs camps, overnight and day camps, and skills camps. Some traditional camps are more rustic with cabins in the woods. Many academic camps, on the other hand, have Internet access, university settings and all the modern amenities. Ask whether your child would like to go away to camp or stay closer to home. Does your child have a wide range of interests, or one particular interest? Would your child prefer a large, co-ed camp or a smaller gender-based camp? Is religious affiliation important? In this guide, you will find a wide variety of camps to fit many individual interests. The options are many. Know your child. The key to a memorable camp experience is in your child’s hands: talk together and select the right fit.
by Blair Koster
Important Questions to Ask: 1. Is the camp accredited? The best source of accreditation is the American Camp Association, which has stringent standards. An ACA-accredited camp meets more than 300 standards. Don’t send your child to an unaccredited camp.
2. What is the schedule? Is there downtime between activities?
3. What is the ratio of counselors to campers? (Look for a ratio of 1: 4 for very young children and 1:8 for older children. Make sure that the camp meets licensing requirements of the state in which it is located.)
4. What is the return rate of counselors? Anything 50% or above is good.
5. How is the staff chosen? Does the director conduct background checks?
6. What is the discipline policy? How will the camp react if your child is harassed or outcast? Also, make sure you know the camp’s rules and explain them to your child.
7. What is the camp’s policy for calling home? If your child needs to reach you, how will he/she contact you?
8. If your child takes medication, how will the staff handle this? Will the camp nurse dispense the medication and track whether or not your child is taking it?
9. How is the camp prepared to meet your child’s needs?
10. Does this camp fit the personality of your child? If your child likes to doodle on his clothes and is creative, mandatory uniforms and rigid schedules might not suit.
Camp Checklist contributor: David Elkind, Ph.D., Professor of Child Development at Tufts University.
