Are you considering a day camp for the kids for the summer? Whether you are looking into soccer, horseback riding, dance or other day camp, here are a few pointers to help you and your kids out as you transition from the end of the school year into the summer months.
- Be sure to talk to your child about what types of camps they are interested in
- When you have a choice or choices, take them to pick up brochures or more information
- As a parent, request references from the camp facility – call other parents and get some honest information and viewpoints from other parents
- Set up a time to meet the person who will be running the camp, give your child a chance to meet them before the camp begins
- Ask specific questions about policies and procedures with regard to how thy affect your child
- What does the camp do if it gets too hot? What if it rains? What activities do they do indoors or out? Is there plenty of water freely available to the kids whenever they are thirsty? How many kids are in each group or groups? What is the notification process if your child gets sick?
- Do you need to bring supplies for your child? What about food? What food or drink do they offer if they do?
In many ways, these are obvious bits of information – but you need to know. If it’s a swimming camp – will they make sure the sunscreen goes on your child. Sure you can put it on early in the day, but it does need to be refreshed if they are in and out of the water a lot.
The more you know, the better decisions you can make – especially with regard to safety.