“It’s already time to think about summer camps“, the headline screamed. I was reading the local paper this morning when I ran across this article. It seems like school just started , how can it be time to start thinking about summer camps already? Fortunately, since I work from home I don’t have the issue of what to do with Tyler when school is out. Still, I thought, maybe it would be a good idea to send him to a camp. Even if it’s just for half a day, so that I can get some work done during the day and to give him the chance to socialize and participate in some fun activities.
As I read on, I realized the article was about sleep away camps. Tyler’s certainly not ready for that (okay, I’m not ready for that). The article offers many good tips for parents who are considering sending their kids to sleep away summer camps. Here are a few of them:
(1) Make a list of possible camps. Then narrow that list down by making calls to get more information. When you have the list whittled down to a few choices, have your child involved in the decision-making process. Talk to them and find out what they want to do. Sometimes the activities we think will appeal to our kids don’t.
(2) Parents should keep in mind that even if they had a great camp experience, their child might not.
(3) Overnight camps work best for kids over 8.
(4) Some of the benefits of the camp experience include: socialization, physical development and an opportunity to experience the outdoors.
(5) Important things a parent must consider before signing their child up for a particular camp:
Is the camp accredited?
Are there sprinklers, smoke detectors and fire drills?
How are injuries treated?
Where is the nearest medical facility?
(6) Once you have a short list of camps, make sure you visit each one personally before making a final decision.
Finally, remember that the whole camp experience is supposed to be about having FUN.
See also:
Preventing Child Predators From Targeting Your Young Camper