February 22–28, 2019 Brooklyn Paper • www.BrooklynPaper.com • (718) 260-2500 AWP 17
Ready, set, camp!
Traditional Outdoor Camp
Circus Camp
Sports Academy
On Wheels Travel Camp
Leadership Experience
www.parkslopedaycamp.com
718.788.7732
2019
at THE SCHOOL AT THE MARK MORRIS DANCE CENTER
Programs for all levels and abilities. With live musical accompaniment.
Workshops Weekly Classes
markmorrisdancegroup.org/summer-dance
STAY INFORMED!
Info Sessions
March 9 & 23
Mini Camp
April 22 - 26
For Ages
18 months - 6 years
Dance Camps
For Teens 13-18 For Ages 6-12
3 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
LIRR; B25, 26, 37, 38, 41, 45, 52, 63, 67, or 103 Bus
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You are considering a
summer camp, but
how to choose? There’s
a camp that is ideally suited
for every child, providing a
summer of growth and fun
whether your child attends
a day or overnight camp, a
specialized or traditional
camp. With a little help from
the camp professionals at the
American Camp Association,
here’s some sound advice
that helps parents sort
through the choices and benefits
that camp delivers. As
spring approaches, parents
and children can look forward
to planning for the future
— a future that includes
the opportunities for exploration
and discovery that arrives
with summer camp.
How to decide when your
child is ready for camp
Children are ready for
new experiences at different
stages. Parents know their
children best and these questions
can help gauge whether
this is the summer your child
will start camp:
What is your child’s age,
and what is your perception
of his readiness level?
Children under 7 who have
not had overnight experiences
may do better with a
day camp as their first camp
experience. If you think your
child might not be ready for an
overnight camp experience,
consider the day camp experience
to prepare them for future
overnight camp.
How did your child become
interested in camp?
Does your child talk about
camp on a sustained basis?
How much persuasion is necessary
from you?
Has your child had positive
overnight experiences
away from home? Visiting
relatives or friends? Were
these separations easy or
difficult?
What does your child expect
to do at camp? Learning
about the camp experience
ahead of time allows
you to create positive expectations.
Are you able to share
With a short-session camp, first-time or younger
campers have a chance to learn new skills.
and children reach their goals
for summer fun and exploration.
Talking with your child
about the goals you both share
helps determine which choice
is right for you.
Benefi ts of short sessions
(one–three weeks)
• First-time or younger
campers have a chance to
learn new skills
• Bonds develop with other
campers and staff
• Great exposure to camp
experience with less expense
• Minimizes homesickness
Benefi ts of longer sessions
(four–12 weeks)
• Strong sense of belonging
to camp community
• Chance to learn new
skills
• Development of specialized
skills
• Multiple opportunities for
learning and enrichment
• Lifelong friendships
• Opportunities to contribute
to camp culture
Boys only, girls only, or
co-ed?
Now may be the opportunity
to explore the choices and
benefits of all boys, all girls,
or co-ed camps.
Benefits of single-sex
camps
• Breaking gender stereotypes
— girls interact with
women in positions of authority
and boys interact with men
who act as nurturers
• More opportunities to “be
yourself” without impressing
or competing with the opposite
sex
• Camp philosophy may be
tuned into gender strengths
and weaknesses
• Brother or sister camps
may share activities
Benefi ts of co-ed camps
• Breaking gender stereotypes
— girls interact with
women in positions of authority
and boys interact with men
who act as nurturers
• Mirrors and prepares
campers for everyday living
in a co-ed world
• Allows families with a
boy and a girl to attend the
same camp
• Offers diverse points of
view
• Breaks through rigid divisions
set up in school when
campers participate in equal
footing
A camp for every child —
traditional, specialty, and
special needs
Choices abound when it
comes to camp programs. One
may highlight a wide variety
of activities geared to campers
of all ages and skill levels,
others, because of their setting
and expertise, may concentrate
on one or two activities
while providing traditional activities
as well.
Parents of children with
special needs are pleased
to learn about the range of
camp activities that help kids
be kids first.
Benefi ts of traditional
camps
• Wide variety of activities
• Chance for campers to try
new activities
• Exposure to more campers
and staff at varying activities
Benefits of specialty
camps
• One or two specialized activities
(often combined with
traditional offerings)
• Expectation for increased
proficiency during camping
session
• Deepens knowledge and
skill in particular area of interest
or ability
Benefi ts of special-needs
camps
• Activities geared to campers’
abilities
• Knowledgeable staff
with expertise to understand
campers’ strengths and challenges
• Supportive and fun atmosphere
to share with others
The value of camp for
every child
What happens when you
make the decision to choose
camp? You open up a world
of discovery and learning for
your child, a world that values
children for who they are
and who they will become.
Camp gives each child a world
of good.
Originally printed in CAMP
Magazine, reprinted by permission
of the American Camp
Association © 2015 American
Camping Association, Inc.
consistent and positive
messages about camp?
Your confidence in a positive
experience will be contagious.
A camp for every child —
the perfect fit
Camp can last for just a few
days or stretch to all summer
long. It’s well worth the trouble
to investigate the variety of
choices offered by camps before
your child packs a backpack.
These questions help
you consider the options:
Near or far?
Where do you want your
child to go to camp? Locally
or far away? While each camp
experience has something
unique to offer your child, this
is an opportunity for families
to assess what they value for
their campers.
Benef its of camp
nearby
• Easier to evaluate and
visit
• Friends and family are
likely familiar with camp
• Minimal travel costs
• Likely contact with classmates
or children from same
region
Benefits of camp far
away
• More choices
• Different experiences,
different geography, e.g.,
mountains or oceans — even
different languages
• Promotes independence,
particularly for early and late
adolescent campers
• Diversity of campers
• Chance for family to
visit and vacation at close
of camp
Session length offers
another choice
Camps offer widely varying
options to help parents
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