CAMP GUIDE 2019
Ready, set, camp!
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
benefi ts 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 fi rst 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 diffi cult?
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 consistent and
positive messages about camp? Your
confi dence in a positive experience will
be contagious.
A camp for every child —
the perfect fi t
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.
Benefi ts 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
Benefi ts 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 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 benefi ts of all
boys, all girls, or co-ed camps.
Benefi ts 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
With a short-session camp, first-time or younger campers have a
chance to learn new skills.
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 fi rst.
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
Benefi ts of specialty camps
• One or two specialized activities
(often combined with traditional offerings)
• Expectation for increased profi ciency
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.
For nearly 100 years, the American
Camp Association has been serving the
camp community and families considering
camp. Visit www.CampParents.
org, to learn more about the camp experience,
search the Find a Camp database,
and explore the world of child
and youth development. For more information
about child development
and the camp experience, visit www.
CampParents.org or call (800) 428–
CAMP (2267).
Originally printed in CAMP Magazine,
reprinted by permission of the
American Camp Association © 2015
American Camping Association, Inc.
Schneps Media TVG February 21, 2019 27
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