{This is another post in my Camping series. This series is brought to you by Camp Wood YMCA. All opinions are 100% my own}
Camps are incredibly important for children. They teach them independence and self-awareness. And kids that attend often learn more than just how to eat new camp food or sing around a camp fire.
Once you decide that your child is ready for camp, choosing the perfect camp is incredibly important. There are just as many camps available as there are children with different interests.
So when it comes to choosing the perfect camp, I have a few tips.
Please share your own in the comments!
Ask friends and family
Wisdom from past experiences can be valuable information. Ask friends and family members which camps they love and recommend. Be sure to ask them about the staff – a quality staff will make the experience amazing for your camper!
Meet with the staff/tour the grounds
The staff and camp grounds really does make a huge difference in which camp you choose. Before signing your child up, go meet the staff and tour the facilities. Camp staff welcome any and all questions – so get them all answered.
And if you tour the camp grounds, you will feel so much more at ease when your child goes to camp. You will also be able to get excited about camp – and your excitement will transfer to your child.
Listen to your child
What are your child’s concerns? What is most important to your child? Themed camps offer a different experience than outdoors Summer camps, so find out from your child what they love and what they don’t. Then bring these concerns to the camp staff of the camps you are choosing between.
If your child feels like they are being listened to, they will be more likely to really enjoy their camping experience and be able to trust the camp staff more.
Just go for it!
When you do all the above, just sign on the dotted lines and pay that camp fee! If you have open communication with the camp staff and your child ends up not enjoying it very much, you can learn things from the experience and go to another camp next year. But more than likely, your child will have an amazing time and will beg to go back every year!
I think J would LOVE summer camp, but *I* am not ready yet. Maybe next year!
I do love these tips, though!
You know your child best!! I trust you Sara 🙂
asking friends is a good idea.. for anything!
i can’t wait to send my son to camp, he is a ball of energy, but i think he’s too young (4)… maybe in a few years…. good article though.
Yeah, 4 is a tad young yet 🙂 But I know what you mean about not being able to wait! LOL
Choosing Ecology Camp vs. Eco-Explorers, Cooking, Animal Adventures, or West Rock Rangers Camps: Many children do one session of Ecology Camp and one or more sessions of the week-long camps and enjoy the different structure that each provides. Some families/children may specifically prefer the many choices and many new faces of Ecology Camp OR the smaller group setting with more structure and fewer choices in each of the week-long camps. Ecology Camp is our oldest and longest running camp. It is great for kids who want to do a bit of everything. The structure of a typical Ecology Camp day allows campers to make lots of choices – twice each day, campers sign-up for the activity of their choice (anything from hiking to cooking to animal care to games and more!). This means that campers meet lots of staff and children as they move through the activity groups of their choice. Ecology Campers are assigned to counselor groups of 2 staff and 12 campers who they get to know well over their 3-week session, and they may interact daily with any of the 18 staff and 108 campers enrolled in Ecology Camp. Campers in each of the one-week long camps interact primarily with the smaller group of staff and campers who are part of their specific camp (usually about 24 children and 4 staff per camp). The one-week camps provide fewer choices about daily activities and a smaller, more consistent home-group. Please contact our camp director if you have any additional questions.
My teens are heading to summer camp for the first time this year. We’ve always traveled together and I don’t think we ever thought about them going by themselves — or they just weren’t interested. This year they wanted to go to an adventure camp. They’re going to zipline, go white water rafting and other stuff that appeals to teens. I’m excited for them and can’t wait to hear about their week when they return home.
Wow, that is exciting for them!! I bet they will come back with all sorts of stories!!
My kids are a little young for camp right now, but I know it is in their future. I will definitely follow the tip about listening to my kids and talking about their concerns – I remember that camp really stressed me out when I was a kid!
It did? That is never good! Definitely talk to the camp staff about your concerns and then talk to your child after camp. There are so many options today, find a camp that is perfect for both you and your child 🙂
Going to camp is one of my very favorite childhood memories!! I, also, just wrote a post with tips for sending your kids to summer camp! My little ones are a little too young yet, but I can’t wait for them to experience the fun I had!
Great minds think alike! LOL 🙂 I loved camp too. As a kid I could not WAIT for summer camp!!
This is great, my kiddos are too small yet for Camp but these are great tips!
Thank you Rachel!
I think my son is ready for summer camp but I have no clue what to look for. Now I have some guidelines. Thanks!
I hope this was helpful! My best tip of all though is to get to know the staff really well. They are there to help YOU!
We love camping. We have three day camps in a row starting the week after the kids get out of school. I’m looking forward to July when we can breathe a little.
oh WOW!! You really are going to be crazy busy, Paula!!
Our dad always signed my two sisters and I up for summer camp through our church’s youth program – some of the camps were fun, and some, we couldn’t wait to come home.
Yeah, it really does depend on the staff and activities and other kids that go….glad you had a blast at least a few times 🙂