Summer can only mean one thing, SUMMER CAMP! While many people view summer camp as the scenes depicted in Meatballs and other movies, the landscape of what is offered has changed over the past 10 years. More and more programs have developed to fit the needs of your children's likes and dislikes.
With all of the changes, the process of picking the right program for your child has changed as well. It used to be that families found one program for their oldest child and the others followed. Nowadays, families are not averse to picking different programs based on each child. Of course, this can bring some complications when it comes to coordinating all of the different activities, but in the end, it's about finding the right program for each child.
Things to consider when picking a summer camp:
- Decide what type of program you are looking for: Day Camp, Resident Camp, or Travel Camp. Additionally, you will want to decide if you want your child in a Coed or single gender program.
- Decide the type and location of the program. You will need to ask yourself what kind of program you are looking for and how far or close you would like to send your child. Programs can range from traditional summer camps with a wide variety of activities to speciality programs that specialize in specific activities ranging from sports to the arts. Additionally, there are travel programs that will allow your children to travel throughout the U.S. and other parts of the world. These programs can range from touring itineraries to community service.
- Once you narrow down the above, you will need to decide how long you would like your child to be away. Camps range in length of stay from a few days to eight weeks.
- All of the above will also factor into the cost of camp. Camps can range from a few hundred dollars for a week to thousands per week. Many camps offer scholarship programs to assist with the cost.
The above are just some of the highlights in picking the right camp. It's important that you do your research and ask around. There is nothing like a personal referral when picking a camp. Talk to the director of the camp and don't be afraid to ask questions. You may even have the opportunity to meet them at an information session or even have them visit you and your children at your home.
At the end of the day, you want to find a camp that you are comfortable with as well as your children. Not every camp is for every child, but with the thousands of choices, you can find one that fits.
The summer camp experience is more than just something to do in the summer, it's about being away and meeting friends. Camp provides children with the first challenges of what it will be like when they get older and their parents aren't right next to them. The summer camp experience is something that they will remember the rest of their lives and there will not be a day that goes by where they don't think CAMP!
Joshua Cohen is the Director/Owner of Camp Cobbossee for Boys in Maine with his wife Jill. They live in Florida during the off-season and spend their summers in Maine with their son Jeffrey. They are also the founders of SCOPE Southeast, a nonprofit organization that sends underprivileged children to summer camps in Florida.
