How to Choose the Best Summer Camp for Your Child
A great summer camp is an exciting and enriching experience that your child will remember for years to come. As parents, we understand the importance of this decision in shaping your child’s experiences and fostering growth. With options ranging from specialty camps focused on sports, arts, academics, or adventure to traditional camps with a blend of activities, selecting the right one takes some careful consideration. This guide covers key factors to help you locate and choose a summer camp that best aligns with you and your child’s needs.
Determine Your Goals and Priorities
The first step is deciding what you want your child to get out of their summer camp experience.
Common goals include:
* Building self-confidence and independence
* Learning new skills in sports, arts, STEM subjects, etc.
* Staying active and developing physically
* Making new friends and social growth
Practical Considerations
You’ll also want to factor in practical considerations. For example, location, budget, ages/maturity levels that work best for each camp, what your child enjoys, and any special needs requiring accommodation.
Assessing these priorities will narrow down the options dramatically. For example, specialty camps focused exclusively on one certain activity may have less appeal compared to traditional camps for some families since a traditional camp offers a wide array of activities that are designed to keep children engaged throughout the summer, and encourage them to try new activities.
Similarly, a nearby summer day camp where campers go home each evening may be more appealing to some families than an overnight/sleepaway camp in which children are away from home for extended periods of time. However, for children who are mature enough and are ready for a taste of independence, an overnight/sleepaway camp may be a good choice.
Budget is another practical factor as the cost of summer camp, whether nearby or far away, can range widely depending on factors such as camp length, whether it’s a day or overnight camp, whether any specialty equipment/facilities are needed, whether meals are provided, if trips are included in all costs, etc. When thinking about budget, consider questions such as whether the camp offers a payment plan, or if the camp offers discounts for enrolling multiple children.
Locating A Summer Camp
Once you have identified your goals and priorities and evaluated the practical considerations, it’s time to find a summer camp. Asking for recommendations from those closest to you, family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers is a great way to find a summer camp. Local publications also typically include advertising for nearby caps. If all else fails, a quick internet search using the right search terms is sure to turn up some good options for a summer camp.
For example, if you’re looking for a summer camp close to home, a quick Google or other search engine search for “summer camps near me” should return a list of camps to choose from. The first few camps listed are generally camps that pay a premium to appear at the top of the search results, so be sure to check out the camps further down on the list as well.
If for example, you’re looking for a summer camp in a particular area, you could include the location in your search. Say, for example, that you’re looking for a summer camp near your home in Queens, your search term could be “summer camps in Queens”. Or maybe you’re looking for a summer camp near your job in New York City, you could search for “summer camps in NYC” or “summer camps in New York City” for example.
Key Factors to Research in Summer Camp Options
Once you’ve turned up a list of camps aligned with yours and your child’s general age, interests, and geographic location preferences, etc., the next step is comparing details between your top prospects.
Some things to consider:
Activities, Learning Opportunities & Facilities
- What range of activities and learning opportunities are included? How much flexibility or customization is available?
- Are the facilities, equipment, and grounds high quality, well-maintained and age-appropriate?
- For specialty camps, what is the skill level focus? Are beginners welcome?
- What certifications do camp instructors/counselors have? How experienced are they in their field of instruction?
Health, Safety & Supervision Policies
- What are the camper-to-counselor ratios?
- What training is required for counselors in safety, first aid, CPR, etc.?
- Do counselors have background checks?
- Does the camp hold any third-party accreditation, like from the Better Business Bureau for example?
- What medical personnel are present on site or on call if health issues occur? What hospital is closest for emergencies?
Food & Accommodation Details
For overnight camps, policies related to nutritious food, modernized cabins, cleanliness, and supervision during overnight hours deserve special attention. Key questions for camp staff include:
- What are your food sourcing policies? What guidance exists for special diets? How are allergies accommodated?
- How modern and clean are lodging/cabin facilities?
- What is cabin supervision like overnight?
- How are behavioral expectations set? What discipline process exists if rules are broken?
- Is homesickness prevention training provided for counselors?
Family Communication Policies
You’ll want to understand how often updates are provided plus policies for communicating with your child (especially while away at overnight/sleepover camp):
- How often will the camp provide updates and photos to parents?
- What online portal or one-way email is available?
- What visitation and early departure policies exist if desired by families?
- Are phone calls allowed with family? If so, how often and at what cost?
Visit Prospective Camps In-Person
Once you’ve narrowed down top contenders based on researched factors above, visiting camps in person provides invaluable first-hand perspective before committing. These on-site visits allow you to:
- Tour grounds and meet administrators and counselors.
- Get a feel for the site layout, facility quality and social environment.
- Directly observe existing campers engaging in activities
- Ask camp staff follow up questions from your earlier research.
Visiting camps when in session is best. Off-season visits miss the key perspective of seeing camp programming and engagement. If visiting mid-summer isn’t feasible, consider stopping by the camp on weekends pre-season when some staff are present preparing for camp openings. Summer camp open houses also provide a great opportunity to ask questions and tour the facility.
Finding Your Best Summer Camp Fit
Selecting a summer camp is an exciting step enabling life-enriching experiences for children. Aligning your family priorities with camp offerings and conducting research ahead of visits sets the stage for confidently choosing a summer camp.
The ideal summer camp is one where your child is safe and happy. Use these guidelines to find the perfect fit creating memories lasting well beyond this summer!
Till next time, Jerry
About Magic Day Camp
Magic Day Camp is a privately owned summer day camp that has successfully operated for more than 40 years.
Magic Day Camp is conveniently located in Bayside, Queens. We provide door-to-door transportation to families everywhere in Queens at no additional cost. We also offer camping options for children residing in New Hyde Park, Elmont, Valley Stream, Floral Park, and Garden City.
Magic Day Camp has given generations of children a safe and rewarding environment to explore new and enriching experiences that foster both mental and physical growth.
We believe all children need a safe and supervised environment to develop into well-rounded youths and eventually adults. With daily swimming, daily trips, sports programs, dance programs, parks, state-of-the-art facilities, celebrations, and incredible summer days, “every day is truly magical!”