Time-Tested Tips For Choosing Overnight Summer Camps

Types of overnight summer camps include thosetypically explore subjects new to them like marine
with a focus on self-improvement, weight loss andscience, photography, creative writing, community
grief counseling. There are camps with activities asservice, drama, magic, scuba diving, video production,
traditional as model rocketry and riflery, to thosecomic book design, crime scene forensics, cooking,
nontraditional camps such as aviation, computers,yoga, rappelling, tennis, etc. Camp tuition can be
language studies, golf, martial arts or communityexpensive sometimes; similar to travel insurance,
service. An overnight summer camp is also known asthere are now insurance policies for families sending
a sleepaway camp when campers spend their nightstheir children to overnight summer camp that will
at the camp; some camps allow both daytime andcover last minute cancellations, homesickness, medical
overnight campers.emergencies and emergency evacuations.
Camps are usually divided by gender - girls only, boysSpecialty overnight camps can range from $500 to
only, or co-ed and again by age group. Planning very$1000 per week depending on the program you
early is important and you should be diligent in yourchoose. Non-profit camps can range from $1200 to
efforts to visit camps during the peak season to$3000 for four weeks and $2500 to $5000 for eight
make plans in advance of the next camping year.weeks. There are many types of overnight summer
Many kid campers are enrolled in summer camp bycamps with a focus on education that cater to
their parents early in the year, thus camps can fill upstudents of differing ages and academic interests.
quickly but there are many camps still with unfilledAlthough camp counselor jobs don't usually pay very
spots, so check around.well, usually minimum wage or less, counselors receive
Camps often focus on specialties that include:do free room and board; many take the job primarily
adventure, art, computer, dance, music, religion, horsefor the wonderful camping experience. Do you think,
riding, sports, theatre, and many, many others. Theif you have more than one child, they would benefit
more artistically minded might consider arts andfrom attending the same summer camp together?
crafts, clowning, drama, photography, or dance to beSome camps are often called adventure camps -
important elements for having a well-rounded camphaving a very specific theme or interest; many of
experience. Each summer, more than 10 millionthese programs emphasize skill development and
children and counselors attend day camps andpersonal growth through the adventures they offer.
overnight summer camps or sleepaways across theIf you find a traditional overnight summer camp or
country.sleepaway camp that is not the right fit, or an
Most camp counselors are in their late teens or earlyexpense that isn't possible right now, rest assured
twenties and are high school and college students outthat there are plenty of other options that can keep
on their summer break. Is there a special topic (e.g.your child occupied throughout the summer. Typically
religion, sports, educational, performing arts, arts andan overnight summer camp experience will leave a lot
crafts) that you want your child will gain ability andof wonderful lifetime memories for the child or teen
experience in? Children will always get more individualcamper. Look over and evaluate the brochures and
attention and supervision with a lower number ofpromotional materials thoroughly; read the fine print.
campers per counselor.If you think there is a possibility you might have to
Try to determine whether the director incorporates acancel an overnight summer camp reservation,
similar philosophy for running the camp as you do incamper's insurance would be a very good idea.
parenting your child or children. Children or teens could