7 Tips on Choosing a Summer Camp from an Expert
We asked summer camp expert, Sue Ellen Greenberg, of The Camp Lady, to give us some tips for parents who are trying to nail down summer camp for their kids. Here’s her advice:
Making a decision about where to send your child to camp can be overwhelming. For 16 years, I’ve been in the business of helping people choose the perfect camp for their child. Below Here are a few things I encourage clients to think about before choosing. While there’s no right or wrong answer, it does help to prioritize what’s most important to you and to your child. It’s important to make them a part of the process, but it’s smart to give them the places where you feel they would excel.
Here are some things to consider as you begin making your decision:
- Do your homework.
I suggest doing some research and narrowing it down to two or three camps. Involve your child in the decision making process with only your top choices. - Set a budget.
You can immediately cross some camps off your list after you set a budget. - Co-ed, single sex or brother-sister?
The first two are self-explanatory. For those of you that don’t know, brother-sister camps are single sex connected in some way. They could be on the same campus, on the other side of the lake or down the road. Depending on the camp, siblings could see each other every day, a few times a week or as little as once a week. Think about your home setting. Is your child an only child? Are all your children the same gender or mixed? Do you want them to go to camp together or separately? Do they attend a co-ed or a single sex school? - Location, location, location.
Some of you want a camp close to home, others want the prestige of Maine or maybe you just want the best camp for your child no matter where it is! If you’re lucky, these two things will go hand in hand. And remember, most likely the camp will provide transportation for your child on a bus, or a chaperoned flight. - Discover the camps personality.
Each camp has its own philosophy, type of scheduling and program emphasis. Consider you child’s interests and how they function in their daily routine. Does your child do better with structure or choice? A traditional camp will expose your child to a little bit of everything. Often, a traditional camp will introduce younger campers to each activity. As the campers get older, they are able to choose and focus more on the things they like. - Plan visits.
Camp, like people have their own personality. If you can start early, you will have the opportunity to visit a few camps to get a feel of that they’re like. And for those of you that are looking for this summer, don’t panic: my partners and I visit loads of camps every summer; we can give you a feel of what each is like. - Meet the Owners & Directors.
Make sure you meet with the owner/director of the camp. If you are looking for a camp this summer, many offer to come meet you in your home. Just like you, they want to make sure your child is the right fit for their camp.
I’m sure you’ve heard people say, my kids go to the best camp! Just remember, what’s best for them…may not be what’s best for you. In the end, after your child attends camp, their camp will be the best camp too.
Feeling overwhelmed? Consider getting some help from the Camp Lady herself!
Sue Ellen Greenberg has been in the business of choosing camps for kids for 16 years!
WHY THE CAMP LADY?
Our knowledge and expertise on everything summer is FREE. We are dedicated to helping you find the perfect summer adventure for your child. Not only are we moms, but we are former campers who live to share our own camp experiences. With over 35 years of camp knowledge and more than 550 summer programs, we have you covered. We have done our homework too, having walked over 1,000 miles in camp trails each summer we know which camp has the best art programs to the cleanest bunks. Anyone can find a camp; we can find the right camp for you!
HOW WE WORK
We know finding a camp or teen program can seem overwhelming. We’re here to help you through the process. We’ll listen to your child’s their interests, passions and personality. Every child is unique and we take the time to talk with you in order to educate you about the available options and to find the best match. We will have lots of questions for you during our initial conversation- some you may have thought about and some that you haven’t.
YOU’VE GOT MAIL!
We’ll gather all the information gathered from our call and use it to send you an email with the list of camps or teen programs we think will fit the needs of your family. At the same time, we’ll have those camps and programs send you their video and brochure in the (actual) mail.
WE DO THE LEGWORK FOR YOU!
Anytime you have questions or thoughts about any of the camps or programs we’ve sent, call or email us anytime. We’ll be your new best friend and your therapist all in one. We’ll also put you in touch with owners and directors so you can set up some tours, get into specifics and see if you feel a connection and share a philosophy with the people who will be taking care of you children for the summer.
AND THE WINNER IS….
Once you’ve narrowed it down to a few top choices, we’ll guide you toward the final decision. When your child returns from their summer we want to hear their feedback and yours too, so we’ll be in touch.
Need help? You can email Sue Ellen at sueellen
