Just about every camp includes fitness activities like swimming and games, but some also feature highly-specialized activities like learning a sport, cooking, even television production.
It all depends on your child's interest, time available, and the family budget. But to get your child into the right camp at a price you can afford, you probably need to be looking now.
If you don't know where or how to start, the American Camp Association offers resources online.
ACA represents hundreds of camps coast-to-coast in all price ranges. Member camps must pass an annual accreditation process that includes more than 300 checks.
These deal exclusively with facilities and staff issues, not the specific program. You can learn more at http://www.acacamps.org where you'll also find listings of job openings at member camps.
The association also operates http://www.campparents.org, which is designed to address questions parents have. If you're a first-timer, this site may lead you to consider issues you hadn't even thought about. The two websites cross-reference one another.
Michael Chauveau, Executive Director of the ACA's Pennsylvania/Delaware region, stresses that camp is right for every child and affordable for every family. He says the experience extends the benefits of learning started during the school year.
Camp promotes fitness, independence and maturity.
Depending on the camp chosen, it can also lead to a career path. This time of year, many camps organize fairs in which several facilities are represented.
These provide the chance to meet administrators and staff from many sites under one roof.
Another good way to start exploring the world of summer camp is to ask friends who've sent their children in the past.
An organization you're already associated with, like a house of worship, may have a camp affiliation, or the town you live in may have a camp program.
Once you have a candidate camp, ask the director for references,families who have used it in the past. Be sure to follow through and actually contact these families.
Finally, there's the matter of cost.
Obviously, a sleep-over camp in a location far from home would be the most expensive. But there are also day camp options near you in which your child comes home every night.
Once you have a camp in mind, if the price seems out of reach, don't write it off until you explore financial aid. Many camps have it.
Others have a parents' association which might generate assistance for those who cannot afford the total cost. But one way or another, experts agree you can find a program that will give your child the benefits of camp at a price you can afford.
