EVERYTHING
FOR YOUR FAMILY
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 Oftentimes, parents start researching the perfect summer experience for their child too late in the season. In many cases, the only session in which their child can participate – nestled between baseball season, the family vacation and the start of school – is already closed. The best way to avoid this situation is to plan your summer early. Done right, the process of finding the right camp can take lots of research, but the reward is great. With more than 11,000 camps in the U.S., it is important to come up with a list of questions to guide you. By doing so, you can narrow the possibilities to a manageable few. What do I want in a camp? Are you seeking that fraternity or sorority experience? If so, you’ll want to pursue single-gender camps, rather than co-ed. Do you prefer a religious-based or a non-denominational philosophy? While camps used to be all about nature and the outdoors, today there are opportunities for everyone, from sports-focused to academic-based. Ideally, a complete experience should be a mixture of both. Other considerations include: > Location – Within driving distance or one that requires a plane flight? > Setting – Lakes, mountains or the beach? > Length of stay – one, two or four weeks? > Culture – Is the culture or personality of the camp competitive or nurturing? Are activities required or is there free choice? To get answers to these important questions follow these steps: > Talk to other children and parents Referrals from other families with camp experience are a great way to get the real scoop. It is sometimes difficult to recognize when your child may need a different program than the one chosen by his or her best buddy. > Watch DVDs and talk to your children DVDs are especially helpful for children to learn what camp is all about, and can easily enable you to discuss camp with your child in order to assess his readiness. Children enjoy seeing the campers and the activities. When talking to your child about his interests, be open to the unexpected. > Search the Internet The Internet is full of guides that offer links to a camp’s Web site. You can search by region or camp focus. If using this method, it is a good idea to use additional references from the camps, as well as an independent advisory service. > Attend a camp fair Schools, malls and community centers sponsor annual fairs to allow parents to see many programs in a central venue. Usually present are directors of overnight camps, day camps and teen programs. Check inlandempirefamily.com for a list of camps.  > Talk to camp directors> In-person meetings Many camps host slide shows, gatherings or reunions where you have an opportunity to meet the directors and speak with current campers. Some offer visiting days in the spring, when you can go and see the camp facility. > Talk to a camp adviser Tips on Trips and Camps is a popular resource for determining the perfect program for your child. Camp advisers can help a family compare programs, obtain references, determine the right questions to ask directors and, ultimately, find the program that suits each child. They have seen the camp and share their first-hand observations. > Book as early as possible Once you have determined which camp suits your child, you can take advantage of early-bird discounts. These discounts usually hold the cost of camp down to the previous year’s tuition or take a few hundred dollars off the price of residential camping. Jill Levin is a representative of Tips on Trips and Camps, one of the oldest and largest camp advisory services. Established in 1971, “Tips” has advisors in 16 cities and relationships with more than 600 sleep-away camps and programs, and each year provides advice and guidance to thousands of families.  UNIQUE CAMPS> Asthma Camp The American Lung Association of California’s SCAMP Camp is for children with asthma. This FREE camp for 200 asthmatic children (ages 8-14) helps kids learn to manage their disease while enjoying traditional camp activities. The camp will be held June 21-26, at YMCA Camp Marston in Julian. 714.835.5864 > CEO Camp Giant Campus Project CEO camps teach teens everything it takes to become a CEO through the use of technology. Giant Campus also offers Project Gamer Camp, for kids ages 6 to 10, and a Tech/Digital Media/ Gaming Camp for kids ages 10 and up. > Surf and Turf Camp Aimed at kids ages 6 and up, this camp combines surf instruction (in San Clemente) and golf lessons (at Talega Golf Club). Two-, three- and five-day camps are available. > Diabetic Camp Camp Conrad-Chinnock in Angelus Oaks near Big Bear is for type 1 diabetics. Family sessions as well as teen camps are offered. Kids learn from staff members who have diabetes.  HELP FOR HOMESICK CAMPERSTry these 10 fun ideas for sending a care package When it comes to care packages for campers, it’s the thought, and not the content, that counts! Camp care packages do not need to be big. In fact, an oversized box full of gifts might put your young camper into an awkward situation with the other kids at camp. It is better to keep the care simple: a card, a little love note or a small box of goodies is all it takes to put a smile on the face of a busy camper, help a homesick cohort and share a long-distance hug. Because a child may be nervous or homesick at the start of camp, it is best not to send anything that will make the situation worse. This includes items such as sentimental photos, news of fun events happening at home or details about how much he or she is missed. Instead, make your package a happy reminder of how much you love your child and how fun camp can be. To reach your child early in the camp session, send off the mail a day or two before the camp begins. Likewise, do not send anything more than a card in the last few days of camp, as the mail may not reach the camp in time. In addition, be sure to read any camp literature explaining mail policies. Some camps do not want parents sending candy or food, and others have strict policies prohibiting items such as squirt guns and aerosol cans. 1. Glow sticks All kids enjoy flashlights near the sleeping bag, but most counselors announce “lights out” shortly after going to bed. A glow stick can be used to heal the fears of a first time camper, to help mark the path to the bathroom or to hang in a nearby tree to keep the mosquitoes away from the tent! 2. Humorous cards Save the sentimental love cards for birthdays and Valentine’s Day. Humor goes a long way with a cabin full of kids. You know best the silliness of your child, so look for a card that will chime a chuckle or two. 3. Small snacks This is a tricky enclosure, because many camp counselors will tell you that campers already have plenty of candy treats around the cabin. To keep the sugar intake at a minimum, consider snack-size bags of peanuts, cereal, raisins, trail mix, oatmeal cookies or pretzels. 4. Money No need to wire over the family savings. One dollar tucked into a card is all it takes to get an extra soda or snack. 5. Goody bags for girls The silly sleepover fun of nail polish, hair accessories, temporary tattoos, novelty earrings or toe socks can go a long way toward breaking the ice in a camp cabin. 6. Love notes from home A simple sheet of paper with “I love you” written on it may not seem like much to mail, but it is an instant hug from home for your little camper. I found a few of these in the bottom of my son’s suitcase one year and realized he had saved them. Sometimes, a little reassurance from home brings sweet dreams to an otherwise lonely night away. 7. Pet photo If you have a child who is sure to be talking about his fish, dog or gerbil to new friends, she might appreciate a photo of Fido to share with her new friends. 8. Magazine You may want to mail off some happy reading with your letter from home. Keep the subject matter light and age-appropriate. This is a great pastime for rainy afternoons or while tucking into the bunk for the night. 9. Disposable camera If your child does not take a camera to camp, you may want to send off an inexpensive disposable camera for her to get shots of her new friends before she leaves for home. 10. “Welcome Home” invitation Your last mailing could be an invitation to a pizza picnic in the family room or a movie rental night with friends so you can all hear about the fun your child had at camp! Mary Jo Kurtz is a freelance writer. She and her husband, Gary, have two sons, Sam and Joey. |
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RSS SubscribeReaders Feedback:
Thanks so much for the tips for the homesick child. Another thought is to send them with some pre-stamped postcards that are addressed to home - just a quick note to home to say what they're doing might help them stay connected! Also - did you know that Giant Campus has a discount promo code available? It's "GiantCampus53". My son has attended Giant Campus in 2007 at UCLA for 2 weeks, and UCLA for one week in 2008 and UC Berkeley for one week in 2008, and he's heading off for another week at UCLA this summer as well as another week at UCSD. It's a great camp and I recommend it!
| Comment at 3/6/2009 |
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