Don’t over schedule your child, especially if they are super young and this is their first time at camp/ away from you. It’s summer time, and you don’t want your kids exhausted from too many things. Let them be kids and have down time too.
If your child is starting preschool in the fall, do a “little” camp. This will help with the preschool transition and may help with school separation anxiety. That way if your child freaks out and doesn’t really make it to camp that much, you didn’t waste money on a whole semester.
Try something new. This is a great chance to try something before registering for it for an entire semester. Does your child like dance, basketball, or computers? Who knows? Summer allows you to give it a try. Exposure to different activities allows children to really find what they are interested in.
Take advantage of the area we live in. Maybe your child will want to do some rowing or coding. These camps aren’t offered other places in the country like they are here. If you have an older child, camps like these stand out on college applications because they are unique.
If your are trying to get into a particular school, register for their camp. It doesn’t hurt to get your family’s name out there and let the school get to know your child. It can only help!
Don’t just do what your friends are doing, do what’s best for your child. Use this guide to find something special for your child.
Plan your camps around your vacations. It’s hard to plan in advance, but try to plan what you might be doing this summer from little day trips to maybe some bigger vacations, woo hoo! You don’t want to pay for camp and then realize your child is going to miss a whole week for your cousin’s wedding on the East Coast.
If you have a child that is just too young for camp make sure and carve out some “summer experiences” just for them so they don’t feel left out seeing their older siblings go to camp.
If your child is independent, don’t be afraid of sleep-away camps. The goal is to raise children who will one day be capable of leaving us, right? A few tips: Make sure you don’t look at posted pictures by the camp unless you can handle it. Sometimes you child won’t look like they are having fun just because they were caught off-guard in the picture, and you might worry. Make time for yourself while they are away- take advantage of some “me” time, yeah remember that? Finally, send your child a letter. Most sleep-away camps don’t allow electronics, but snail mail can make them feel special.
