Summer camps are one of the best experiences that kids can have. They are usually camps with outdoor and indoor activities, team building exercises, confidence building exercises, leadership and trust skill building, and the chance to meet lots of new people from all over the world and develop new friendships.
Summer camps can be short term things, or they can run for a few weeks. Some are informal things that are run by local community groups. Others are run by accredited organizations and may even have an award or qualification offered at the end.
There are a lot of camps throughout the United States – some even do sport-specific things, and there are girl’s camps and boy’s camps that are associated with guide or scout groups or religious groups for those who are interested in those specific areas of activity. There are also a lot of new types of camps that weren’t around just a generation ago. For example, computer-related subjects provide a very popular type of summer camp for kids.
Some children are very shy and struggle with the idea of being in a camp. Some may dread the thought of being away from home. That is not something that you should really worry about though because the longer your child spends in a camp, the more confident they will become. The camp leaders have training in how to bring shy kids out of their shells, and they understand how hard it can be for a child to spend time away from their parents for the first time.
Summer camps aren’t just for the rich, either. There are plenty of scholarships available, and discounts for parents that might not otherwise be able to send their kids to a camp. Even if you don’t see such a thing advertised, it is well worth getting in touch with the people who run the camp so that you can find out whether they have any deals available. There are some camps, also, that are marketed specifically towards parents of children that would not normally be able to send them on an activity holiday.
If you have more than one child, consider sending them to different camps based on their interests and their personality. This will help you because if you send both of your children to the same camp, they might spend the whole time together, and they might not get the full experience because they won’t make as many new friends.
Choosing a camp is a personal thing, and what one child loves another child may hate. Talk to the people who run the camps, get to know the people who are involved with them and look at the activities on offer. Ask parents with older children where they sent their kids last year, and listen to what your kids have to say and what they would like to do. Think about what you did when you were a youngster, and whether you were glad that your parents sent you. The right choice can be a formative thing in your child’s life. The wrong choice could be something that will leave your child never wanting to be adventurous again.
