When choosing a summertime camp for their kids, parents have many options to choose from.
Finding the best one for their child will depend on many things, including the child’s interests, social level, and the experiences that parents hope to foster for their kids.
Beyond the more personal details that will affect this decision, there are certain things that parents should look for in every summer kids camp to ensure their child has a great time.
While researching the best, and most reputable, fun summer camp for their kids, parents should also look for these important things:
- Caring, Compassionate, and Knowledgeable Counselors - Counselors make the summertime camp experience the best that it can be, so they are a critical piece of every summer camp's success. The right counselors are those who are not only trained in first aid and enjoy children, but also understand that each child is different and deals with their own personal challenges.
- Safety Protocols - Every well-regarded summer kids camp should have a documented safety and health protocol and adhere to it. There should be a plan in place regarding how to handle injuries and illnesses at camp to protect kids as well as parents and provide the best care possible when incidents occur.
- A Camp Philosophy or Culture - A successful, fun summer camp should have a structured culture or philosophy that centers on positive ideas like sharing, helping, being a part of a team, making friends, and being more social. This culture should include some acceptable forms of discipline, for the good of the group, and the opportunity to encourage good behavior, both with the group and one-on-one with counselors and other campers.
- A Camp Theme or Focus - The main difference between an actual summertime camp for kids and simply a facility where kids can go as a sort of daycare is a theme or focus. Whether that theme is sports, arts-related, faith-based, or even just focused on physical fitness and continued learning, that focus should be recognizable.
- A Planned Schedule of Activities - Along with having a theme or focus, successful summer kids camps should also be structured and offer a planned schedule of a wide variety of activities. Kids should find both familiar and new activities for them to participate in as well as time to relax between them so they can enjoy themselves without being left completely to their own resources to occupy themselves.
Every summertime camp for kids is different in ways but also similar in others.
Parents in search of fun summer camp options in their community should start their search by first looking for the important features that every camp, no matter what type it is, should possess.