If you are considering sending your children on a camps sleepaway vacation, there are various factors you should consider.
First, you’ll want to ask yourself the following questions. Are the kids old enough to attend a sleepaway camp? Where will they be staying? Does the camp offer child-friendly activities?
Today, camping is a popular practice for both children and adults, especially in summer. With the many overnight camps available today, choosing the best for your child can be a difficult task. Here are tips to ease the process.
Define Your Expectations
Before choosing a sleepaway camp it’s important to define your expectations. Figure out what you want your child to achieve from the camping experience.
Do you want them to meet and mingle with other children with whom they have similar interests? If you do, choose a camp that offers their favorite subjects. Do you want to keep them occupied and active when school is out with a combination of outdoor and indoor activities? In this case, an academic camp would come in handy to keep them intellectually active.
Involve Children in the Planning Process
The main objective of sending your child to a camps sleepaway trip is to ensure they enjoy their stay. Involving them in the planning process plays a huge role in achieving this success. If you have teenage children, for example, they may frown at the idea of an overnight camp.
However, by involving them, they get a chance to choose a camp program that best caters to their needs. For example, they may be more interested in going to sports camps with their peers.
The idea here should be to find programs that cater to their current interests. Involve the child from scratch to ensure you’re reading from the same page. Remember, your child will only benefit from the camp program if they’re interested in the same.
Decide Whether Your Child is Ready for a Sleepaway Camp
Determining whether or not your child is ready to go for a camps sleepaway trip is not just about their ages. Determine this by their willingness to attend sleepovers alone. Some children will be comfortable with being away from home from a younger age.
Others, on the other hand, might show little interest even when they are older. Here are some tips to help you figure out whether your child is ready to go for a sleepaway camp.
· If they can Maintain their Personal Hygiene
Counselors and supervisors at the camp will remind children to shower and brush their teeth. However, the child should be able to do these tasks on their own. While camp helps campers become independent, a child should already be conversant with various tasks such as bathing.
· If they are Pestering You to Go for an Overnight Camp
Is your child asking for your permission to attend camps sleepaway events? If they are, chances are that they are ready to experience a different adventure for some days. Still, some children have to be pushed to think about going camping. Ensure your child is comfortable with the idea and avoid forcing them to do something they don’t like.
· They’ve Successfully bee Away for Sleepovers
Has your child attended a sleepover at their friend’s or relative’s house? If they have, what was their experience like? Did they connect with their friends? Did they manage to sleep comfortably?
Were they anxious? If they have been to several successful sleepovers this is a good sign that they are ready for camps sleepaway. Remember, you’ll need to speak to your child about getting homesick and how they can overcome it while on camp.
Choose the Right Category
Once you’ve defined your camps sleepaway expectations, select the different programs that can help you meet them. Here are some popular camp categories to choose from.
· Art Camps
Art camps allow campers to focus on developing their creative interests with their peers. Some camps allow campers to engage in 3D printing and computer-oriented design while others focus on visual arts, drawing, and painting.
· Academic Camps
These camps are designed to ensure that children continue learning even when schools are closed. Academic camps offer a great combination of extracurricular and education-based activities. They often focus on topics that are hardly taught in schools such as skill development.
Academic camps are a perfect way of educating students who hardly cope with traditional instructions. They allow students to target a specific academic skill or activity and advance it throughout the camp session.
At Les Elfes for instance, there are various programs to choose from. These include language arts, math, photography, theater, and computer-based studies.
· Athletic Camps
These are ideal for sporty children who are interested in learning new skills in summer. They also help keep teenagers and young children active when schools are closed.
· Adventure Camps
These camps are engaging and fun, and a great way of engaging in new challenges and experiences. These can be similar to an ordinary outdoor camp with a special activity such as field trips, hiking, going for nature hunts.
· Special Needs Camp
These are specially designed to create the perfect environment for campers who are unable to attend normal summer sleepaway camps. This could be due to emotional, mental, and physical challenges. Camper to staff ratios, in this case, is low to guarantee exclusive attention. This helps create a comfortable environment to meet the children’s needs.
Choose a Camp that Doesn’t Interfere with Your Schedule
Ensure the camp program you choose fits in with any family commitments or vacations you may have for summer. Start your search for the best camp early before registration deadlines hit. Consider contacting the camp if you have any inquiries to make.
Consider Camps that Offer a Wide Variety of Activities
If you’re trying to establish your children’s interests consider camp programs that offer a wide range of activities. Many summer sleepaway camps offer different activities that enable children to determine their interests.
If your child chooses a particular program it should be what they’re interested in pursuing. Choose a program that will nurture your child to become the best version of themselves, and not what you expect them to be.
Finally
Summer camps sleepaway vacations are ideal opportunities for children to engage in new challenges and experiences. Use these tips to establish the best camps that will be benefit your kids. Enroll your child for the next summer camp and enjoy friendly discounts.
