With summer officially in sight, many parents are scrambling to find meaningful and affordable summer camp options for their kiddos. While it’s a time of excitement, it can also be a season of anxiety as we all want to ensure our children have great experiences before heading back to class.
Thankfully, summer camps have become a big business and most of them are well organized and allow online registration far in advance. The key to it all, in my opinion, is researching early and often, and including your child in the process. There’s nothing worse than signing up your kid for a camp they will hate or complain about the whole time. The good news is that if they’ve attended a certain camp before and loved it, just sign them up for that same one again. We push our girls to try new things, but if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.
Choosing the right camp can be stressful and confusing. While some families choose overnight camps, others choose day camps. What’s right for your camper? These days, there is literally a camp for anything and everything. Does your child like music? Nature? Sports? Mud?
For the past five years, my kids have been participating at Horse Camp at Shady Creek Farm in Eads, Tennessee. While it’s a drive from Midtown, it’s so impactful for my children as they spend three hours a day—an entire week—outside with beautiful horses and other children interested in learning everything they can about these wonderful animals. They learn to feed and clean the horses as well as how to mount and dismount safely. There are other activities as well such as t-shirt making and games. At the end of the week there’s always a big show where parents can see what their children have learned. It’s really been special to see them grow and become more confident year after year. I’ve even gone riding with them.
While horse camp is our favorite option, my girls have enjoyed other camps as well—some affiliated with their school.
With so many choices, my wife and I try to tackle camp season as early as possible. We ask them questions like: what camps are your friends going to? We also have to balance this against our summer routines, including family trips and work schedules.
Here’s a few helpful tips for choosing a summer camp that’s right for your child:
- Consider your child’s interests: Think about what your child is good at and what activities they typically enjoy.
- Review Camp Rules: Make sure your child understands what’s expected
- of them.
- Pack appropriately: Overpack items like water, sunblock, snacks, rain jacket, and potentially a swimsuit.
- Be mindful of costs: Consider any extra expenses like t-shirts, equipment, or food.
- Consider sleep health/mental health: If it is an overnight camp, discuss sleep habits and medication needs with camp counselors in advance.
- Review the camp’s staff: Ask about the qualifications and experience of the counselors and camp director.
Whatever camp(s) you choose, just make sure it’s the right fit for your child and doesn’t break the bank.