We live in the city of a myriad options, so here is a little guide to help you.
Things to consider:
1) Money – as banal as it sounds, that is one of our primary considerations when making choices. Spending time at home with you is free. Local camping programs cost between $800 and $3,500 for the summer and vary greatly. Overnight camps start at $3,000 for the season and can go up to triple that price. However, most camps do offer scholarships or discounts so make sure to ask. Some run great temporary promotions that can save you lots of money. Due to the recession, registration in camps across the country is down; so many camps will be eager to fill the spot and will negotiate the price.
2) Philosophy – is it important that your child spends time outdoors? Learns to swim? Travels? What kind of tangible result are you looking for in the end of the summer? Think about that before you do your research.
You can divide camps into three basic groups – overnight camps (2 – 8 weeks away from home); day camps (local, 9 – 5 deal) and specialized camps which represent everything from Sports, Arts and everything else under the sun (Circus Arts anyone?). Make sure to ask for a sample camp and daily schedule to understand what you child will actually be doing.
3) Friends – what are his or her friends doing? Summer is the time when your child can grow socially – less rigid structures and no balancing act of school, homework and extracurricular activities give kids time to… be kids and just play with their friends. This is an important factor, so consider an opportunity for social growth with any option that you choose.
4) Convenience – of course we all want our kids to be happy and get the best experiences. But it has to work for you too! A stressed parent is worse than a program without a hot meal. So if you have to settle on some things and keep your sanity – don’t feel guilty. We make parenting compromises each day.
There are many more factors that go into this important decision, however if you found something that satisfies the four above, that’s a great start
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Summer vacation is a month away and the kids can’t wait to be done with homework and tests, get out of school and do…..? I think many would be perfectly happy in front of the television for the 40+ vacation days. However for many parents that is not a plausible (or recommended) choice. Therefore, we spend hours on internet research and agonizing options: Poconos or Day Camp? Grandparents abroad or a sleep-away camp three hours away? May be just the beach…
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Expert Advice
Gelena BlishteynGelena holds a Master's degree in Social Work from Columbia University and has been working in the Camping industry for the last ten years. Gelena has consulted summer camps in United States and Former Soviet Union on marketing, fundraising techniques and educational initiatives and has taught several classes and training institutes for entry-level camp staff. Her area of expertise is in programs tailored for the Russian-speaking constituency. She currently works as the Program Director at the Marks JCH of Bensonhurst, a community center with the longest running camping program in Brooklyn.
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