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SALT LAKE CITY — This is the time of year a lot of parents look at signing their kids up for summer camp. Some industry insiders say there are ways parents can pick the right one.
The first thing parents should ask themselves is, "Are we sending our kids to camp for their benefit, or for ours?" Camppage.com founder Hank Birdsong said some parents may be looking at summer camps for the wrong reason.
"If you send them to get them out of the house for the summer, that's the wrong reason," he said.
Birdsong said parents should get their children involved in deciding which camp to go to. Determine, as a family, what you want your child to get out of the experience or what skills you want him or her to learn.
If you send them to get them out of the house for the summer, that's the wrong reason.
–Hank Birdsong
That way, they'll be emotionally invested in the process. Plus, it could clear up any misconceptions the child may have about camps.
"Maybe he's not familiar with camps," Birdsong said. "He's seen a camp movie and he's formed an opinion about what camp is that may not be real at all."
Birdsong said it helps to visit the camp, if possible, to see what it's all about.
"Nothing will help you with your decision more than meeting the directors and seeing what their philosophy is," he said.
While visiting the camp, Birdsong said parents need to ask how the camp would handle something like homesickness. He said if it's handled correctly, homesickness can be effectively overcome.
- Visit the camp, if possible
- Ask for camp references
- Understand the camp's standards and philosophy
- Ask about the staff
- Choose the best camp location
- Consider the cost
- Make a family decision
"For a lot of kids, just getting through the homesickness that they didn't expect, maybe, is something that they may learn the most from in the camping experience," he said.
However, some kids just aren't ready to spend an extended period of time away from home. Birdsong said if the child can't spend the night at a friend's house without calling to be picked up in the middle of the night, then the child isn't ready for camping.
Another issue that comes up is bedwetting. Birdsong said it happens frequently when kids are in a new place, even if they haven't wet the bed in years. Some camps are quite discreet in replacing the child's sheets so he doesn't get embarrassed in front of the other kids.
Many of the best camp are accredited by the American Camp Association or the Association for Experiential Education, but there are a lot of great camps that aren't. He said if the camp you're visiting isn't accredited by these groups, it's important to find out why not.
But, he said anyone who wants to do this should do it soon. He said some of the better camps have already filled up.
