Ebook Sample Content Preview:
THE MOST COMMON TYPES OF CAMPS
There are two main types of camp: day camp and sleepaway camp. There are also two kinds of camp in terms of activities: general camp and specialized camp.
Age Limits and Other Requirements
Day camps will usually cater for children aged five and above. Sleepaway camps will have different age limits depending on the type of camp, but generally start accepting children when they are eight to ten years of age; that is, old enough to be self-sufficient with regard to their personal care.
The age limit will also depend on the type of camp. At a general camp, the children will be organized into age groups in a similar manner to the grades at school. They might also cluster them as young children, tweens and teens, depending on how large the camp is.
At a specialized camp, the age guidelines might be much stricter, for various reasons. The main reason is that they want the child to be old enough to benefit from the instruction, enjoy it as well, and succeed at what they are trying to accomplish - not struggle with tasks that are way beyond their abilities.
At other specialized camps such as academic camps, they will gear the lessons towards children of particular ages and grades. At religious camps, the groups will usually be organized by age and perhaps whether they have already had communion or confirmation, for example. They might also work towards them, or their bar or bas mitzvah at a Jewish religious camp.
For sports camps, they will usually expect a certain level of attainment or achievement, such as at gymnastics camp or tennis camp. They might even need a recommendation from their teacher or coach to even be considered for the program.
Length of Camps
General camps will usually run for eight to ten weeks throughout the summer. Specialized camps will usually only run for a set duration, such as two to four weeks. Think of them as a mini-course to enhance your child’s skill and abilities in a particular area.
Because there are so many kinds of camps to choose from, some parents opt for a combination of camps. They might send their child to general day camp for most of the summer, but give them a couple of weeks of sleepaway and specialized camp if they are old enough.
Timing Is Everything
The important thing to remember is that places fill up fast in the most popular camps and in specialized camps. Timing is everything when it comes to asking for special financial considerations as well, such as a scholarship or counsellor in training position. It is never too early to start looking at summer camps to find out when they will begin to enroll the children and offer scholarships. It is also a good idea to discuss the issue of summer camp early with the child/ren if they have never gone before.
Some children might be reluctant to go to camp and others might be eager, depending on what type of camp they can go to. Let’s look in the next part at specialized camp options that might be perfect for your child.
