Summer camp is a crucial step in your kid’s development process. As a result, it’s important to learn how to prepare them and turn their experience into a success. With that said, here are tips on preparing for summer camp. It covers everything that parents need to do to in ensuring their kids is ready for this experience. Let’s start:
Choose the Right Summer Camp
The first and most important step is choosing a summer camp where you’ll take your kids to. At this point, your kid is eager for a summer camp experience and can’t wait to go. During your search, focus on accredited camps with a great track record, expert advice. Also, it must fulfill all the health and safety requirements.
And their program quality must be above average. Also, look into their cost per head to see if it fits your budget. While quality is an important factor to consider, some camps charge extravagantly for no reason. And as you do this, you should have options for comparison so that you end up with the best pick.
Speaking of options, there are three main categories of summer camp for kids. They include:
- Day camp or sleepaway summer camp. Oftentimes, they last from 1 to 8 weeks. And throughout this period, the kids are under close supervision. If your kids are not ready for a sleepaway, day camping is best for them. And those who are ready to stay throughout in the camp, sleepaway suit them. In both options, the daytime activities are similar.
- Special-needs summer camps – These are the best summer camp for kids suffering from physical disabilities, medical or mental illnesses.
- Traditional or specialty summer camp – these camps have a specific focus on activities or themes. For instance, they can be centered on sports, arts and crafts, or outdoor survival skills.
Prepare the Kids for Summer Camp
Once you have a pick of summer camp where your kids will go to, it’s time to prepare them. And here are tips to consider:
- Get a packing list
Confusion can pop up when packing items your kid will need in the summer camp. To avoid this, get a comprehensive list indicating all the essential items they need. And as you pack each item, ensure you mark it on the list.
- Book doctor’s appointment
Once you get the medical form from the camp, book a doctor’s appointment. It’s important to ensure your kid is in great health before taking them to camp. Also note, other parents in your neighborhood could be receiving the same medical letter for their kids. So the earlier you book an appointment the more convenient it will be for you.
- Label
To prevent your kid from losing all their items, it’s important to clearly label them. This will make it easy for camp staffs to locate their items when they misplace them.
- Test Run
There are a lot of physical activities at the camps. Therefore, prepare your kids with a few warm ups. Also take them to sleepover in their friends’ home to see how they’ll react.
- Guide them on how to make friends
Most importantly, guide your kid on how to associate with others and make new friends. Remember, they’ll be meeting strangers and fitting in might take an effort. In this step, source the right tips on how to make friends at summer camp.
- Prepare them for homesickness
If your kid has never spent sometimes away from home out of your present, prepare them for homesickness. Guide them through the emotions they may experience before taking them to camp.
Final Take
Sticking to the entire above preparation step for your kids’ summer camp is important. However, what’s most important is to ensure their camping experience is fun, enriching, and exciting. They should be able to mingle freely with everyone and make new friends. And this can only be achieved by choosing a fun summer camp such as Camp Live Oak. Thanks to their diverse, hands-on and enriching program, all that is possible.