Hey, Camp Searchers!
On your journey to find the right camp, it can be difficult to know what the next step is after you’ve figured out certain things—things like how far away the camp is, whether it’s coed or not, what kind of structure your kid prefers for their days, and some other things. Your next step after you know those things is to narrow your search by looking at camps on an individual basis.
Where to Start
The absolute first, easiest, and best place to start looking is right at home. Do any family members recommend a camp? Many kids end up going to the same camp their mom or dad attended. Maybe even the same one their grandma or grandpa went to. Maybe your friends with a next-door neighbor whose kids have had the camp experience or maybe your kid knows a friend at school who enjoyed a camp stay.
Whether it’s a grandparent, parent, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, cousin, friend or whatever you’re their relation to you, it’s handy to know someone who has previously gone to overnight camp, that’s the best place to start asking questions and gathering information.
When you know a camp alum, you can find out straight from the source what they liked and disliked about the camp they went to. The camps that older family members attended might still be around (though they may have changed in quality and substance).
Beware of your own biases as a parent. It can be easy to lose sight that the camp you enjoyed so much several decades ago may not meet your child’s needs and interests now. Of course parents want their sons or daughters to have a summer camp experience as good as their own, but you have to research the camp as it is in the current day.
The entire character or philosophy of a camp can change with a new director or a change in ownership. Just because you enjoyed it all those years ago doesn’t make it a lock for your child. See for yourself by doing some digging.
Make sure to have fun as you move forward in your search and, as always thanks for reading, Camp Folks! Till next time.
- John