Selecting Your Summer Camp

Before I became Camp Director at Phantom Lake YMCA Camp I was a seasonal summer camp counselor.  My interest in all things camp offered me many opportunities to meet parents, campers and counselors over the years. Their insights shape the following tips for selecting a summer camp for your child.  

The value of a summer camp lies in the counselors, the tradition, and the families related with camp. The experience transcends the physical setting and equipment associated with the place when the team focuses on the safety of the camper, the mission of the organization, and the little things that make camp valuable.  The place is never as important as the staff.  

The camp experience holds more than just a handful of summertime memories.  A camp kid has the opportunity to explore, reflect, and grow with each day of the overnight experience. Each family has an image of camp in their mind. Parents may be looking for one thing while their child may be imagining something entirely different.   It's critical to begin the camp search with dinner time conversations about summer camp.  Doing this will lay a solid foundation as your family begins determining plans for the 2013 summer. 

Registering for camp comes in three simple parts:
1) The Search
2) Registration
3) Preparing for camp

The search holds more than pulling out the iPad and entering "Summer Camps in Southeastern Wisconsin" into Google.  The search requires you to be active.  The search is a great time to hear your child's perspective on attending camp.  Selecting a camp is a family decision that requires time and discussion.   
Here are some DOs and DON'Ts to consider when searching for your summer camp this spring.

DOs
1) LISTEN TO YOUR NETWORK: Take time to connect with parents in your community about camp.  Stories, both good and bad will create momentum while your family begins the search.  Most importantly, begin discussing the camp experience with your child.   

2) CONDUCT A PRESEARCH: Jump on Google and pop in a few search words that may help guide you to the websites that fit your camp vision.  It's fun to browse through the websites, view the promotional videos, visit the Facebook pages, and read the philosophy of camps... but don't forget the old adage "never judge a book by its cover."  This definitely applies to this stage of the search.The American Camp Association has a website that guides parents through the search process - www.acaparents.org.   

3) CONNECT:  This is the most important step of the process.  Connect with your camp as soon as you feel like this may be the right camp for your child.  Share a conversation or e-mail correspondence with the camp staff and begin building a relationship.  Camp directors will be excited to chat camp and hear your concerns.

4) VISIT CAMP: One of the best things about the search is setting up a time to tour camps.  Toss your kids in the car and take a road trip to camp.  The drive will make for a nice forum for question and expectations for the tour.  A camp tour will likely be a tour of the imagination since the cabins will likely be empty, the dining hall will be quiet, and if you're touring in Wisconsin, there may still be snow on the ground.  

5) DISCUSS & DECIDE: There are many factors that apply when selecting your summer camp.  Some of these factors apply to the camper while others apply to you, the parent.  It's important to include the entire family in these discussions and will ultimately make the decision process easier.    

DON'Ts
Most of you reading this are already partaking in the summer camp search and if you've made it this far, all you really need to know is DON'T miss out on the 2013 summer.  It's crunch time in the camping world and many camps are already filling up sessions.  

 

About the author:
Email questions to tony@phantomlakeymca.org to gain further insights from Tony Ayala, Camp Director at Phantom Lake YMCA Camp, in Mukwonago, Wisconsin.  Phantom Lake YMCA Camp is the second oldest YMCA camp in the nation and offers traditional week-long overnight camp and day camp programs for children.  More information about camp and registration can be found online atwww.phantomlakeymca.org

Watch the Phantom Lake YMCA Camp End of Summer Video by following this link:http://bit.ly/13RV58Y