Some camps have a targeted focus like religious study, academics, and competitive sports.
The variety of camps available today is almost innumerable, meaning there will be some specialized camps that may have availability left even into the summer.
Each summer, more than 10 million children and counselors attend day camps and overnight summer camps across the country.
Basically, if you can think of any subject of interest, there's probably a camp that specializes in it.
The more artistically minded might consider arts and crafts, clowning, drama, photography, or dance to be important elements of having a well-rounded camp experience.
There are overnight summer camps with a focus on self-improvement, weight loss and grief counseling.
There are overnight summer camps that are co-ed camps, boys camps, girls camps or brother-sister camps where boys and girls may have separate venues and activities.
There are four basic types of camps to choose from for your child: day programs, sleepaway or overnight summer camp, day programs with trips, and special needs camps.
Special needs camps meet the needs of a wide range of children with disabilities; these camps provide an outdoor summer camp experience along with a therapeutic environment.
Four weeks at a good private overnight summer camp or sleepaway camp will cost anywhere from $3500 to $6500, and eight weeks will range from $4000 to $7000.
Although camp counselor jobs don't usually pay very well, usually minimum wage or less, counselors receive free room and board; many take the job primarily for the camping experience.
Try to determine whether the director incorporates a similar philosophy to running the camp as you do in parenting your child or children.
Camp tuition can be expensive; similar to travel insurance, there are now insurance policies for families sending their children to overnight summer camp to cover last minute cancellations, homesickness, medical emergencies and emergency evacuations.
The best overnight summer sports camps do much more than just improve a camper's soccer, tennis, lacrosse, or wrestling skills - they help each child become a more skillful athlete, a more gracious competitor, a more committed team player, and a more confident person.
Visit the camp; you can view campers and counselors in their element, witness activities as they occur, and just obtain an overall feel of the camp, something that cannot be accurately experienced when the camp is closed.
Get to know the camp director from an in-person visit to your home if possible, phone conversations, email or other correspondence.
At camp would it benefit your child more if he or she interacted more with the opposite gender? Weight loss camps are for children and teens in order to help them learn about how to lose weight and how to keep it off while having a great overnight summer camp experience.
Most camp counselors are in their late teens or early twenties and are high school and college students on their summer break.
Some camps are often called adventure camps - having a very specific theme or interest; many of these programs emphasize skill development and personal growth through the adventures the offer.
There aremany types of overnight summer camps with a focus on education that cater to students with differing ages and academic interests.
If you spend the time needed to research your options and include your child in all the decisions, he or she will most likely have a memorable experience that provides pportunities to grow while having a lot of fun and making new friends.
Look over and evaluate the brochures and promotional materials; read the fine print.
Take time to consider what you can reasonably afford.
If you think your child may not be ready for a sleepaway or overnight summer camp, choose a local camp in case you end up having to make a late night pickup in the event he or she gets homesick.