How to Prepare Your Child for Summer Camp
When school is out, kids feel sweet freedom. But, what will they do during the summer? Summer camp is an option to keep your kids busy. Here are a few tips to prepare them for the experience.
The idea of summer camp can be both exciting and scary. For a younger child who may never have been away from home before, it helps to explain to them what is going to happen.
Types of Summer Camps
Depending on your schedule, budget and ages of your children, there are two main types of summer camps: overnight and day camps.
Day camps allow kids to arrive in the morning and then leave at the end of the day. For that time, they are engaged in fun activities with chaperones.
Overnight camps usually last for a week at a time. Kids arrive and are settled in by parents and then leave at the end of seven days to return home. Some camps might be longer but most are around a week long.
Preparing Your Child
Sit your child down and explain to them what will happen at camp. Ask for literature from the various camps so that you can present it to them. One way to involve your child and put them at ease is to allow them to help in the selection process. Kids new to summer camps may opt for more than one kind of day camp for the first summer.
Older children or children with siblings may opt for an overnight camp. They can meet new friends or spend time with their siblings in a different environment. If the campers have any questions, contact the camp directly in enough time to get the answers and still make an informed decision before the deadline.
Here are some tips to get your kids ready:
* Know what to pack