Ready for Camp? How to Know if Now is the Right Time
Camp, especially summer camp, has become an American tradition. Generations of families have gone to camp – making new friends and lifelong memories. Camp is a unique environment, designed specifically to help children develop the life skills needed to successfully navigate the world around them. The right camp experience helps children take healthy risks and develop a sense of accomplishment. Determining a child’s readiness for camp is key to success at camp. The American Camp Association® (ACA) suggests families of first-time campers consider the following when determining whether or not their child is ready for camp:
- What is the child’s age? Children under age 7 may not adjust easily to being away from home. A day camp experience, where the child can participate in camp activities during the day and return home each evening, can help the child feel comfortable with camp, and prepare them for overnight camp in the future.
- Did the child initiate the camp discussion? Do parents need to supply a lot of encouragement, or is the child excited about camp on their own?
- Have children been successful in other separation situations? Have they been able to spend the night successfully with friends or relatives?
- What are the camp expectations? Learning about the camp experience ahead of time allows you to create positive, healthy expectations.
- Are families able to share consistent and positive messages about camp? A confident, positive discussion about camp can help the child feel more comfortable.
For more tips and information, families can visit www.CampParents.org, ACA’s family resource site. Families can search ACA’s Find A Camp database or www.familiesonthego.org for 100’s of local summer camps, which allows families to look for a camp based on region, activity, cultural focus, budget, session length, and much more! In addition, families can follow ACA on Facebook and Twitter for helpful hints and camp information.
About ACA
The American Camp Association® (ACA) works to preserve, promote, and enhance the camp experience for children and adults. ACA-Accredited® camp programs ensure that children are provided with a diversity of educational and developmentally challenging learning opportunities. There are over 2,400 ACA-accredited camps that meet up to 300 health and safety standards. For more information, visit www.ACAcamps.org
