Going to summer camp is a fun adventure for kids, and many parents want to make sure that they take advantage of that time. For 2021 summer camps are opening back up and getting ready for students to arrive. If your child has time for science summer camp, this can be a great educational opportunity. It can get kids more interested in the sciences as well as helping them with their science grades.
There are many different types of academic sleepaway camps. There are even academic summer camps for kindergarteners to help them get a head start on their educational careers. The main aims and objectives of summer camp are to help kids to get better at certain skills at the same time that they are having fun. When kids go to academic camps, they work on some of their academic skills. For kids who go to a more traditional summer camp, the skills they work on are often outdoorsy ones like swimming and archery. For all kids who attend summer camps, there are always new things to try and new friends to make. It can make a child’s summer to have a fun camp to go to.
Kids don’t play outside as much as they used to. Studies show that only one in three children in the U.S. participate in daily physical activities. Most of their time – up to an average of seven and a half hours a day – is spent in front of a screen. A great way to get your kids out and about is sending them to summer camps. There are about 12,000 camps to choose from, including day camps. Here are some factors to consider when choosing a summer camp.
- Coed or non-coed? Neither option is necessarily better than the other, but all kids thrive differently in different environments. If you’re really not sure whether your child would thrive in a coed camp or not, talk to them and see what they would personally prefer.
- Day or overnight? Overnight camps are a great way of helping kids to prepare for the natural separation from their parents. However, kids all develop at their own pace, and it’s important to determine whether or not your child is ready for overnight camps. Factors include age, the child’s interest in the idea of camp, and prior experiences with being away from home. If they’re not ready, don’t worry – there are a lot of great day camps to choose from.
- What activities are offered? The majority of summer camps have multiple fun activities to choose from, like water sports, crafts, etc. However, there are also many camps that are centered around one particular activity. If you find a single-activity camp that matches one of your child’s interests, it may pique their interest, especially if they are reticent on the idea of camp itself.
- Affiliation? Many youth organizations, such as Boy/Girl Scouts of America or the YMCA, sponsor quality affordable camps. Many camps also have some kind of religious affiliation, which may or may not be appealing to you. Christian camps are the most well-known, but there are also Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish and Islamic-affiliated camps.
The Internet is a great resource for finding affordable summer camps near you. If you feel that your child would benefit from attending camp, do some research together to find the camp that’s right for them.
