Summer Camps - Atascocita
Summer Camps - Atascocita
Published: Mar 26, 2015, 4:00pm
« Back to Atascocita News
It’s Never Too Early To Think About Summer Camp
The kids will be
out of school before you know it, and then what? Now is the time of year
when parents should start thinking about summer camp. Most camps easily
fit into a family's busy schedule and budget.
Of course, what
kids want to do is just have fun, and there are still many questions
that need to be answered in order to make good decisions regarding the
right camp.
First, it’s important to know your child's physical,
mental, and emotional needs, but that's only the beginning. From there,
begin by talking to the children. If they have been to camp before, they
may already have a favorite. If not, it's always best to focus on the
child's interests, such as sports, cheerleading, horseback riding, and
so on. If children help in the decision-making process, they will feel
better about spending their days or nights away from home.
There are many camps from which to choose. They come in a wide variety of styles and formats.
Below are some examples:
Sports camps
Sports
camps typically deal with a specific sport, i.e., soccer, baseball,
basketball, football, karate or dance. Most sports camps have different
levels. Colleges, high schools, professional athletes, summer AAU teams,
churches, organizations and local fitness facilities.
Day camps
Many
day camps have a daycare atmosphere. Across the country, attendance at
local day camps has grown by leaps and bounds. Many day camps offer a
variety of programs for children ages 5 to 15. Each year, programs
usually take on a different theme. Activities are divided into age
groups and are designed to increase each child's confidence and
self-esteem.
Almost every daycare facility offers a day camp, as
do public recreation programs. Some offer field trips, while others
show movies. These programs afford children the opportunity to have lots
of fun! Parents need to visit different day camps before mentioning
them to their children. Always ask about staffing. It can be a problem.
School camps
Most
private schools offer a limited summer program and the summer staff may
not always be certified teachers. Again, it’s best to make phone calls
and visit these facilities.
Overnight or Residents camps
Overnight
or resident camps; campers stay for extended periods of time, from
several days to several weeks. The children usually sleep in cabins,
dorms, tents, tepees or other forms of shelter and participate in a
variety of well-organized activities. If a child has never been away
from home, it's always best to conduct a trial run. Staying overnight at
Mimi and Papa’s house or with a friend is a good way to begin. They can
also stay at a supervised church lock-in. In an overnight or resident
camp situation that is coed, it is important to have counselors of both
genders on the premises, at all times. Always ask for a camp check list.
Educational camps
Colleges,
private schools or independent-tutoring facilities sometimes offer
educational camps. They usually focus on academic subjects, such as
computers, math, science or English. There are also music camps. The
staff is usually made up of well-trained professionals.
Church camps
Church
camps have always been a personal favorite of mine. I never worried a
moment when my children attended a camp at our church. These camps
usually have a Christian theme and devote most of their activities
toward the development of the child's spiritual well-being. Church camps
are very structured and typically target young people between the ages
of 4 and 8.
Special-needs camps
These
camps are usually offered regionally and focus on children with
disabilities. Special-needs camps have well-trained staff members at all
times. The best source for recommendations for a special-needs camp is
the child's pediatrician. Professionals and psychologists highly
recommend gathering as much information as possible when making
special-needs camp decisions. Locally, there are a few GREAT, web sites
with a wealth of information regarding summer camp programs. A few of my
favorites are www.KingwoodCamps.com, www.TheWoodlandsCamps.com and
www.HoustonCamps.com.
Also, Mark Your Calendars!
Plan
to attend the 2015 Northeast Houston Summer Camp Fair & Expo on
Saturday – March 28 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. at Woodridge Baptist Church in
the Gymnasium. For more information – go to www.KingwoodCampFair.com.
A
few of the camps participating include: Woodridge Baptist Church, The
Painted Elephant, Sylvan Learning Center, Painting With A Twist, Eye
Level Learning Center, Camp Blessing, Kids In Action, Village Learning
Center, Max Bowl North, Camp Cedarbrook, Camp Kingwood/Kingwood Country
Club, Camp Invention, Boy Scouts of America, The Academy at Rowland
Ballard Preschool, Huntington Learning Center, Clubhouse Play Care and Kosmin Media Group!
Nationally,
the American Camping Association is also a great resource for summer
camps. You can visit them on line at www.ACACamps.org or call
1-800-428-2267. Parents should be educated about the people who will be
responsible for their children at a camp.
Talk with camp
directors, doctors and other parents. In addition, parents should read
all materials available about the camps under consideration. Compile a
list of questions concerning the camp and make an appointment with the
camp director. If the camp is long distance, a conference call can be
scheduled.
After a selection has been made, parents should make
every effort to schedule an appointment to visit with the specific camp
counselor who will be in charge of their child.
Questions to
consider include location, size, gender, age, geographical
representation (children from local area), duration, financial structure
of the camp, staff, goals and values, programs, facilities,
health/safety issues and food service.
Most importantly, parents
should use their intuition. Choosing the right summer camp for your
child is definitely a labor of love. The key to success is to start
early.
Once a decision is made, make reservations immediately! Space is usually limited and camps fill up fast!
Happy camp hunting!
Debbie
(Debbie
Dodd is the Sales Manager/Marketing Director for the Kosmin Media Group
and also a freelance writer. She is the mother of three and a
grandmother. She resides in Kingwood with her husband, Ronnie. She can
be reached at [email protected].)
Related News Stories:
« Back to Atascocita News & Highlights