How to Choose the Right Summer Camp for Your Child

The Perfect Camp for Your Child Is Out There Waiting for You

Summer camp is often a place where children cultivate lifelong friendships and have some of their most memorable life experiences. At Pali Adventures, we understand that finding the perfect summer camp for your child is no simple task and may even seem overwhelming given the abundance of options.

There are many factors to consider when trying to find the perfect summer camp for your child. At Pali Adventures, your child can hone in on his or her interests (specialties), while also participating in various electives.

Before you begin your search for the perfect summer camp, it’s important to ask yourself these questions:

What are your child’s interests?
What is your child looking to get out of camp? (i.e. make new friends, learn a new skill, have fun)
Are you looking for a day camp or overnight camp?
Does location play a role in your decision?
Do you want to visit the camp beforehand?

Read this guide for detailed information on how to choose a summer camp:

Choosing the Right Type of Camp

One of the easiest ways to narrow down the options is to help your child decide between sleepaway camp or day camp. If your child feels more comfortable sleeping at home, then day camp might be the perfect option. Day camp is a great way to keep your child active all summer while maintaining close proximity to home, and mom and dad.

If your child has attended a day camp before and feels comfortable sleeping over at friends’ houses, then it might be the perfect time to start looking at overnight camp options instead. Overnight camp can be a huge step in helping your child gain confidence and independence.

Talk About Your Child’s Interests

Step one in choosing a camp should be to sit down with your child and ask what he or she is interested in. Does your child love swimming, archery, and crafts? Or do they prefer a more specialized experience? If your child has a special interest, try to find a summer camp that will cater to those interests. Summer camp is a perfect opportunity to cultivate passion and creative expression. It is also a great opportunity to expand their interests and to try new activities in a safe and supportive environment.

Pali Adventures offers over 20 amazing and unique specialties for campers to choose from, and welcomes children of every skill level to participate. Specialties include action sports, water sports, LARP, movie make-up, culinary, fashion and so much more. Check out our full list of specialties and talk to your child about whatever special interests they might like to pursue this summer.

Location

One of the biggest factors in choosing a summer camp is the spot where the camp is located. If you’re considering a sleepaway camp that is out of town, decide whether it would be more beneficial to drive there or to have your child fly.

Likewise, if you’re hoping to tour the camp and the trip there will take longer than a day, you’ll want to read up on the area and see what lodging options are nearby. Pali Adventures is located in the San Bernardino Mountains, just 90 minutes from Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties. Campers come from across the country and around the world and arrive by car, bus and airplane. You can find more information about getting to camp, fun things for the family to do in the local area, and overnight accommodations on our website.

ACA Accreditation

When a camp is ACA Accredited that means it follows the mission and over 250 standards of the American Camping Association. At an ACA-accredited camp, you’ll find counselors and staff members that care about the success of children, activities that inspire outdoor growth in a fun and safe setting, and camp experiences that help to develop life skills like responsibility, cooperation, courage, and self-esteem.

Sending your child to an ACA-accredited camp means that as a parent, you can be assured knowing the high health and safety standards in the camp environment, so you can focus on sending your child to the camp that feels like the best fit for your little one’s interests.

Do Your Research on Camp First

When choosing the right summer camp for your child, remember to consider the details and logistics involved. Look into the history of the camp, current staff members, directors, and counselors. If possible, consider doing a tour on-site with your child before you make your final selection.

It can be fun and rewarding for your child be part of the research process too. Camp is ultimately supposed to be exciting and memorable, so let the process of finding the right camp be enjoyable, too.

For more summer camp information, visit the Pali blog.