Choosing a Sleepaway Camp in the Off-Season

What do you do when your child comes to you in February and says "I want to go to sleepaway camp THIS year?" What do you do when you first decide that you want to send your son or daughter away to camp in February? Can it still be done this year? Yes! Many excellent camps still have space for summer '14 and you can find the right one for your child now.

Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to choose a fabulous sleepaway camp for your child without visiting camps the summer before. In fact, over the course of the year, many people who never visited camps decide to send their children to overnight camp and make excellent choices. How does a parent decide?

Start by thinking about your child's personality and interests as well as any requirements that you may have (i.e. price range, location, length of stay, particular activities, single sex v. coed v. brother-sister, future siblings, etc.). Next, think about the camps. Inasmuch as there are thousands of camps listed on the internet, a great way to find the right one is to consult with a camp advisor who has expertise in this area. Most camp advisors or referral agents (as they are called by the camps) do not charge parents for their services. Call a camp advisor who has personal knowledge of the camps, knows the directors and has actually observed the camps in session herself. She will know about the administration, facilities, philosophies and cultures of the camps. She will know, or find out, which camps that are appropriate for your child still have space. When you speak to your camp advisor, be honest and share information about special needs, if any, or difficulties that your child has had in the past. In order for a camp advisor to help you find a camp that is a great fit and where your child will succeed, it is important that you tell the advisor everything they need to know about your child. Do not hold back with the camp advisors or camp directors who all want your child to thrive at camp.

Your camp advisor will suggest several camps to you and get you information from them. Look at the DVDs and packets they send. Once your advisor gives you a few suggestions, look at those websites as well. After you have reviewed the information, call any of the suggested camps that interest you and speak to the directors yourself. Directors often tend to have much more time to talk to prospective parents at this point in the year than they do when families tour camps over the summer. Ask the directors about staff and camper return rates. It is also helpful to ask directors for references from other parents.

As tempting as it may be, try to avoid canvassing all of your friends to find out what they have heard about camps you may be looking at. Their information is not always based on personal knowledge. Of course, if a friend sends their own child/ren to a camp you are considering, their feedback might be very useful to you. However, don't pick a camp just because a friend or neighbor sends a child there. You should also think hard about sending your child to camp with a friend from home. There are many good reasons not to.

After you narrowed down your camp choices, start to include your child in the process. Your child will become less nervous and more excited about going if they are involved. Show your child a few DVDs of camps you like. Your camp advisor will help you select one or a (very) few camps to have home or Skype visits. It is not necessary to visit an empty camp in the off-season. While it is very helpful to visit camps in session, you will not observe friendships, relationships or supervision or feel the culture of the camps by seeing them over the winter. When you visit a camp without campers, you do not have the opportunity to observe how the staff interacts and engages the kids. In the off-season, meet or speak to camp directors before making a decision to enroll.

The directors set the tone at the camp and you want to feel comfortable with them and their philosophy. Your child should absolutely be present at any home visit. Let the director get to know him and let your child ask questions. Your camp advisor will help you come up with questions to ask the director yourself. Ask the director about anything that is important to you. After all, you will be entrusting that camp with your most important possession- your child. Often, your camp choice will be obvious after you meet with one or a (very) few directors. If you need help deciding, go back to your camp advisor. At the end of the day, listen to your gut feel and choose the camp where you can most envision your child returning for many wonderful summers to come.

This article was contributed by Ellen Wylie of Spectacular Summers. Let Ellen help you find the right camp or summer experience for your child or teen. Visit her website at www.spectacularsummers.com or call her at: (914)722-2644 or (888)774-2267.