Day camps versus summer camp

March has come and gone, and we are well into April.  Easter is less than a week a way and the one thing that is looming in the back of every parent's mind is the looming summer vacation.  It's the time a year that most parents struggle to find activities for their children to do.  There are a whole variety of opportunities for your child to do, but with this particular hub we are going to explore the summer camp versus day camp dilemma. 

Summer camps are those camps that will require your child to stay at their particular location.  Your child will be able to camp out and do a variety of different activities from kayaking to horseback riding and front mountain biking to white water rafting.  Your child could be able to experience nature up close and personal depending on where he is going.  Summer camps are an excellent investment in your child.  Camp experience will allow them to develop new friendships and to experience new things. 

Summer camps are typically for older child who are trying to avoid their parents.  Younger children will probably find themselves experiencing a little bit of home sickness, if they were to go off. Younger children may not be able to do some of the activities.  You will also need to make sure that you as the parent are okay with this adventure.  If you are liable to be up all night worrying about your child falling out of a canoe and drowning, you may not want to send your children to that type of camp. 

Another option that many parents choose to have their children partake in as the day camp experience.  Day camps will typically do things such as hiking, swimming, arts and crafts.  The only difference is that instead of having overnight lodging and camping opportunities, your child will be home by dinner time.  This is an excellent way for younger children to still have the camp experience while staying close to home.  This will also set your mind at ease knowing that your child is safe at home in bed and not being eaten by fire ants. 

Day camps and summer camps will both typically have trained medical personnel onsite.  They will be able to ascertain medical emergencies and other maladies that your child may suffer from at camp.  You will want to check out exactly what their experience and training are.  Some camps will hire emergency medical technicians, others will hire nurses, and I am sure that their are some that will even bring in medical interns for a summer excursion. 

In conclusion, summer time is fast approaching and there will be many opportunities for your child.  Your child is probably going to want to have some fun this summer.  Make sure that you check out all of your opportunities and to check the camps out individually that you are planning on sending your child too.  You can make this a summer for them to remember. 

If you are still wondering which camp to send your child to this summer, the first thing that you should do is ask your child.  If they attended a particular camp last summer and enjoyed it, then see if they would be interested in going back.  It's a pretty good bet that some of the friends they made there last summer will return also.  Your child would be experienced at that camp so they would be able to assist younger siblings if they wanted to go also. 

If none of that applies then you will want to first talk with other parents and see where they have sent their children in past summers.  Word of mouth is a powerful indicator of how good a camp is.  If the parent says that it was the worse time their child ever had you will definitely not want to send your child either.  You will also want to take certain factors into consideration such as the age and maturity level of your child.  You aren't going to want to send your kid to a three week long summer camp, if they aren't going to make three days.

In conclusion, not all children are made the same. Some children are strong and independent, they would thrive in an environment where they could be sent to a summer camp for summer fun.  Some children are better suited to attend a local day camp.  They are still going to have fund but they would have more familiar surroundings.