Planning for Camp Now?
by Michele Klein
Dear Mom and Dad,
I'm a little sad. It's the last week of camp. I've made a
lot of new friends, learned how to throw a curve ball, and passed
the deep-water swimming test. I miss both of you a lot but I wish
camp would last forever. See you Saturday.
Love,
Jennifer
If this is the letter you hope to receive at the end of your
child's stay at camp then now is the time to begin planning. You
ask yourself how can you plan for the hot, hazy days of summer
when snow-drifts are creeping up to your sill? Yes, this is the
time. The majority of summer camps are filling up quickly. You
don't want your child to go on a waiting list and miss the best
possible summer of his or her life!
If you are ready to begin, you want to be sure that you have
time for you and your child to make a well considered decision of
where to go. A camp experience may have a significant impact on
your child's life. If you wait too long before looking at camps,
you will regret the decision you made because it was made at the
last minute.
Where can you go for help? Names of camps come to parents in
many ways - word of mouth, an advertisement, or an article. These
approaches may sound simple and quick, however, their consequences
are often less than satisfying. Each family's needs and the
interests of each particular child vary. You must begin evaluating
such issues as - type, size, cost, location, and philosophy of
each camp.
Camp advisory services can provide parents with assistance and
specific camp recommendations. The National Camp Association
provides a free camp advisory service to the public
(800-966-CAMP). Other local advisory services can be found in
Washington FAMILIES Magazine.
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