It is only the third week in March and you find yourself struggling to find plans for the summer. With two boys ages 12 and 10 you are looking for something that will provide them some structure for the summer while you are at work, but you know whatever you find needs to be full of action. They like football, they like hiking, and they love skate boarding. And while you know you will not be able to find one camp that will meet all of these needs, you hope that over the course of the summer you will be able to find them a combination of day camps that will provide them all of the activities that they love.
Many families find themselves struggling to find activities for their children in the summer. From families who send their children to public schools to parents who send their children to the best private schools, parents who work have to make sure that they have a place for their children to be during the week day. And while no one wants to over schedule their children, having too much unsupervised time during the summer can be far worse.
Several Factors Help Families Determine What Day Camp Will Work for Their Children
In spite of the best intentions, families often have to deal with several limitations when they get ready to find day camp options for their children. From budget concerns to transportation issues, families have plenty to think about when the schedule day camp choices.
Cost. Even when parents want to give their children the best opportunities, there is often a limit. When it comes to cost, for instance, families often have to work within a budget when they begin scheduling summer camp options. And while some day camps are fairly affordable, some come with price tags that are simply outside the reach of what some families can pay. In some cases, there are both academic and need based scholarships available. To get the best chance at these scholarships, it is important to apply as early as possible before the scholarship money is gone.
Transportation. Another consideration that many people have to think about include making sure that transportation works. Working parents, for instance, cannot always get their children picked up in the middle of the day for a half day camp. In fact, transportation often dictates what camps are even in the running. Most parents find it more convenient if they can drop their children at camp on the drive into work, and pick the campers up at the end of the work day. As an alternative, some parents end up spending even more money to hire a nanny who can provide the necessary transportation. In some rare situations, a camp will provide the transportation services for an extra charge.
Schedule. One of the most challenging factors that plays into scheduling summer camp activities is the schedule of when camps are offered. Getting family vacations and other important dates to work with the camps that your children most want can be difficult. Likewise, it is important to make sure that you do not schedule camps that overlap. Missing the first or last day of a camp, for instance, can limit the success your child will have. In many camps, the first day is full of important instructions and rules about how the week will run, and the last day often has a performance or competition that your child will not want to miss.
Focus. The focus of a camp is especially important. If, for instance, you son or daughter wants to study engineering it is important to make sure that you find a camp that focuses on that topic. If, on the other hand, your daughter is a high level volleyball player, she will not enjoy a beginner camp that merely teaches basic techniques. From acting to art and from running to rocket making, the focus of a camp is an important factor for any family scheduling summer camp.
As many as 2.63 million students were enrolled in private elementary schools in the U.S. in 2016, so it should come as no surprise that some of these same families want to provide the best opportunities for their children in the summer.