New York Family's Ultimate Guide to Summer Camps 2012

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to participate in separate activities during the day just like a single sex camp or some coed camps, but for many Brother-Sister camps, girls and boys come together for meals, special events and some evening activities. Many Brother-Sister camps also schedule special sibling activities so brothers and sisters have a chance to see each other and spend time together on a regular basis during the summer. “When we were looking for a summer camp four years ago, I had never heard of BrotherSister camps,” said Amanda Greenblatt, the mother of twins, one boy and one girl. “My daughter said she wanted an all-girls camp and my son was interested in a coed camp. I was trying to figure out how I was going to manage two different camps and two different visiting days until I came across a Brother-Sister camp that felt right for both of my children. Each camp has their own colors, traditions and songs and my children get to do separate activities during the day but are brought together on weekends to do activities together. My kids often bicker at home but when they talk about camp, they recall the fond memories of times they spent together.” Traditional Camps - Traditional summer camps offers children a varied camp experience with many different camp activities such as swimming, archery, ropes course, arts and crafts, soccer, basketball, boating and drama, among many others. For parents looking to provide their children with a social and developmental experience, such as learning life skills, developing independence, learning responsibility and connecting with people, the traditional camp will provide these experiences. Campers at traditional camps also become part of a community and will enjoy traditional summer camp activities such as Olympics, Color War, Bunk Activity Days, Community Service Projects, Carnival and trips-off-camp. Specialty camps - Specialty camps focus on a specific camp activity or related camp activities for a given period of time. There are many different types of specialty camps available for children for just about every interest such as horseback riding, tennis, drama, gymnastics or soccer. Some kids who have a dedicated passion during the school year look to a specialty camp to help them take it to the next level. Other kids with a long-term specialty want just the opposite: to use summer camp as a chance to try new things, and a big variety of things. In addition to interests and activities other specialty camps are distinguished by their focus on children with certain kinds of special needs like autism or diabetes. Religious orientation can be a unifying theme of certain camps too, thought they still will be segmented by sex and by the general or specific focus on the day-to-day activities.

What Type Of Camp Best Suits Your Child? Answering the following questions can help families decide what type of camp will work for their child. Does your child have a lot of friends of the opposite sex during the school year or have a sibling of the opposite sex that he or she likes spending time with? If yes, a coed camp or brother-sister camp would most likely be the best fit for your child. Is your child athletic and likes to spend his or her day playing sports? If yes, many single sex camps focus on sports, whether it’s a boys’ camp or a girls’ camp. Do you feel that your child spends too much time focusing on the opposite sex? If you answered yes, maybe a single sex or brother-sister camp would be a good choice and allow your child to focus on friendships and the activities that he or she enjoys. During the school year, does your child like participating in soccer, school plays and tennis? If yes, he or she may like a more varied day and may prefer a traditional camp where the camper can participate in many different activities each day. Traditional camp gives them exposure to a whole range of activities and allows children to develop many different skills and talents. Does your child attend an all girls’ or all boys’ school? If your child does, maybe sending him or her to a coed or brother-sister camp during the summer would be a good change and allow your child to socialize with children of the opposite sex in the safe environment of camp. Does your child focus on only in one activity most of the time and shows little interest in anything else? If yes, a specialty camp focused on that activity might be the right fit for your child. But clearly that’s a discussion worth having with your child, in case he or she might prefer a break from it. “The important issue in finding a camp is to understand the philosophy of the camp and the camp director,” says Renee Flax, Director of Camper Placement for the American Camp Association, New York and New Jersey. “Ask them about these issues and get their viewpoint. Once you feel that you are on the same page philosophically with a specific camp, you have probably found the right camp for your child.”

New York Family 2012 Ultimate Guide To Summer Camp

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