10+ Ways to Get Ready for Camp There are camps to meet every interest, price range and schedule. Knowing your options, as well as your child’s personality, will help you identify the best programs for your child. The following information will help you as you start your search. Camp Tekoa
n Overnight Camp: Most offer a variety of programs for children starting at age 7. Overnight camp options include coed, single sex and specialty camps that focus on a particular program and have varying overnight accommodations, such as cabins, tents and tepees. n Day Camp: Similar to overnight camps, these camps take younger children, starting at age 4, and everyone returns home at the end of the day. n Specialty Camps and Programs: Campers can embark on adventures as varied as learning how to ride a horse, water ski or dance. If your child has a special interest, there likely is a camp that specializes in it. n Special Needs Campers: A physical, medical or mental disability is not a roadblock to a camp experience. Each year more than 1 million children with special needs benefit from summer camp. Some camps specialize in serving certain groups while other camps integrate campers with special needs into the total camp population.
MJCCA Summer Day Camps
n Session Lengths Vary: Children may stay at camp for a few days, a few weeks or the entire summer. At camp, there’s a session length for every child, budget and schedule.
n Cost: Camp remains a very affordable option for most everyone. Fees can range from $15 to $120 per day, depending upon the choice of camp, the facilities offered and the camper’s needs. Many camps and other organizations offer financial assistance based on need.
6
Camp Guide 2019
Research tools to help with your camp search n Go to a camp expo. You’ll find lots of camp information under one roof. You can talk with representatives of the camps you’re interested in and gather brochures. (Atlanta Parent’s Camp Expos are Feb. 9 at North Point Mall and March 16 at Perimeter Mall. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. both dates. n Research online. Most camps have extensive information and photos to give you a picture of what camp life is like. n Ask your family, friends and neighbors. Many of them were campers themselves or can tell you about their child’s experience at camp.
Atlanta Parent Magazine’s Camp Expo
For overnight camps n Visit the finalists. If you’re unsure which camp is best, take your child and go for a tour. Some camps have open houses, and you’ll get a good sense of how your kid will spend his week or weeks at camp. Consider starting your search a year in advance and visiting a summer camp in progress to see what goes on. n Get the names of former campers. Camps you’re interested in should be able to help you contact former campers who can tell you what your child can expect.
www.atlantaparent.com