camps
Choosing a Camp: Why Start Now?
Faygie Holt | Special to the JE
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I t may not be the first thing that comes
to mind amid the hustle and bustle
of the late fall and early winter holiday
season, but now may be a good time to
lock in a summer camp program for
your child.

“The holiday season is a great time
to look for a camp. Camp is a gift, and
what better time to give the gift of camp
than during the holidays?” said Rachel
Steinberg, of Fort Washington, who
serves as manager of new family engage-
ment and community at Camp Harlam.

“Camp offers kids so much — the oppor-
tunity to try new things, make lifetime
friends, build independence, confidence
and resilience, all while having lots of
fun!” While there is “no wrong time to look
for a camp,” according to the American
Camp Association, it’s worth reaching
out early to see if your camp offers ear-
ly-bird pricing or holiday specials.

Discount or not, the ACA notes, open
enrollment for many camps starts in
January, so it’s a good idea to have your
preferred camp options narrowed down
before then. “Some camps fill quickly,
so there may be waitlists,” a spokesper-
son explained. “Some camps open their
enrollment even sooner, like the end of
summer, so be mindful of those facts
when looking at camps.”
Last year, following two years of
COVID-19 pandemic precautions, par-
ents eager for their children to have fun
registered them for camps as early as pos-
sible. That meant some longtime camp-
ers were shut out of their summer home
for lack of space.

That’s what happened to the Lisa fam-
ily of Broomall last summer.

“We’ve been going for years to one
camp, and I didn’t usually register my
kids until February or March,” Stephanie
Lisa said. “Then, last year, the camp was
fully booked in December. It didn’t mat-
ter if you were a returning camper. I was
very upset about it, but they couldn’t add
any bunks or more kids.”
Although Lisa ended up finding a
much different camp that year that her
boys loved, she did not want to be put in
the same position again.

To avoid the same problem this year,
she is already trying to find the right
experience for Steven, 10, and Elliott, 8,
for next summer. She’s also weighing the
all-important question: Are they ready
for sleepaway camp?
“I’ve toured four sleepaway camps,
did research on two more and then the
same thing with two day camps,” Lisa
said. “It’s almost like interviewing for a
private school or a college. You need to
make sure the atmosphere, the person-
ality of the people working there and the
program itself offer what your kids need
and like.”
According to Steinberg, “When look-
ing for a camp, you should consider your
goals for your child’s summer experience.

There are hundreds of amazing camp
options to consider, so it’s important to
hone in on the things that are important
to you and them. That could be things
like values, the facility, program offer-
ings, inclusion, etc. There are traditional
camps that offer diverse programmatic
experiences and specialty camps that
offer kids more depth in their experience
around a particular interest area like
sports or arts.”
Parents should find out if the camp
has received accreditation from the
American Camp Association, which
would indicate it has strict operational
measures in place in areas like health,
safety and risk management. Also, camp
officials advise parents to “interview”
the camp director, talk to parents whose
children are already in the program and
make sure you are comfortable with what
you are learning from these discussions.

As to whether a child is ready for a
sleepaway experience, Jamie Simon, who
serves as the senior adviser of camps and
talent at the national JCC Association and
CEO of Camp Tawonga in California,
suggested parents have their kids go on
sleepovers and see if they can put them-
selves to sleep.

If your kids have never slept away from
home and can’t get to sleep without you
being there, that’s probably a sign they
are not ready for sleepaway camp, Simon
said. “But if they go on sleepovers, and
they like sleeping away from home, that’s
a sign they might be ready.”
“Sleepaway camp is the best,” she says.

“It teaches kids to be their best self, to
grow independently, to be part of a com-
munity and explore their identity in ways
that are deep and meaningful and make
friends for life.”
However, camp experts are clear that
there is no one age when kids should
or must go to sleepaway camp, and it’s
important to consider each child individ-
ually when making summer camp plans.

Lisa says she’s narrowed down her
choices — one sleepaway camp and one
day camp depending on which route she
and her husband feel is best – and will
be making a decision shortly. But she
knows it’s not a decision she could have
made lightly.

“Camp is not something to do to keep
kids busy for the summer,” she said. “It’s
a significant investment in helping your
child grow.”
To learn more about summer camps in
general and find a camp for your child, the
American Camp Association maintains a
list of camps on its website, ACAcamps.

org. JE
Faygie Holt is a freelance writer.

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