Choosing a Summer Day Camp

For many kids, summer activities involve a day camp. Both parents and children want a day camp experience that is fun, exciting and safe. Here are some tips from the experts at La Petite Academy, which runs summer programs for preschoolers and school-age children nationwide, to help you select a summer camp that is right for both of you:

• Don't wait! Many day camps begin to fill up early in the year.
• Visit the camp location. Make note of how you "feel" when you go into the building or room. Look around and see if it's a clean environment.
• If possible, observe the program in action. Do the children seem to be happy and having fun?
• Ask about the experience and training of the staff, including the ability to handle emergencies (for example, CPR and first-aid training).
• Find out about how behavior and discipline problems are handled.
• Ask for a copy of the camp schedule. Try to get a sense of how well planned the activities are.
• What are the fees and other costs associated with the camp?

For School-Age Campers

• Ask about field trips: What the trips will be, how often they are taken, what transportation is used, how children are accounted for to ensure safety, etc.
• Find out how much choice children have in their day. Is there a variety of activities or is there only one activity offered that everyone takes part in at the same time. Ideally, you would have one or two structured activities offered at a time (for example, an art project or a large group game) with other options available as well (so that a child could play a board game or read a book if he or she wanted to do that instead participating in the structured activity).
• Determine if the camp will hold your child's interest. Some things to consider are the number of activities available, the amount of time and space for independent play, the field trip schedule and the theme of the camp (if there is one).

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