CAMP SELECTION TIPS FROM PALI ADVENTURES
With summer inching closer as we speak, Glitter recently sat down with Ian Brassett, general manager of Pali Mountain, a facility that houses Pali Adventures, a residential one and two week specialty summer camp in Southern California, who gave us some helpful tips on selecting a summer camp. Read on to find out more.
Sending your most precious possession away to camp for a week or a whole summer is not a decision taken lightly! Here are five key tips to help you wade through the incredible variety of camps out there, and choose the one best suited for YOUR child.
Accreditation: To assure your camper is going to a safe camp, only choose a camp that is accredited by the American Camp Association. The ACA Standards provide a benchmark of over 250 rules, guidelines and regulations primarily focused on the health and safety of your child, to provide them with the best possible summer camp experience.
Type of Camp – There are many camp options out there but figuring out what kind in advance will make the selection process much easier.
- Coed, Girls only, or Boys only? A single-gender camp can allow campers to feel more relaxed about their social interactions, and remove the distraction of having the opposite gender around. However, a coed camp provides a safe place to learn crucial social skills in a supervised environment. Boys and girls can learn how to relate to and interact with each other in an unstructured, yet controlled social setting that will serve them very well as they grow up.
- Local Day Camp, or full Residential Sleepaway Camp? The youngest campers, usually about 7 or 8 years old, benefit most from a day camp where they can return home every night. However, as soon as they are ready for an overnight camp (usually a full year before YOU are ready to send them), it is time to let them attend one! The soft skills learned and independence gained while being away from home at a young age will travel with the child throughout his or her life.
Camp Focus and Activities: Make sure the camp provides the activities than meet your child’s wants, needs, and interests. Does the camp offer a wide range and variety of activities or a narrow specialty program that you child has a strong interest in? Are you looking for specific skills to be learned in the summer (film editing, soccer, tennis, golf lessons, etc) or a more well-rounded camp experience?
Camp Specifics: Take the next step in narrowing down your search by taking into the length of stay, cost, location and accommodation for special needs.
Investigate. You’ve narrowed it down to just a few camps that meet all your criteria. Now it’s time to dig deeper by visiting the camp, obtaining testimonials and speak directly to the camp director to make your final decision on the best camp to attend.
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Editorial Director | Writer | Tweet me @heatherriccio
