Summer camps are one of the most expected moments of the year either for children or parents. It is a long process starting in February and they will not enjoy the result until several months later! For sure, they will be very excited and looking forward to the summer camps every week.
It is essential to bear in mind attending a summer camp is a very profitable experience for our children. It is great we grant them the opportunity to share a new experience with new friends and help them grow during their summer holidays. We work really hard at camps to keep on teaching values and habits they have been learning at home and school. Values such as team spirit, teamwork, generosity, organisation, etc. And all this is possible thanks to the commitment and eagerness from the people working at every camp.
In order to match expectations to reality, we recommend you to follow a series of steps so that you do not get lost among the great variety of summer camps. Find as follows the 5 main steps to choose the perfect summer camp for your children!
DATES
First of all, you need to choose the dates for the summer camp, taking into account every family member’s holidays since most camps take place by end of June to beginning of August. The length is usually two weeks, ideal for those kids who have never been away from home or in case your budget is limited. A summer camp for less time will not be as enjoyable, because your kid would have to go back home when he had eventually settled in.
TYPE OF CAMP
Fortunately, nowadays there are lots of types of summer camps to choose among. You will have to consider issues such as an overnight camp or a day camp, camps available according to your kid’s age, as well as the destination. Have you ever thought about your kid going to an English camp abroad?
Day camps are an affordable option, recommendable for those children who have some difficulties when it comes to sleep far from home. However, the experience is different from overnight camps, where kids immerse themselves in a new daily routine to enjoy every experience, although its price is higher. One way or another, if you finally choose a day camp, we recommend you make sure it is a day camp exclusively, otherwise your kid may consider he is missing some activities when you bring him home at the end of the day and his friends stay at the camp.
Getting to know your kid’s hobbies and likes will be very helpful to choose the proper summer camp. You can also find camps combining leisure time and learning, such as sports with languages, where kids not only enjoy, but also learn while having fun.
RELIABLE CAMPS
Every parent wants his children to go to a reliable summer camp. A good indicator is the years of experience they have. The more years, the better, since they have already passed inspections in order to accomplish with regulations in force. Moreover, you can also check opinions from parents whose children already spent the summer at those camps. This information can be really valuable to make the final choice.
Another factor to be taken into account is the staff working in the camp. It is necessary each teacher is in charge of a very limited number of children, besides they are great professional of leisure activities. The same applies for coaches of sport activities, medical team, languages or specific abilities teachers (dancing, equestrianism, etc) with experience and academic training, healthy food and a good cleaning service of the facilities.
And regarding facilities, do not forget to demand some images of the summer camp to better know where your kid will spend his holidays, and check the location of every activity. There are great complex similar to hotels, or simple huts where lots of children share room and toilet. Get enough information about all these details so that you make sure the camp you choose is the camp you really want.
We want our children to have fun during the camp but also they learn how to better enjoy when they play. Besides the benefits related to sports and games, we should also take into consideration these programs teach values and abilities. Children learn how to be more independent, taking decisions, following a discipline, sharing with his friends and team working, among others. Some camps offer classes of languages with participants from different nationalities, which provides a unique chance to practice languages and meet new friends from different cultures.
PRICE
There are many factors affecting the price for a summer camp. Facilities can make the difference between one camp or another, depending on the number of children per room, toilets shared, own sports facilities, etc… On the other side, we should be well informed about the services included in the price, because those not included might notably increase the final price of the camp.
The number of people working in the camp also affects the price, as well as their training. Getting to know these details might be difficult but do not hesitate to ask the managers of the camp about all the doubts you have.
As parents, we all want our children are in good hands and they enjoy this amazing experience, although this is not necessarily linked to the price of the camp. We recommend you to have clear what you are searching before you start comparing prices, establish a margin of maximum and minimum budget and collect some information about the camps you are interested in.
SOME OTHER PENDING ISSUES
Choosing a summer camp still has some issues you need to solve, such as transporting your kid to the location. If the camp is located abroad and your kid has to take a plane, he can travel by himself no problem, since all the camps we work with are in charge of picking up children at the airport. Alternatively, you can travel with him, lots of parents enjoy the trip while their kid is at the camp.
The level of English is also something to be taken into account. In general, your kid will not need a minimum level of English for national camps, but he will if he travels abroad alone. It is recommendable he can speak a little of this language to get on the plane crew during the flight (remember he will be picked up when he arrives). It will also be very useful to meet new friends from different countries at the camp.
When you finally choose a summer camp, book it as soon as possible. If you have any query, you can contact agencies such as SoloCampamentos, because we will advise you impartially, and will recommend you the best options for you, as parent, and for your kid. And in case he has special needs, we will be in charge of manage everything on your behalf. So if you are thinking about a summer camp for your kid, let us know what you are looking for and we will help you find out the perfect summer camp!
Good luck with your search!