How to Choose a Great Summer Camp for your Child

Summer camps are the ideal solution for parents who are wondering just what the hell their children are going to do all Summer. Although, a few weeks of watching television and playing with their friends is great, three months is simply too much time and after a while, boredom sets in.

And as you are likely aware, bored children are rarely much fun to be around. Summer camps are therefore perfect not only for keeping boredom at bay for the kids, but also for keeping madness at bay for the parents. Should you be considering booking a summer camp for your children, here are the key things that you should consider.

Reputation

The first thing that you should consider when choosing a summer camp is it's reputation. Ask around for recommendations of a great summer camp in your area. If you know enough people with children, one of them is bound to be able to point you in the right direction. Remember, a solid reputation is worth far more than a fancy brochure.

Activities

Although no summer camp will involve endless hours of television, the exact activities on offer do vary quite a bit. There are two things that you should look for when checking out the activities on offer at each camp in your area.

Are any of the activities new for your child? Although your child is likely to have played football about a thousand times, perhaps he/she has never been on a trampoline or played roller hockey. You should choose a summer camp that will enable your child to try something new.
Will your child actually learn anything? Although fun activities are certainly great for your child, you are also likely to want him/her to leave the camp with a new skill or two. For example, many summer camps include archery lessons.

Staff

How much your child enjoys the experience of attending a summer camp will depend largely upon the quality of the staff. Who are they and what experience do they have with controlling large groups of children? Have the necessary background checks been performed on all employees before they started working at the camp? These questions can all be easily answered with a quick telephone call to each camp that you are considering.

Facilities

Although, children are rarely fast to complain about a few broken chairs, you obviously don't want to send your child to a summer camp that's rundown and dirty. Therefore, you should look through each camps website and brochure and check out the photos. If in doubt, you should never be afraid to contact a summer camp to arrange a quick tour before you make a booking.

Price

Finally, the cost of summer camps can vary drastically even within a single state. It is therefore well worth your while doing a little bit of price comparison. It is also worth noting that just because a particular summer camp is more expensive, that by no means guarantees a higher quality of service. Therefore don't be afraid to grab a bargain if a cheap summer camp appears to meet all of your needs.