Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Experiencing Enrichment through Camp


Experiencing Enrichment through Camp: How to Find the Right Camp for your Child

In the 150 years that camps have existed in the United States, there have been opportunities for enrichment for children.  Selecting the right camp for your child can be a challenge given the vast number of camps that exist.  Selecting the right camp for your child can be even more challenging when you have a child with special needs.  There are a variety of camps including general, adventure programs, specialty such as a sports camp, academic, and therapeutic camps offering intensive summer programming.  For children with special needs, some families choose mainstream camps, while other families select therapeutic camps.  Children with ADHD make up 20 percent of enrollment at some mainstream camps.[1]  It is recommended that you may consider a mainstream camp for a child with special needs if your child makes friends easily and does well with unstructured times.

Tips for selecting a camp include investigating for a camp that has the presence of: a highly trained staff, individual attention, social skills instruction, enhanced medical services, academic support, and peer interactions.[2]  Other recommendations from camp directors include: making sure that the camp has experienced staff, camp staff discuss camp activities opportunities with your child, that you meet camp staff prior to attending camp, they have a low instructor-to-child ratio, and for parents to examine safety credentials including that instructors have first aid and CPR training.[3]  Preparing and registering early for discounts was also cited as helpful, as well as getting word-of-mouth recommendations.  Considering various options such as assistance with afternoon childcare or transportation services may also make some additional camps a possibility since these types of services can provide childcare or transportation to or from camp if needed.[4]  In addition, when specifically looking for a therapeutic camp it is often beneficial to discuss your specific child with camp staff prior to signing up to make sure that this camp is the right fit for your child and that you feel confident in the therapeutic model utilized by the camp.

At Quest, we hope that you will consider these tips helpful in selecting an enriching environment for your child over the summer.  "Unlike 150 years ago, today we have evidence-informed data that illustrates, articulates, and demonstrates the legitimacy of the camp experience as it relates to learning and development."[5]  There is also clear evidence to support the positive benefits of play.  The American Academy of Pediatrics has cited unstructured playtime as healthy for children and essential for their development.[6]  "It is absolutely essential that children be afforded the opportunity to play to enhance their physical, intellectual, and psychosocial development.  Perhaps no entity addresses this opportunity more effectively than the camp community...It is often said that camps are in the 'child development' business.  Perhaps, a more apt description would be that camps are in the 'whole child development' business.  Play may serve as the underlying foundation of that business."[7]  Marla Coleman, past national present of the American Camp Association, has specifically cited the power of day camps since "children learn life skills and behaviors that become habits of the heart."[8]


[1] Hanlon, P. Get with the programs: social skills prep, outdoor adventure, sharper academic skills-Choose the best kind of summer camp for your child. Additude, Spring 2011, 54-58.
[2] Hanlon, P. Get with the programs: social skills prep, outdoor adventure, sharper academic skills-Choose the best kind of summer camp for your child. Additude, Spring 2011, 54-58.
[3] Eifler, E. Camp champ: 10 tips to set your child up for summertime success. OC Family, March, 2010, 82-84
[4] Eifler, E. Camp champ: 10 tips to set your child up for summertime success. OC Family, March, 2010, 82-84
[5] Smith, P., Navigating complexity to greater relevance, Camping Magazine, Jan/Feb 2011. Volume 84, 1. P. 22,
[6] Ginsburg, 2007; as cited in Bryant, C., A platform for growth, Camping Magazine, Jan/Feb 2011. Volume 84, 1.
[7] Bryant, C., A platform for growth, Camping Magazine, Jan/Feb 2011. Volume 84, 1, pg. 28-31.
[8] Coutellier, C. Years of adventures and challenges: The history of day camp, Camping Magazine, Jan/Feb 2011. Volume 84, 1, pg. 44.

No comments:

Post a Comment