Advice For Parents

Fewer kids are going to camp for the entire summer, mainly because of the large number of opportunities available to them. Many camps that have one- or two-week sessions with the option to attend three weeks or more, are finding that a majority of campers opt for shorter stays, while camps that offer operate on a four-, six-, or eight-week session are having to work extra hard to fill sessions. There is also a trend of campers arriving late or leaving camp early because of other...

It’s no exaggeration to say that this generation of campers, “Generation Z,” interacts with the world differently than generations before. The majority of this generation owns a smartphone, and they spend at least one hour a day online — with nearly half of them connected online more than 10 hours a day, according to Nielsen. These statistics may be alarming, but they also align with the reality of parenting these days – dealing with screen time allowance,...

As a child growing up in rural Connecticut, our daughter Janet had always been a bit of a homebody. Possessing a rather shy and reserved personality, she was a cautious soul – content to stick close to her family and friends, unwilling to “put herself out there” in uncomfortable social settings.  When it was time for college, we had assumed Janet would stay close to home. But she was unexpectedly awarded a generous college scholarship that was too good to refuse....

The benefits of camp fairs are numerous. Camp representatives come to a place close to your home, the event helps focus what can be a complex open-ended set of decisions, and you are afforded the opportunity to compare a number of programs in one place at one time. However, the most important opportunity that a fair offers is the chance to get to know the camp personnel. Many times the person representing the camp at the fair is the director, assistant director or a high-level...

When we make decisions for our children the first thing we think about is safety, especially when choosing our child’s resident summer camp. This is because we are entrusting others to have the same instincts we have when it comes to our children. We consider the child’s physical safety, as well as their emotional safety. We ask questions about safety precautions, emergency procedures and more.

What else should we consider when we are selecting an overnight experience for our children?