Pros and Cons of Summer Camps

The purpose of this article is to focus on the pros and cons of summer camps to give you the information you need when deciding whether or not to send your child to summer camp this year.

Summer Camp Pro

Socializing:  Attending a summer camp is a great way for children to socialize and meet new friends.  They get to meet other children from around the country and they also get to share your experiences with them.  These children can be from different backgrounds and you get to see all sides of life.  Socializing, communication and leadership skills are just some of the things that your children can learn when they attend summer camp.

Learning Experience:  By attending an overnight summer camp especially one that is specialized you get to enhance your skills and practice discipline.  If you are attending a sports summer camp you get to develop your skill levels and you get expert instruction.

Fun:  Summer camp can be all about fun and there is plenty of time for mixing with your new friends and learning new and exciting things.  Summer camps gives children memories, skills, friendships and confidence and this is something that they might not get by staying at home for the summer.

Outdoors:  One of the best things about being at summer camp is the fact that the children are outside.  At summer camp children will spend a great deal of their time outdoors where they get to enjoy outdoor activities and water sports.  This means that they get plenty of fresh air and they learn some valuable skills too. 

Another of the benefits of sending your child to summer camp has to be the lack of pressure that is placed on them.  Children get to enjoy themselves without being pressurized to win or take tests. They get to look forward to being themselves, learning new skills and relaxing until school starts again.

In summary, summer camp can help to increase your child’s personal accountability, help with their decision making skills, social skills, appreciation of nature and more.  They get to make new friends and learn about people who are different from themselves.  A lot of these are things that you child won’t learn in a school setting and that is why summer camp is truly an amazing experience.

Summer Camp Cons

As with all things there are some cons when it comes to the overnight summer camp too.  The main one of these is the expense but there are others that you should look at too before deciding whether or not summer camp is the right thing for your child.  You should also discuss things with your child too before making the final decision.

Expensive:  Summer camp isn’t cheap and in most cases the fees for the overnight summer camps can range from as little as $300 right up to the $1,000’s.  This of course all depends on the amount of time your child will be spending at summer camp, the type of summer camp you choose and the amenities that are available.  It is therefore important that you fully research the summer camp you are choosing for your child before you make any commitment.

Overcrowding:  There are a lot of children who attend summer camp and there are some parents who think that their children will receive one on one instruction only to find out that there are over 500 children attending the same summer camp.  Again this is where you need to spend time researching.  You need to know how many children will be attending the summer camp you have chosen.  This is especially important if you are planning on sending your child to a specialized summer camp and expecting them to get expert instruction.

Homesickness:  Homesickness can be quite common for many children who attend overnight summer camp and this is something that you need to take into consideration too.  You need to see what the policy is if you child says they are homesick and want to go home.  Many summer camps have special tools in place to deal with this and they work on keeping your child busy and making new friends so that they can keep their minds off it.

Too Much Choice:  Sometimes finding the right summer camp for your child can be a chore.  There is so much choice and in some cases too much choice. There are sports summer camps, overweight summer camps, special needs summer camps and more.  It takes a lot of time and research to find the camp that is right for your child.

As you can see, the pros and cons of summer camp are legitimate and something that all parents should pay attention to if they are deciding on a summer camp for their children.  Overnight summer camp might not be for all children and if this is the case you might want to look at day camps in your locality so that your child gets to enjoy summer camp without them getting homesick or it costing you too much.

By researching the many different summer camp websites you will be able to determine what is best for your child.  It is important to remember that while there are some cons to summer camps the majority of people who have attended summer camp during their childhood have very fond memories of their time and they have gained valuable life experience too.  Children get to become independent and learn to do things for themselves and this is a very important life lesson.

The websites that are listed below will provide you with more information about summer camps and what to expect.  They should also answer any further questions that you might have. 

www.summercamps.com
www.summercamp.org
www.camppage.com