Since it is now Springtime and baseball season has commenced, I will quote the great Yogi Berra. If you are planning on sending your child(ren) to summer camp this year, “it’s getting late, early!”
Summer Camps have been around for over 100 years! I have fond memories of growing up in Rockaway and loving the beach in the summer. We had a Belle Harbor beach house (now in the Atlantic Ocean) and people visited us from near and far. Because we didn’t want to leave the beach and our friends, we often decided to go to Summer Camp for 1 month instead of the whole summer. I remember going to basketball camp at KSA (Kutcher’s Sports Academy) and hanging out with my friends at the more social Kutcher’s Camp Anawana, across the lake. There is no doubt some of the best friendships in life begin at camp!
I reached out and interviewed my longtime friend Ken Barer (KB), Co-owner of Mohawk Day Camp in White Plains, to get the scoop on what’s going on with camp this year. It turns out he was in France, showing his daughter around town, from when he played pro basketball there. We spoke via WhatsApp. You have got to Love technology as we used to buy “phone cards” to call long distances outside the USA back in our summer camp days.
KB said, “We are 100% full and we filled up the earliest in our history. I think there was plenty of isolation and pent-up anxieties during Covid-19, and kids are really looking forward to reconnecting and relearning how to socialize, and camp is the best place to do it!”
KB then sent me a link to a New York Post column from February about a mother whose child received a “Camp Rejection Letter” from a Poconos summer camp that her 8-year-old was really looking forward to attending. The letter said, “due to unexpected and unprecedented demand, we, unfortunately, cannot offer your child a bunk spot.” This was after she had promised her daughter, she was going to camp where 5 of her friends were attending.
In order to prevent this from happening to your child(ren), see below for tips on how to begin your summer camp search:
1. Do NOT Wait: If you have plans for your child(ren) to attend a summer camp this year, it’s time to get on it and take action now!
2. Assess Your Child First: It’s important to have a handle on your child before matching them up with a camp. Ask yourself the following questions. Are they introverted or extroverted? Better in small or large group settings? Do they enjoy sports or perhaps theatre and the arts? Any special meal or diet considerations? Day camp or sleepaway?
3. Word of Mouth: Ask friends and parents of your child’s friends where they are going and why.
4. Talk to the Camp Leaders and Director: Even a year early is not too early to reach out to the camp leaders as it is important to have a working relationship with those in charge.
5. Search Online: Checking out a camp’s website and social media reviews is a good place to start. A website for New York City, Long Island, and Westchester Camp Fairs is www.NewYorkFamily.com/camp-fairs.
6. Camp Fairs: At Camp Fairs, families can walk around from table to table to make apples-to-apples comparisons. It is a good idea to have pre-written questions, and Camp Fairs allow for the efficiency of meeting multiple camp directors on the same day.
7. Camp Open Houses: Many day camps and overnight camps offer open houses in the spring and fall so families can have a chance to visit the camp ahead of making important decisions. During the open house, the camp will usually run activities for families giving them a chance to walk around and get a “vibe” from the camp. Similar to college campuses, sometimes there is a “feel” on the campus if it is going to be a good fit or not a good fit, so seeing the actual campus is critical.
8. Call the American Camp Association, New York and New Jersey: The NY and NJ ACA, offers parents “free services” including one on one advice to help your search. The contact person is Renee Flax at 212-391-5208 or email her at [email protected].
There is no question that doing the proper research to find the best fit for your child(ren) can pay off in the long run! There are camps for everyone and it’s important to choose one that has the activities your camper is looking for, as well as a camp you can be excited about.
In my experience, Camp allows children to discover who they are and uncover things they might be good at and are interested in. For me, I took up water skiing using “trick water skis,” which was pretty cool when we put on a show for the parents at Parent/Child weekend. Finding the right activities is also a good self-confidence builder and teaches campers teamwork and how to interact with kids from different backgrounds and nationalities. Other benefits of camp are it teaches independence and living in the moment and it helps develop relationships that could be lifelong.
Wishing you and your campers the best for a fantastic summer of fun and personal growth!