 Learning to let go... and why you should | How short or how long? Day or Residential? | My child has special needs | Safety at a summer camp
A week? Two weeks? A month? How short or long a session should your child attend? Camp experts say: It depends.
Your child's age, independence and previous camp experience are all factors; so is your comfort with having your child away. Thousands of campers of all ages enjoy weeks on end in both day and residential settings. That's worth keeping in mind if your child is a first-time camper.
Advantages to longer stays or multiple sessions
- A week to adjust and settle in, then a second week to fully get into camp life
- Stronger bonds and deeper connections with other campers and counsellors
- A chance to sample and participate in all the diverse activities and experiences offered
- Increased opportunity to acquire skills and improve abilities
- Time to develop greater independence and self-confidence
- Fewer missed activities due to inclement weather
- Fun and learning multiplied over time!
Day or Residential Camp?
| Day Camp |
Residential Camp |
| Day camps are not just a stepping stone to overnight camp. Many kids attend and enjoy both day and overnight camps. Children as young as four and five are often ready for day camp, and it's a camping experience that kids can enjoy right through their teens. |
Choosing overnight camp can be a milestone decision for some parents, however residential camps can offer campers as young as six or seven more focused time on specialties while building self-confidence. |
Day camps offer:
- Broad choice of activities and specialties—sports, the arts, computers and more
- Great way for campers to sample and discover their passions and strengths
- Urban as well as rural and wilderness settings
- Chance to develop physically and emotionally—to gain social as well as problem-solving skills
- Busing and before-and-after-care at some camps
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Residential camps offer:
- More time to spend on a specialty focus or exploring new activities and learning new skills
- Opportunity to make new friends with campers from around the world
- An environment that allows kids and teens to become more independent, being away from the security of family
- Opportunity for summer work, building leadership skills and responsibility for self and others.
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Is your child ready to go overnight?
You may not think so, but children as young as six or seven attend and love residential summer camp. Here are some points to consider when asking yourself if your child is ready to go overnight:
- Is your child comfortable attending sleepovers at a relative's or friend's home?
- Can your child wash and dress independently, and keep track of his or her belongings?
- Does your child have a friend or relative attending the camp during the same session?
- Is your child flexible about new routines, like coping with mealtime away from home or being exposed to unfamiliar food?
- If your child is emotionally insecure or if major changes are underway at home, now may not be the best time for overnight camp.
- If your child has difficulty sleeping through the night, it's likely best to wait until a regular sleep pattern is well established.
- If your child wets the bed, explain that he or she is not alone and that most camps offer help, support and discreet handling of this issue, then speak with the camp director.
- Does your child have a friend going to camp at the same time?
- Consider the age and maturity level of your child. The time for residential camp may be sooner than you think.
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