The When, How, And Why’s Of Sending Your Child To Summer Camp

Summer break is fast approaching, and you may be questioning whether enrolling your child in a summer camp is the right choice for your family. If you’ve never sent your child to summer camp before, you may be questioning when to send them to summer camp, how to ease the transition to going to camp, and why keeping up an activity routine over the summer can be so important. In this blog, we’ll answer these questions and show you why summer camp can be such a great experience for your child!

When Should I Start Sending My Child To Summer Camp?

At What Age Should I Send My Child To Camp?

There is no standard age that a child reaches where they suddenly become ready for summer camp. Typically, you’ll want to wait until your child is able to attend a full day of school before sending them to summer camp all day. Summer camp is a great way to mimic the structure and activity level of a day of school, so starting your child in summer camp once they’re attending full days of school is a great way to gauge whether they’ll be ready for camp. Alternatively, if your child is in half-day school and will be starting a full-day school in the fall, transitioning to a full-day schedule through the fun of summer camp can be a helpful way to ease that transition!

How Many Days A Week Should I Send My Child To Summer Camp?

This decision will be different for everyone and will be based on every parent and child’s home life. If you work five days a week and need childcare for each day, a five-day-a-week summer camp is the obvious choice. For many children, summer camp is the main activity they will be participating in all summer. In this case, we recommend as many days a week at camp as they will be attending school in the fall. So, assuming they have a standard school week of five days, we recommend five days of camp a week to mimic that routine. However, if your child is heavily involved in other activities over the summer, like our summer sports leagues or summer STEM camps, consider scaling back their days at summer camp. Keeping your child in structured activities during the summer is important, but children need rest, too!

How Can I Make It Easier For My Child To Start Summer Camp?

Involve Your Child in the Decision-Making Process

If you’re nervous about how your child is going to adjust to going to summer camp, involve them in the decision-making process. Before enrolling your child in a day camp, discuss the different options available and let them choose a camp that aligns with their interests and preferences. Giving children a choice can help make difficult times and transitions easier. When children have a say in where they’re going and what they’re doing, they are more likely to feel excited and enthusiastic.

Visit the Camp in Advance

Take the time to visit the camp with your child before the start of the program. This will give them the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the surroundings, meet the staff, and ask any questions they may have. Familiarity can help alleviate anxiety and make the first day of camp less intimidating, especially if your child is new to summer camp in general. Depending on the camp, they may offer other activities throughout the year that your child can attend to build a stronger relationship and comfort level with the staff and potentially make some new friends who might also be attending summer camp! 

At The Police Activities League of Egg Harbor Township & Atlantic County, we offer a variety of activities like Sports Leagues, STEM Programs, and more throughout the year. If your child is nervous about attending our summer camp, they can join us before camp starts to get to know our facility, staff, and potentially make some new friends that they’ll see again at camp!

Why Is Continuing My Child’s Routine Through The Summer Important?

Children thrive on a routine and stability. Summer break can be a hard time for children as they go from their highly structured routine to much more free time and less structure. This can lead to behavioral issues as children grapple with their lack of structure. It can also pose a problem when it’s time to go back to school in September, and children have fallen out of their ability to stick to a routine. This is why continuing a schedule that is similar to their school schedule can make summer break and the start of the new school year easier and more enjoyable. Camp will help your child keep up their routine of waking up on time, having a designated bedtime, and eating meals at a fairly standard time. Consistency provides structure and predictability!

Where Can I Find A Summer Day Camp Near Me?

A great place to find summer day camps in your area is to look for local non-profit organizations like Police Activities Leagues, YMCAs, or Boys and Girls Clubs. If you’re in South Jersey then you’re in luck! The Police Activities League of Egg Harbor Township and Atlantic County offers a summer day camp program from June 16th through August 29th! We offer camp for one to five days a week, as well as before and after care services. If your child is particularly interested in STEM, we also have STEM summer camps available! At the Police Activities League of Egg Harbor Township and Atlantic County, we want to make sure your children are having fun and staying safe all summer long!