Thursday, January 7, 2010

Picking a Northwoods Summer Camp

By Lonnie Lorenz

So you are thinking about a Wisconsin Summer Camp for your child. GREAT! Here are the top 10 questions to ask a summer camp director. This list was compiled by the American Camp Association.

What's the camp's ideology? Are you comfortable with this ? Is it a good fit for your child? Is competition or cooperation emphasized? What religious observances or practices are part of the program?

How does the camp recruit, screen and train its staff? Do counselors have criminal background checks? First aid training? Drug Testing?

What about return rates? How many counselors are returning this year? How many campers are returning? ask the director why? Still looking for that perfect camp Check out this Summer Camps Wisconsin

What's the ratio of staff to camper? Guidelines for overnight camps are for a 1:6 ratio for ages for younger children, and 1:10 for older teens.

How old are the counselors? The ACA recommends that 80 percent of the staff be 18 or older and that all staffers be at least 16 and a minimum of two years older than the campers they supervise.

What medical staff work at the camp and what backup facilities are nearby? The ACA recommends that an overnight camp have a licensed physician or registered nurse on the site every day, and that day camps should have direct phone access. If your child takes medication, has food allergies or a chronic medical condition, be sure you are comfortable that the camp will be able to handle your child's needs.

How does the camp Punish campers? Know what your summer camp's rules and regulations. Be sure they match yur parental thoughts. Know what breaches would send a camper home.

What does a typical daily schedule look like? This will help you decide if your child will be happy with the level of physical activity or the amount of time devoted to arts and crafts. Ask how much freedom a child has to choose activities.

Does the camp have vans for transportation? How often are camp vehicles inspected? Who will be driving them and what's the training.

Ask for references. Finally and most important, get the names of parents with children the same age who have attended the camp.

Still looking for that perfect camp Check out this Summer Camps

Still looking for a resource to help you sort out all the summer camp confusion? Try Selecting a Camp

About the Author:

0 comments:

Post a Comment