I went to summer camp for 9 years - there is nothing like it!

Another thing to remember about summer camp blues (or homesickness) is to acknowledge the child's feelings and reassure them that such feelings are normal.

You're also spot on with the last comment about the parents... at our summer camp, frenchwoods.com we have a very robust support system for homesick kids (I'm sure most summer camps do too.) We give them lots of extra attention and are sure to keep them busy and having fun, but no one is providing this support to the parents, and frequently it is the parents who have the hardest time dealing with the separation.

When a camper feels homesick it is so important to reassure him or her that these sorts of feelings are completely normal. Then the activity of being at camp, meeting new friends, and trying new things all help forge new feelings of accomplishment and belonging. Just experiencing all of that is a great opportunity for personal growth. It is almost magical!

While I haven't come to grips with sending my children away for camp, I have ventured to allow them to go for a 2-night/3-day camp away experience during their 'normal' day-camp summer.

It was a bit nerve-wracking to know that my oldest child would be two states away from me for an extended period of time, but I trusted the camp director and knew from watching her staff that my child would be in great hands.

My son came home with glowing stories about his first-ever real canoeing & camping trip in Pennyslyvania. He loved it and I loved that he came back to me in one piece -- although he was a little smelly...

Park Explorers Day Camp (in Park Slope, Brooklyn) allows kids to be kids and to explore different activities -- sports of all kinds (soccer, gymnastics, baseball, hockey, basketball) -- and theatre arts along with musical counselors who share thier passion with the campers.

My kids love it so much they already begged to go again next summer and that was a month ago!

So, for me camp away from home are still not high on my list, but short romps with a camp I trust, like Park Explorers, is a definite.

As far as allergies and camp, my younger son has slight asthma as well as seasonal allergies. I prepare him by making sure I reduce his sugar intake, and at time his soy/milk/dairy product intake and up the vitamin C. If things get a bit tough for him with post-nasal drip, I pull out the Singulair and give him a tablet a day for 2-3 days then see how he is.

I tend to stay away from heavy duty medicines and use homeopathic remedies when I can.

The first step to easing the anxiety for the parents is to feel comfortable with the camp that you selected. Contact the camp directors before you make your decision, and speak to them. Make sure that their philosophies coincide with yours. Next step, is to choose a camp that matches your child’s personality and interests. Only once you and your child feel comfortable with the camp, will the anxiety level will decrease.

I sent my 14 year old son and 9 year old daughter to SuperCamp this past summer and they both loved it. My daughter's camp was 7 days long and my son's was 10 days. It was hard being apart, but they called home every day around 5:00 p.m., and they sounded so happy, it made it easier on me. Now, 4 months later, I'm so glad they went. They made new friends that they stay in touch with, but they picked up some new skills for school and both seem more enthused about school this year.

Unfortunately homesickness is part of camp life, that's for sure. But with skilled counselors you can help most kids get through it. It's also nice to have the parents send an email or package BEFORE your kids leave for camp so it's there waiting for them upon their arrival at camp -- this can relieve their homesickness some right off the bat. We have a day camp in Los Angeles (http://alohabeachcamp.com)
so we don't have to worry too much about homesickness, however my wife and I have sent our daughter to sleepaway camp for several years and also have a Maui, Hawaii sleepaway camp of our own (which you can visit at http://alohabeachcamp.com/hawaii_surf_camp.html),
so we've become more familiar with how to deal with it.

What I've experienced, and what I've heard from a lot of other parents, is that there are a lot of kids and teenagers who don't want to go to camp, but once they get there, they love it. They don't like the idea of taking a week or more of their summer vacation to go to camp, not knowing what it will be like. This was my experience last summer. A friend told me about SuperCamp (http://www.SuperCamp.com),
a learning and life skills camp. I checked it out and thought my son, who was going into high school in the fall, could really benefit from it. I showed him the website and he balked. But my husband and I insisted. It turns out, he thought it was great. He got over his pre-camp blues in less than a day. I could tell with his calls home each day that he was having a great time. When my husband and I went to the graduation on the last day, it was incredible. He actually got up in front of everyone - 125 kids, their parents and the staff - and shared how this was such an incredible experience for him. And we've seen great results at school this year because of it. I guess my message is, even if your child puts up a fuss about going to camp, you should resist the urge to give into him or her, especially if it is a camp that you think can have some long-term value. My son actually thanked us for sending him, once he got home.

I know several kids who went to Supercamp this past summer also. They all loved it and plan to go again this summer. What Debbie said is true: kids (teens especially) often just want to sit home on the couch all summer and are reluctant to the idea of camp. www.supercamp.com/academic_summer_camps.html Has a lot of information about the camp - it will convince you that Supercamp can make a real difference in the life of your child. All of my friends' kids loved it, so i highly commend this summer camp.

My 11 year old son attended Cybercamps last summer, and loved it! His father was in the hospital at UCLA for 8 months, and life was tough for this little boy... I went on line and searched for a tech camp at UCLA, and voila! I found just what the doctor ordered! This year my son is again scheduled to go to this same camp, and can't wait! He's signed up to be an Action Agent - someone that tells other people about the camp. This helps us to earn tuition credits for the camp. If anyone is interested in a nice tech camp, they have over 50 locations across the US for kids ages 6 to 18. They even have a camp at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando Florida!!! (for kids ages 14 - 18) That camp is called livewire. My son can't wait to be old enough for that camp! Here's the livewire link: http://livewiresummer.com/what-happens-at-livewire.aspx


If you do register and would like to use the promotional discount code, here it is: Spok117

Have a great summer!

I agree with what Penny said. And one of the really great things about Cybercamps Academy is that you have the option of sending your kids to day camp, where you pick them up each afternoon, or they can go to overnight camp for the week, whatever is more comfortable for you and your child. I agree with many of the comments that most kids who are shy or timid at first tend to open up and don't want the week to end. This is certainly true with Cybercamps Academy, where kids learn game design, robotics and other cool tech stuff but they also make new freinds, are around other kids like them, have fun outdoor activities along with computer time, and their self esteem and confidence is boosted ... an truly unforgettable summer experience.
http://www.cybercamps.com/

I think going away for the summer is part of every kid's childhood that they look back upon fondly as they get older. I know I do. I'm not sure what the numbers are, but I'm sure I read that numbers at kids summer camps are coming down, which to me seems a real shame.
http://www.coppercreek.com/

Parents please check into your summer camps food service! I am a head cook in a local school district and decided to work at a summer camp so that my son could go and have a wonderful experience. It was a total nightmare! The "head chef" was the nastiest person I ever met. He had been working there preparing food for 2 weeks and didn't even have soap to wash his hands! The teenage foreign help spoke little english and he was sadistic to them. He'd give them jalapeno peppers and tell them "taste it, it's sweet". The camp was mostly Jewish children and he ordered pork products (telling the owner it was beef). He had the foreign teens working from 6 am to sometimes 8 at nite with only 1 half hour break. He would yell at the children that attended the camp. One little boy burned his hand on the steam table, and instead of comforting him, he called him a dumb*** for touching it. This is only a couple examples of many that I witnessed. I took my son and left after one week, and I NEVER SENT my children to summer camp after this! PLEASE, check out all aspects of the camp before sending your children!!! I'm a mom of 3 and a grandma, and I can guarantee that I'll never send my kids to a sleepover camp again without demanding to meet the cooks and check out the kitchen. It's your right!

Our son was more than ready to go Cal-Berkeley for camp. He had a great time, having donuts and Coke for breakfast! Beyond that, he learned Mod-ing and Machinima at Cybercamps. Here's a link to the site, you can use promotional code "Disney" for a discount.
http://cybercamps.com/bay-area-computer-camps

I agree with Malcolm as tech camp was a good fit for my nephew. He went to an awesome one at UCLA called iD Tech Camps. He's a sporty kid so he liked the mix of outdoor activities with video game design. Staff was very professional and welcoming.
http://www.internaldrive.com/locations/

Son's first time away from home and he went to a 4 week camp in Maine and loved every min. of it. If you are looking for an all boys camp in Maine were your son will have the time of his live i would look into Camp Cobbossee
www.cobbossee.com

My son, currently 12, has attended Swift Nature Camp (http://www.swiftnaturecamp.com/)for
two years and we are going to send him back for as long as we can. He loves it. He is very smart, but has trouble at school with attention-seeking ploys. The counselors and directors at SNC have a great, hands-on approach to leadership, social skills development and confidence-building.

They provide an excellent atmosphere that encourages positive traits to rise to the surface. My son has developed greater peer understanding and empathy, greater self-confidence and trust, better leadership skills, an understanding of group dynamics and fair process and many other valuable lifelong skills.

The cabins are by gender and age and do activities together, including laundry (!) and in the afternoons the campers can pick from a variety of typical camp activities (arts & crafts, archery, swimming, etc.). On top of this, the camp is dedicated to environmental awareness and nature preservation. They have a nature center with microscopes and frogs and tadpoles and lots of hands on activities. There is also a small petting zoo of well-adored animals.

Of course there is plenty of laughter, games, campfires, food, sports, fun, drama, singing, etc. that makes overnight (residential) camp an experience one remembers for their entire life.

My son has learned so much from this camp in only the two years he has been attending. We have noticed a HUGE difference in his attitude, manners and abilities. He is more mature, pleasant and competent. We would pay any price for the experiences and social education he has gained from SNC.

Thanks Jeff, Lonnie and all the fabulous counselors, cooks, nurses, etc. We hope our son will join your camp as a counselor when he is older!

My son, currently 12, has attended Swift Nature Camp (http://www.swiftnaturecamp.com/)for
two years and we are going to send him back for as long as we can. He loves it. He is very smart, but has trouble at school with attention-seeking ploys. The counselors and directors at SNC have a great, hands-on approach to leadership, social skills development and confidence-building.

They provide an excellent atmosphere that encourages positive traits to rise to the surface. My son has developed greater peer understanding and empathy, greater self-confidence and trust, better leadership skills, an understanding of group dynamics and fair process and many other valuable lifelong skills.

The cabins are by gender and age and do activities together, including laundry (!) and in the afternoons the campers can pick from a variety of typical camp activities (arts & crafts, archery, swimming, etc.). On top of this, the camp is dedicated to environmental awareness and nature preservation. They have a nature center with microscopes and frogs and tadpoles and lots of hands on activities. There is also a small petting zoo of well-adored animals.

Of course there is plenty of laughter, games, campfires, food, sports, fun, drama, singing, etc. that makes overnight (residential) camp an experience one remembers for their entire life.

My son has learned so much from this camp in only the two years he has been attending. We have noticed a HUGE difference in his attitude, manners and abilities. He is more mature, pleasant and competent. We would pay any price for the experiences and social education he has gained from SNC.

Thanks Jeff, Lonnie and all the fabulous counselors, cooks, nurses, etc. We hope our son will join your camp as a counselor when he is older!

Summer programs for troubled teenagers are organized to provide the troubled youths an opportunity to improve their skills or to attempt something new during the summer vacation. The students are offered by variety of moderate art and other subjects. All activities of summer camps are useful for students to enhance their skills.
http://www.restoreteens.com/Search/0/Summer-Programs/index.html

The University of Virginia hosts 4 Star Camps, a youth summer camp for ages 7 - 10. They have academic, golf and tennis programs. http://www.4starcamps.com

This is a warning to parents everywhere-

Please take extreme caution before sending your child to Camp Heart O' The Hills, located in Hunt, Texas. I have two daughters who attended the Heart, one for 6 summers, and the other, my eldest, for 11 summers. This camp is an all girls summer camp, and the problem here, is the rampant homosexuality which seems to be prevailing in every corner of camp. My daughter, the eldest, was a counselor there this summer, and I have felt compelled of late to post this for parents, due to the fact that my counselor daughter had such an awful summer. Two years ago, camp acquired a new program director, Caroline Key, now 27, who inadvertently revealed her lesbian tendencies when she had an affair with a seventeen year old assistant counselor, on camp. Please take EXTREME caution before sending your precious loved ones there. My eldest is 20 soon, but she's still my baby. And hearing her so upset about the camp she never wants to go back to, has made me this upset. We love the Heart, but we do not love Caroline Key.

- Worried Mommy.

You can always keep in mind that there are some camps designed for both the child and their parents. This a great way for children and their parents to spend some family time together and not have to worry about the homesick blues. The LA Experience summer camp held in Los Angeles is one of these programs where participants and their families gain an exclusive insider’s guide to the entertainment industry, so they know how to properly position themselves in the business and pursue a career in film and television. Qualified performers will have the opportunity to meet with industry professionals and learn various aspects of the film and television business while performing daily. For more information, check out: http://www.dolphintalent.com

want to know how to get a real bonding experience at summer camp? put together 40 kids for 1 to 5 weeks to learn languages, practice sports and discover a truly international experience with kids from over 20 different countries. Travelling made me grow dramatically, that's how I learned breakfast was different in every country I visited, people would greet each other differently, that's also how I learnt 4 languages. Check this out if it's for you http:\\www.mbscambi.com\incoming

hey thanks for providing such a valuable information.

I think if you find a summer camp that you trust and seems something your child would be interested in then you should do it. Some kids don't like being away from their parents and in this case they might not be ready for that kind of separation. However, summer camps provide a chance for kids to meet new people and gain skills not necessarily learned in school. So all in all I believe it is a good idea.

Summer camps were one of the highlights of my summer when I was a kid. I was mostly involved in sport camps such as soccer and gymnastics, but would have loved to have had the chance to break up my summer with a technology or other academic camp to learn more about photography, film or graphic arts. My niece has attended a computer camp the last couple of summers, iD Tech Camps, at the University of Washington and she has made some really neat video games. Their link is http://www.internaldrive.com/courses-programs.
I hope to send my son there next summer, once he turns 7. Having a designated week in the summer to spend time with kids with similar interests is a lot of fun and a great learning experience.

Personally I think that sports summer camps are a great way to build friendships, learn what it is to be part of a team, and in general get some sunshine and just have some fun under the sun!

The best Summer Camp that i have seen for kids(or parents) with separation issues is the computer camp at The University of Texas called iD Tech. My son was very scared to leave home, but within 10 minutes of being there,he was ready for us to leave. I was very pleased with the amount of attention and detail put into the camp. They had a pre-printed list of his medications!. They also gave him special attention and made sure that he made a friend on the first night. He didn;t want to go home at the end of the week!

Swift Nature Camp was the BEST camp i have ever attended! the staff was caring, the whole camp was maintained perfectly and every cabin participated in frequent and awesome activities. They pay attention to table manners and make them fun. SNC has changed me as a person inside and out. with a limit of around 2 or 3 candies a week, it was a very healthe 2 weeks. I wait eagerly for the summer so that I can attend once again. -Gaby, A Former Camper.

My son's have both attended Camp for several years. We began at Camp Rio Vista with my oldest son 7 years ago and my youngest just 3 years ago. Before we decided to send our son the first year we visited the site, met the directors, and attended their Family Camp. After all of that we looked into their health department records and certifications. That sold me. I recommend that all parents do this.
If you are looking for a traditional camp in Texas, check out www.vistacamps.com . Talk to their directors you will be happy you did.

I want to start by saying that Camps can change the lives of children! But be careful! I grew up in Camp. I worked as a Camp Director for nearly 10 years. I even sent my son to Camp.
We did not check out the program as well as we should have. We sent our son to Camp Stewart For Boys in Texas. This summer one of their staff sexually abused at least 6 of the campers.
My child did not have any contact with this staff member, but what if.
If the program you are looking at has more International Staff than US Staff...THEIR IS A PROBLEM!! These camps can not get complete back ground checks on internationals. This puts your children in jeopardy! Ask about their internationals and their back ground check policies! Ask for proof!
My son will go back to Camp this summer. Not at the same program. We believe in what Camp gives our children. Just be mindful when you look into these programs.

I agree that safety should be your primary concern when sending your kid off to camp. Make sure that a complete background check is done on every staff member and that they are also fully CPR/First Aid certified. Adventure camps, though right off the bat sound more dangerous, can often be safer and lead to incredible growth during a camp. A few examples I have seen and am contemplating are http://www.aave.com/
and http://summertreks.com/


The challenge aspect is exciting for me as a parent.