Summer is pretty spectacular—no school, late sunsets, and warm weather. But after a while, every kid gets a little bored of being home all the time. Enter: summer camp. Great for changing up the routine, encouraging them to learn new things, and getting them out of their comfort zone, summer camps are truly magical.
But which one to choose? There are a lot of options out there no matter the interests of your child, but it can feel overwhelming simply figuring out where to begin. Here we’ll outline five tips for you to follow when searching for potential summer camps with your child.
1. Decide What Size of Camp You & Your Child Wants
If your child wants a summer camp with lots of different activities and fellow kids running around, then you might want to look for a larger summer camp with a wide breadth of options. Or if your kid has a specific interest, you’ll likely have more luck with a smaller more specialized camp.
Another thing to consider when deciding on a camp size is your child’s comfort level of meeting new people and making new friends. If they’re shyer and more reserved, a large camp with a lot of loud kids might not be the best environment for them.
AstroCamp is a specialized camp with science labs and mountain adventure activities. Due to our unique programming, we like to keep the number of kids in our sessions low so everyone gets an opportunity to participate and learn. Campers broaden their horizons and learn valuable communication skills in this encouraging and supportive environment.
2. Make Sure the Camp Has Appropriate Age Ranges
The last thing you’d want is your 7-year-old attending a summer camp designed for 16-year-olds. So as you’re pursuing camp websites make sure they have programming designed for different age groups. That could mean different sessions entirely, or simply different parts of the camp allotted to different ages.
There are two different camp sessions at AstroCamp. A one-week session for eight to 13-year-olds and a two-week session for 12 to 17-year-olds. We designed it this way because the two-week camp is more intensive as the teens get to choose from a wide breadth of activities that are then uniquely tailored to their interests.
3. Find a Length of Camp That’s Appropriate for Your Camper
Similar to what we just mentioned, it’s tougher for smaller kids to be away from home for long periods of time. When looking for camps not only pay attention to the age ranges, but also the camp’s duration. That’s why we designed the one-week session for the younger children and the two-week session for older kids.
4. Choose a Camp with Activities Your Child Enjoys
Your child who’s all about art should go to a camp that will allow their artistic talent to flourish. If your kid is a sports nut, drop them off at a camp with many different sports and coaches. Your child doesn’t have to be excited about all activities, just a majority. It’s the activities that they’re not interested in, try anyways, and become obsessed with that make summer camp so special.
For your science-loving kid who’s always trying to build kitchen-table volcanoes, send them to AstroCamp. In addition to our standard camp sessions that are chock full of labs, experiments, and outdoor adventures, we have Geek Week for the child who loves nerding out.
Geek Week is a specialty session designed specifically to dive deeper into some of the most popular creative-based activities at camp. Our epic weeklong journey through one-of-a-kind activities embraces everyone’s inner geek. There’s metalsmithing, LARPing, D&D, robotics, 3D printing, and more!
5. Learn About the Facilities & Staff Available at the Camp
Facilities and staff play a major role in determining if your child has a fun time at summer camp. Do some research into what’s available, when things have been renovated, and what type of training the staff has. A valuable resource is always the parent FAQ page.
Our facilities and labs offer state-of-the-art equipment for exploring physical and earth sciences and the natural world. Plus, we’ve even got our own escape room. Campers are housed in comfortable dorms and meals are served in our lodge-style dining hall.
When it comes to our counselors, we only hire the best! They’re all current university students with a background working with children. Applicants go through a rigorous hiring process including multiple interviews, a background check, and drug testing. Many cabin counselors were even campers themselves. They then go through an intensive 9-day training program before any campers arrive. Counselors are trained in team-building, group-leading, child development, safety, and being sensitive to individual camper’s needs and life experiences.
AstroCamp is THE Camp For Your Child
At AstroCamp, we designed our summer camp with your science-obsessed kid in mind. That’s why we hire awesome camp instructors and provide a balance of science and outdoor camp activities.
There’s never been a better time (or place!) to meet new friends, learn new things, and have a blast. Check out our summer camp’s dates and rates, and enroll today to help your child have the summer of their dreams.
