What a great Orientation were having! The fields, waterfront, facilities and especially our brand new Tennis Center look amazing. As all the camper luggage is unpacked and the program areas are prepared, the anticipation grows for another incredible Laurel South summer. We can’t wait to meet all meet the campers on Thursday for First Session! Safe travels to Casco. What a beautiful day in the state of Maine!
Tag: summer camp
Is Your Child Ready for Summer Camp?
You’ve collected the brochures, visited the web sites, maybe you’ve visited a camp or two. You may have even have marked off a few weeks in July on your calendar. But you did it in pencil, because you just can’t get rid of that nagging question – is my child, my baby (sniff) ready for overnight camp?
There is no magic formula or age for camp, and every child is unique; but there are some tried and true signs of readiness. So before you pack the tennis racquets and the swimsuits, start by answering these five questions:
1. Is your child interested in and asking about camp?
Spring has just sprung – if your child is already asking about going away to camp, take that as a good sign. Children who are self-motivated and interested in attending camp have a greater chance of being successful once they arrive. Point your child to this: It’s My Life, a PBS web site for tweens, which has advice specifically for kids headed to camp. The site even encourages kids to talk to their families first. What mom doesn’t love that tidbit?
2. Can your child manage personal care needs and the tasks of daily living without mom around? On their own?
Overnight camp involves independent living. Does your child get dressed for school without your help? Can he/she fix themselves a snack? Take a shower? Remember to brush their teeth? If they still need help or daily reminders, you don’t have to keep them home (remember, your child will have great camp counselors to care for them), but you may want to encourage more self-reliance, a good quality to have at home, too.
3. How long has your child been away overnight without you? Was it a positive experience?
If your child loves sleepovers and slumber parties (at other people’s houses) transitioning to sleep-away camp may be a breeze. A week at grandma’s isn’t the same as three or four weeks at summer-camp; but if an overnight without you has never worked, do some trial runs before registering your child for camp. My own personal role model, Supernanny, has some great tips for making sleepovers a breeze.
4. Does your child have a healthy respect for adults and listen to instructions?
Life will be much easier for everyone if your child is good at following instructions and is willing to go along with camp rules. Just keep in mind that our kids often reserve their worst behavior for us, their parents, bless them. If your child is well-behaved in school, with coaches and other adults in positions of authority, they should do fine at camp.
5. Is your child willing to try new things?
Life comes at you fast, Ferris Bueller said, and the same is true for summer camp. Each day is filled with new people to meet, new surroundings, and new activities to try. For kids willing to give it a go, there’s no better place to spread their wings than summer camp.
The Bottom Line
No one knows your child like you do – even after you’ve completed all the quizzes and checklists and asked all your friends about their kids’ experiences, the best thing to do is trust your instincts. If you feel it in your gut that your child can handle overnight camp, you’re probably right. Get ready… summer is on its way!
Thanks to stevedepolo and peterblanchard for their pictures!
Olivia
When 4 Weeks is Just Right
Choosing a camp involves much more than just choosing a location or even the camp with the perfect activities and feel for your child. Camps also come in different sizes, so to speak; depending on how long their sessions are. Sleepaway camps range from two-week to two-month sessions, and choosing which one is best for your child depends on several factors.
In this post, I’ll take a closer look at four-week camps . First, some reassurance. Campers don’t “get less” because their camp is shorter. The schedules for the day and the special activities are very similar or exactly the same as longer camps. The programs are just as well rounded and varied, and you’ll be amazed at how much swimming, sport, adventure and creative arts can fit into four weeks – and the kids still get a one-hour rest period after lunch! We should all be so lucky!
Most importantly, the camp counselors and staff are as involved, caring and competent as they are for the longer camps. I know that for my children, their camp experiences are flooded with activities, but it’s the people they keep talking about (and talking to!) months later. Lifelong friendships can be forged and nurtured in the shortest of camp experiences.
So which camp for my child?
Take a look back at my earlier blog post, “Is Your Child Ready for Camp?” If you feel that your child is ready for camp, but you’re still feeling a little trepidation, why not try a shorter camp — for many new campers (and their moms), four weeks is the perfect amount of time.
A four-week camp may also be perfect for your family if:
- You need to fit in camp among other family plans and vacations
- Your child is nervous about a longer camp but a shorter one gets him or her excited
- Your child may be ready for more weeks of separation, but you’re not
- Your child lives out west, where school schedules can make a late-summer 7-week camp out East difficult (my children get out of school at the end of May and start back in the middle of August!)
Camp Laurel South offers two 4-week sessions in a complete traditional co-ed camping experience. What does this mean? Think of every wonderful image you have of summer camp – great times playing sports, spending time in the lake, learning new arts and crafts (friendship bracelets anyone?), going on new and exciting adventures, and, if your child is up for it, they can take guitar lessons and be the next campfire sensation. And it all happens with your new best friends right beside you. With its beautiful location on Crescent Lake in Casco, Maine, Laurel South is able to offer the same kind of dynamic programming that you can find at longer camp sessions. They even have the added bonus of an equestrian program.
Whatever you want your child to get out of camp: tradition, family, spirit, adventure, time in nature, and lots of fun, all can be found inside this four-week camp. Because shorter doesn’t mean skimpier!
Olivia, Guest Blogger
Camp is … just around the corner!
We’re so excited to begin the May countdown to camp. The staff is hired…the fields are green…the new Tennis Complex is just about finished…and we’re getting ready to start moving beds and cubbies in anticipation of arrival day. Believe it or not, our first group of “Pre Camp Staff” head to Maine in a couple weeks to work on opening preparations.
Max has been busy in the Gainesville office communicating with the 200 plus counselors and staff members who begin their journey soon from all over the country…and the world…to Casco. We have counselors coming from more than 50 colleges throughout the United States.
Starting in early June, Laurel South becomes a beehive of activity as staff begin to arrive for departmental training programs. Counselors working in Archery, Equestrian, Waterskiing and Riflery will join us on Crescent Lake to fine tune their skills. We’ll also be running our lifeguard certification program. In early June, the Adventure Staff (Outdoor Tripping and Ropes) join us for an orientation program with Inner Quest and SOLO Wilderness Expeditions, two groups from Virginia and New Hampshire which have been leading our adventure orientation programs for 15 years! And a few days before the counselors arrive, the Campus Leaders come to work with me, Dagni, Max and Laz to get everything ready for Staff Orientation
We’ll check in from time to time to keep you updated with news from camp.
In the meantime, start laying out your clothes and gear for Summer 2010. We’re psyched and can’t wait to see you soon!
As always, Dagni joins me in sending warmest and best regards,
Roger