2019 Camp Expo Program Guide by Ivy Life & Style Media

D F M RE IS E SI O N

Fun Fair& Camp Expo

2019

Find the Perfect

Sunday, February 10

SUMMER CAMP

10am - 3pm DoubleTree Hotel 29 North (next to Sam’s Club)

FREE PARKING & ADMISSION!

En a chan ter for ce Beats to WIN Head Solo3 phon es!

Entertainment • Popular Giveaways • Fun for the Kids & Teens Special thanks to our sponsors!

DAY CAMP Open to the community â&#x20AC;¢ Licensed Year-round professional team Safe, kid-friendly campus Preschool to middle school EARLY BIRD Indoor and outdoor activities Weekly themes SAVINGS Learn to swim at camp! 10% off camp & 5 waterpark passes Register and complete paperwork by March 5, 2019

SPECIALTY CAMPS

Animal Planet Super Magical ARTastic Camp Marvels of Science Epic Chefs Cooking Camp Say Yes to the Mess Outdoor Camp and more... acac.com/camp

| 434.978.7529

Live your best.

T C D E N I F PERF ER M M E U S H T AMP

10 Questions to Ask Before Deciding

BY CLAIRE YEZBAK FADDEN 4

CharlottesvilleFamily.com

As the daylight hours begin to stretch into early evening and the calendar pages head toward June, parents start thinking about how to best fill their child’s summer days. The process of picking the best camp experience for your child doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, by taking the time to talk with your camper and answer these few questions, it can be as easy as 1-2-3. You can turn your child’s school vacation into weeks of camaraderie, fun and discovery, and enjoy your summer as well, knowing that your child is spending part of his or her days learning as well as being entertained.

1) Is my child old enough to go to camp? What camps are best suited to his or her age? “Ask your child: Are you interested in going to camp?” says Peg L. Smith, former CEO of the American Camp Association (ACA). “This is a family decision, and the best way to determine if your child is ready is to learn firsthand if they want to go.” To make for the best, age-appropriate experiences, camps breakdown their programs by age groups (4–7, 8–10, 11–13 and 14–16). This helps in choosing the right camp for your child’s maturity. 2) How much will it cost? Depending on what your expectations are, sending your child to camp can be a very affordable enrichment option. According to the ACA, there is a wide range of price options available that depend on the choice of camp, the facilities offered and your camper’s needs. For budgeting purposes, parents can plan on an average day camp fee of around $43 per day and an average residential camp fee of around $85 a day. Remember that camp fees may be tax deductible as childcare expense. Ask your tax advisor to see if you qualify. 3) What are my child’s interests? “There are traditional camp experiences that include campfires, telling camp stories and lots of free, unstructured play,” says Smith. “There are also specialty camps that offer martial arts or swimming for example, as a way to sample a sport before making a longer commitment. Offer your child a few options to choose from as a way to find out what new interests he may have.”

4) Where can I find out about all the options? Whether it’s traditional day camp, specialty camps or residential camps, there are lots of options available. Visit the CharlottesvilleFamily.com Online Summer Camp Fair page for lots of information about local camps. You can also visit acacamps.org and click on “Find a Camp.” 5) What’s an average day like? The daily schedules of each weeklong day camp vary. Some run from early morning until late afternoon (with extended day care, if desired). Others offer a combination of half-day or full-day sessions. At a residential camp, you can send your child for the entire summer or select a few weeks here and there. 6) Whose camping experience is it anyway? “Too often, we get kids in camps that their mom or dad wanted them to attend,” says camp counselor Shawn. “I can’t stress enough the importance of choosing camp activities that your child is interested in,” he adds. “If your daughter doesn’t want to play soccer, you’re better off enrolling her in a different camping experience. Everyone will be much happier by the time the end of the summer rolls around.” 7) Can your camper use more exercise? Summer camp is a chance to move your child away from video and computer games and introduce him or her to a new sport—maybe one that will hold their interest throughout the year. According to Smith, 63 percent of campers who learn a new activity continue with it after camp ends. “Campers use this opportunity to get outside, turn off all those electronic devices

CharlottesvilleFamily.com

and reconnect with nature.” Smith adds, “It’s a chance to see if your child can develop a jump shot or learn to pirouette.” 8) Why is it important for the camp to be accredited? Accredited camps have met the industry requirements in the key aspects of camp operation, program quality, and the health and safety of campers and staff. These camps comply with appropriate standards and counselor/camper ratios. To find out if a camp is accredited, visit acacamps.org and click on “Find a Camp” or call 800-428-2267. 9) What else can my child learn at camp? There’s another kind of education that goes on at camp says Christopher Thurber, author of The Summer Camp Handbook. It’s a place for kids to “relax and learn life skills—such as making friends and playing fair— that will serve them and the people whose lives they touch.” Thurber adds, “At camp, young people bond with positive adult role models whose integrity and leadership-by-example tower over those of celebrities or sports heroes. High-quality camps are places where young people not only realize their potential in athletic or artistic pursuits; they realize their potential to do good in the world.” 10) Will my camper have fun? “Fun should rule during June, July and August,” reminds Counselor Shawn. Even though parents want every experience for their children to be worthwhile and educational, its important to remember that it’s summertime, and there’s a lot of learning that happens while you’re having fun.

Award-winning freelance writer Claire Yezbak Fadden is the mother of a former camp counselor.

CharlottesvilleFamily.com

s n o i t s e u Q p m Ca

p u d n u o R

Make the most of the CharlottesvilleFamily Fun Fair & Camp Expo with these great questions for program directors and camp counselors:

• What is your camp’s philosophy or mission? • Where is your camp? • How much does your camp cost? • When are the sessions and how long do they run? • Does your program have day camp and/or residential camp options? • What age groups are represented, and in what percentages? • Where do your campers come from? Are they local, national or international? • Is the program coed? If so, what is the approximate ratio of boys to girls? • Who is the camp director, and what is his or her background? • Who are the camp staff members? How are staff members trained? • What is the ratio of campers to staff members? Does that ratio change during different activities or during different times of the day? • What are your medical facilities like? Is there a nurse or doctor on staff? • What kind of living/eating/recreational facilities does your camp offer? • How are behavioral problems handled? What is the camp policy regarding discipline? • What are the safety regulations? What kind of supervision is provided? • What is the daily schedule like at your camp? How much free time is there? • Can the camper have visitors? • What kind of communication is allowed—mail, phone calls, etc.? • How does your staff handle homesickness?

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE... ...whether your kids love art, robots, swimming, horses or adventure sports! 8

CharlottesvilleFamily.com

Making a Camp Care Package • Games like Apples to Apples or Heads Up • Stationery & stamps • Photos of pets & family • Drawings created by younger siblings or friends • Batteries • Word jumble puzzles • Toothbrush • An iPod loaded with a playlist of your child’s favorite songs • Favorite stuffed animal • A journal • A paperback book or some magazines • Stickers • Temporary tattoos • Bug spray • Lip balm • Travel size shampoo, lotion and other toiletries

CharlottesvilleFamily.com

Community Christian School

Camp Rim Rock

Albemarle Ballet Theatre

57 58

Camp Horizons

71 60/61

Albemarle Montessori Children’s Community

Bath Fitter

Carriage Hill Farm

82/83

Child Development Labs at UVA

Camp Roanoke

CATEC Summer Career Camp

Venture Chiropractic

Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre: Next Level Summer Camps

Exhibit Hall Annex

Spectrum Summer Programs at Tandem Friends School

Exhibit Hall Annex

Watershed Adventures

NBC29

Restrooms Hallway Exhibitors* (see directory at left)

JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) 66 Jubilee Family Chiropractic 42 KidsCollege@PVCC 32 Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre Next Level Summer Camps 73 Light House Studio 16 Live Arts 47 Living Earth School 78 Mahogany Ridge 79 McCallie Sports Camp 80 Mercersburg Academy Summer Programs 36 Mountaintop Montessori Summer Programs 20/21 Oakland School & Camp 51 People Places, Inc. 35 Piedmont Family YMCA 19 Piedmont Regional Education/ Parent Resource Center 67 Rocky Top Climbing 27 Science Camp Watonka 12 Scott Wagner Chiropractic & Sports Medicine 33 SOCA 34 Spectrum Summer Programs at Tandem Friends School 74 STEAM Discovery Academy 30 The Front Porch 31 Triple C Camp 17/18 Tutor Doctor 39 UpLevel Martial Arts 55 Venture Chiropractic 72 Village School & AIM True Arts 26 Virginia Discovery Museum 4/5 Virginia Outside & Virginia Fishing Adventures 25 Watershed Adventures 75 WILD GUYde Adventures 52 Wildrock 68 Wilson School of Dance 54 YMCA Camp Silver Beach 13

Albemarle Ballet Theatre 57 Albemarle Montessori Children’s Community 59 Allergy Partners of Charlottesville 44 AstroCamp & Camp Motorsport 45 Bath Fitter 81 Blue Ridge Irish Music School 62 Blue Ridge School Summer Programs 24 Boar’s Head Sports Club 48/49 Camp Alleghany for Girls 28 Camp Friendship 29 Camp Hidden Meadows 41 Camp Holiday Trails 69 Camp Horizons 60/61 Camp Invention 43 Camp Nakanawa for Girls 46 Camp Rim Rock 58 Camp Roanoke 70 Camp Twin Creeks 15 Camp Yogaville 38 Camp4Real 23 Carriage Hill Farm 85 CATEC Summer Career Camps 71 Charlottesville Albemarle SPCA 22 Charlottesville Area Riding Therapy CART 63 Child Development Labs at UVA 84 Children’s Dentistry with a Mother’s Touch 37 Community Christian School 56 CrossRoads Camp & Conference Center 50 DePaul Community Resources 40 DMR Adventures 14 Ferrum College Summer Enrichment Camp 53 Field Camp of Charlottesville 76 First Tee of the VA Blue Ridge 77 Frontier Culture Museum 64 Horton Vineyards 65

Field Camp of Charlottesville

Exhibitors

First Tee of the Virginia Blue Ridge

Media Sponsors WVIR-TV NBC 29 - 9 Z95.1 Charlottesville Radio Group - 8

Living Earth School

Silver Level Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream - 82/83 The Little Gym - 10/11 Pediatric Associates of Charlottesville - 6

Mahogany Ridge

Gold Level ACAC Fitness & Wellness Centers - 2 Blue Ridge Bank - 3 Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital

McCallie Sports Camp

CharlottesvilleFamily - 1

UpLevel Martial Arts