13 THINGS TO LOOK FOR WHEN CHOOSING AN
OVERNIGHT SUMMER CAMP
Ch o o s in g ju s t t h e r ig h t o ve r n ig h t s u m m e r c a m p fo r yo u r yo u n g s t e r is a h u g e d e a l. Aft e r a ll, yo u ’ll b e s e n d in g t h e m o ff, w it h o u t yo u r c a r e a n d s u p e r vis io n ‌
… fo r a b ig p ie c e o f t h e s u m m e r, a n d yo u ’ll w a n t t o b e s u r e t h e y’r e s a fe , h a p p y, h a vin g fu n a n d g r o w in g in p o s it ive w a ys .
By k e e p in g a fe w b a s ic m u s t -h a ve s in m in d , yo u c a n s le e p a lit t le e a s ie r o n t h o s e m u c h q u ie t e r s u m m e r n ig h t s .
Safety is key.
It ’s g r e a t w h e n yo u r k id s h a ve fu n , b u t , a r g u a b ly, s a fe t y is t h e m o s t im p o r t a n t com p on e n t of a s le e p a w a y e xp e r ie n c e .
Ar e c o u n s e lo r s a n d in s t r u c t o r s w e llt r a in e d a n d c e r t ifie d ? Ar e t h e g r o u n d s w e ll-m a in t a in e d a n d is a ll s a fe t y e q u ip m e n t r o u t in e ly in s p e c t e d ? Wh a t k in d o f t r a in in g d o c o u n s e lo r s h a ve ?
Co u n s e lo r s a n d in s t r u c t o r s s h o u ld u n d e r g o t h o r o u g h t r a in in g .
Th e y s h o u ld a ls o b e b a c k g r o u n d c h e c k e d , h a ve ve r ifia b le r e fe r e n c e s a n d h a ve h a d a c r im in a l r e c o r d s s e a r c h .
Is t h e r e a p r o g r a m in p la c e t o h e lp k id s o ve r c o m e h o m e s ic k n e s s ?
H o m e s ic k n e s s is a n o r m a l p a r t o f a d ju s t in g t o c a m p fo r m a n y c h ild r e n a n d s t a ff s h o u ld b e s k ille d ‌
‌ a t h e lp in g k id s o ve r c o m e t h is (u s u a lly) t e m p o r a r y s a d n e s s .
Is it e a s y fo r yo u t o c o m m u n ic a t e w it h t h e c a m p r e g a r d in g a n y c o n c e r n s w it h yo u r c h ild ?
Wh ile m a n y c a m p s a llo w k id s t o c a ll h o m e o n ly in e m e r g e n c ie s , yo u s h o u ld b e a b le t o e a s ily g e t in t o u c h w it h c a m p s t a ff if yo u h a ve a n y is s u e s yo u n e e d t o d is c u s s .
Yo u s h o u ld k n o w yo u ’ll b e im m e d ia t e ly c o n t a c t e d if yo u r yo u n g s t e r is s ic k o r in ju r e d .
Do n ’t a s s u m e t h e c a m p is a c c r e d it e d . Do yo u r o w n b a c k g r o u n d c h e c k a n d m a k e s u r e t h e c a m p is a c c r e d it e d b y t h e Am e r ic a n Ca m p As s o c ia t io n (ACA).
Th is is g e n e r a lly a g o o d in d ic a t o r t h a t t h e c a m p w ill d o it s u t m o s t t o e n s u r e yo u r c h ild ’s h e a lt h , h a p p in e s s a n d s a fe t y.
Wh a t is t h e r a t io o f c o u n s e lo r s t o c a m p e r s ? A r e la t ive ly lo w r a t io is b e s t …w it h a c a m p e r -t o s t a ff r a t io o f a b o u t 1 0 t o 1 b e in g o p t im u m fo r k id s 8 -1 4 ye a r s o f a g e .
H o w s a fe d o e s r e c r e a t io n a l e q u ip m e n t lo o k ?
E ve r yt h in g s h o u ld b e w e llm a in t a in e d :
Do c k s a n d d ivin g b o a r d s Ro c k c lim b in g w a lls Ca n o e s a n d m o u n t a in
Th e r e s h o u ld b e s u ffic ie n t s u p e r vis io n o n t h e w a t e r fr o n t a t a ll t im e s a n d s a fe t y g e a r in a r e a s lik e t h e h ig h r o p e s c o u r s e s h o u ld b e in top sh a p e .
Do e s t h e c a m p fo s t e r a s e n s e o f c o m m u n it y a m o n g c a m p e r s a n d s t a ff?
Ar e k id s e n c o u r a g e d t o w o r k a s a t e a m , t o s e e t h e o t h e r p e r s o n ’s p o in t o f vie w a n d t o t r e a t e a c h o t h e r a n d s t a ff w it h r e s p e c t ?
Is t h e r e a n o ffic ia l s t a n c e o n b u llyin g a n d d is c ip lin e ?
See for yourself.
If a t a ll p o s s ib le , vis it a c a m p w h ile it is in s e s s io n . Th is w a y, yo u c a n s e e if t h e k id s a n d c o u n s e lo r s seem engaged ‌
‌ a n d t h a t c o u n s e lo r s s e e m in t e r e s t e d in in t e r a c t in g w it h c a m p e r s . Th is is t h e b e s t w a y t o ju d g e if t h e c a m p s e e m s r ig h t fo r yo u r c h ild .
S t a ff s h o u ld b e t r a in e d in C P R a n d fir s t a id .
Life g u a r d s s h o u ld b e c e r t ifie d a n d s t a ff w h o le a d c a m p in g e xp e d it io n s s h o u ld h a ve w ild e r n e s s c e r t ific a t io n . As k if t h e r e is a n u r s e o r o t h e r m e d ic a l s t a ff o n -s it e o r if a h o s p it a l o r c lin ic is n e a r b y.
Co u n s e lo r s a n d in s t r u c t o r s s h o u ld b e c h o s e n fo r t h e ir in t e g r it y a n d c h a r a c t e r a s w e ll a s p e r s o n a lit y. F in d o u t if t h e r e a r e s p e c ific t r a in in g p r o g r a m s a n d w h a t t h e s e a r e .
Wh a t is t h e r e t u r n r a t e a t t h e c a m p a m o n g b o t h c a m p e r s a n d s t a ff? A g o o d r e t u r n r a t e is a r o u n d 5 0 % in d ic a t in g t h e c a m p is w e ll-m a n a g e d ‌
‌ a n d c a n p r e s e r ve t h e t r a d it io n s s o im p o r t a n t t o c r e a t in g a s e n s e o f b o n d in g a n d c o m m u n it y a m o n g c a m p e r s .
Is t h e p r o g r a m it s e lf e xc it in g a n d w e llr o u n d e d ? In a t r a d it io n a l-s t yle c a m p , t h e r e s h o u ld b e a r a n g e o f a c t ivit ie s t o engage cam pers ‌
‌ s o t h a t e ve r y c h ild c a n n o t o n ly e n jo y fa vo r it e a c t ivit ie s b u t c a n e xp e r im e n t w it h n e w a n d e xc it in g c h a lle n g e s .
If yo u 'r e c o n s id e r in g s e n d in g yo u r c h ild t o a n o ve r n ig h t s u m m e r c a m p , b e s u r e t o vis it o u r s it e t o le a r n a b o u t Ca m p Wa lt Wh it m a n .
Lo c a t e d in t h e Wh it e M o u n t a in s o f N e w H a m p s h ir e , Ca m p Wa lt Wh it m a n o ffe r s a s a fe , n u r t u r in g e n vir o n m e n t in a b e a u t ifu l m o u n t a in s e t t in g .
Ou r c a m p is a c o e d s le e p a w a y c a m p , w it h s e p a r a t e a r e a s fo r b o ys a n d g ir ls . Th e k id s h a ve a b la s t , a n d m a k e fr ie n d s h ip s t h a t c a n la s t a life t im e .
w w w.c a m p w a lt .c o m
Ca m p Wa l t W h i t m a n 1 0 0 0 Ca p e M o o n s h in e Rd P ie r m o n t , N H 0 3 7 7 9 6 0 3 -7 6 4 -5 5 2 1 c w w @c a m p w a lt .c o m