GRAPHICS: GETTY IMAGES; ALL OTHERS PROVIDED
Another bonus? Camps are now generally
“media-free” zones. While many parents
cannot get their children to turn off electronics,
especially during the summer, most camps today
provide a space that is electronics free. This
leads to campers learning better communication
skills, Barrie says.

“At traditional camps, they can’t bring their
cellphones or iPads. They actually have to
string words together and talk to one another,”
she says. “As difficult as it might seem for
kids in today’s digital world, they also seem to
appreciate the way camp used to be. You’re not
only learning activities, you’re also learning
social skills and appropriateness. You’re
remembering to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and
to show consideration.”
What also usually happens is the feeling of
creating a new family, says Meridith Jacobs,
a Montgomery County mom. She has two
elementary school-aged kids and has been
using Summer365, a camp consultant service,
for years.

Jacobs says that camp has become a
“community” for her kids.

“It’s their home away from home,” she says.

“We wanted our daughter to have another
life and other friends outside of her world
here. Now, when she’s having a bad day, she
FaceTimes one of her friends from camp.

That’s what she lives for. Camp has become
very much a part of our entire family.”
As for how the camp consultant process
benefited her family? Jacobs says that using a
consultant has produced some happy campers
each summer.

“When we first started looking for camps,
we went in open-minded,” she says. “We
knew we wanted either a four-week camp or
a seven-week camp. We didn’t know which
would be a better fit.”
That’s where Andrea Grinspoon of
Summer365 came in.

Jacobs set up a time to speak with
Grinspoon by phone, at which
time she shared her child’s
background, likes and dislikes
and what they were looking for
in terms of location, duration,
activities and general ambiance.

Grinspoon then talked all things
summer camp and how to find
the best sleep-away spot for her
two children.

From there, Grinspoon emailed
Jacobs a list of eight camps.

“She was completely neutral. She would not
tell me where her kids went camping; she would
not give opinions,” Jacobs says. “It was more
just factual information because she wanted to
make sure we made the right decision for us.”
“I think it’s a really helpful resource for
parents, and using a camp consultant was a
phenomenal experience, honestly,” she adds. T
When Adranisha Stephens isn’t chasing
down a story, she is traveling, blogging,
photographing or spending time with
family and friends. She has a bachelor’s
degree in mass communication from
Frostburg State University and a master’s
degree in journalism/digital storytelling
from American University.

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