TO LEARN MORE ABOUT
SUMMER CAMPS IN GENERAL
AND FIND A CAMP FOR YOUR
CHILD, the American Camp
Association maintains a list of camps
on its website, ACAcamps.org.

There, parents can also learn about
the ACA accreditation process for
summer camps.

really important to making it a positive
experience.” Before making a final decision,
parents should also find out if their
camp of choice has received accredita-
tion from the ACA, which would indicate
it has strict operational measures in
place in areas like health, safety
and risk-management. Camp officials
advise parents to “interview” the camp
director, talk to parents whose
children are already in the program
and make sure they are comfortable
with what they are learning from these
discussions. Lisa says she’s narrowed down her
choices—one sleepaway camp and one
day camp, depending on which route she
and her husband, Steve, feel is best—and
will be making a decision shortly. But she
knows it’s not a decision she could have
made lightly.

“Camp, is not something to do to keep
kids busy for the summer,” she says. “It’s
a significant investment in helping your
child grow.” 1
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“Also, some camps are repetitive in
activities from week to week, so if they’ll
be attending multiple weeks, you may
want to find a camp that offers more
variety,” she adds.

Finding the right environment is just
one of the keys for summer camp success,
says Robyn Shrater Seeman, of Rock-
ville, Maryland, whose kids range from
ages 7 to 17.

“We have four kids, so one challenge is
coordinating schedules — between camp
schedules and family plans like traveling
or seeing relatives, and between camp
and school schedules,” she says. “Another
is finding camps that meet with each kid’s
interests, and then seeing what will fit
our budget.”
This year, her two oldest will be work-
ing at area camps, while the two youngest
enjoy local day camps.

Overall, Shrater Seeman continues,
“We look for a camp that is warm and
inclusive. Whether it’s a general camp
or a specialty camp like theater or base-
ball, a warm and inclusive atmosphere is