Mommy Talk Show Candid Conversation with a TV Mom
Finding the perfect summer camp is like finding the perfect restaurant for your much-needed date night!
You ask friends for recommendations, visit the website to check prices and locations, and maybe even do a drive by visit to see if it looks up to snuff.
Those are great places to start, but the true test for whether a summer camps is ideal for your children starts with visiting the frequently asked questions (FAQs) page or calling to get your individual questions answered.
Here are 10+ Questions to Ask Before You Register for Summer Camps along with my affiliate links to camp-related products.
1. Camp Hours: Are there early drop-off and & extended day hours for the needs of working parents? What are the costs of early and extended care?
2. Sibling Discounts: What saving options are available for siblings who register for this camp? Can we also refer friends to summer camp for a group discount?
3. Safety Policy: How are mishaps, injuries and water intake handled at this camp? Where is emergency contact information kept to easily reach parents?
[Tweet “Ask organizers where emergency contact info is kept for summer camps.”]4. Special Needs: Are special needs campers welcome here? What accommodations, if needed are made for them?
6. Counselors: What’s the average amount of experience for camp counselors? How often and do you perform background checks? Are there counselors with experience teaching special needs campers?
7. Activities, Sports and Swimming: How are campers with various skill levels handled? What equipment is necessary for activities?
8. Field Trips: What are the dates, cost, meal plans and transportation plans for field trips?
When A.J. enrolled in 2016 Braves Baseball Camp, they took a bus to Turner Field to tour the stadium and meet the players. We were told to pack lunch a little differently that day since the team was eating on the road.
9. Food & Food Allergies: Is the staff trained on how to prevent cross-contamination with food handling? What’s the emergency plan for allergic reactions? What forms do you need to administer medical care? Where are the Benadryl and epinephrine medications stored during camp? Remember to update and order Customizable Allergy Alert Labels for water bottles and lunch boxes.
10. Housing: How are bunks and beds assigned? Has the housing been recently inspected? In the event of bad weather, is there an emergency plan for overnight campers?
11. Transportation: Is transportation available for daily campers? What is the transportation plan for field trips?
12. Discipline: What is the discipline policy? How are disputes between campers handled?
[Tweet “Here are 10+ Questions to Ask BEFORE You Register for Summer Camps”]
Comment below: What other questions do you ask before registering for summer camps? How far in advance do you start your search for summer camps?
In Atlanta, I’ve found that camp registrations open as early as February!
2017 Atlanta Braves Summer Camp + a Savings Code to Register
If you live in Atlanta, here are some relevant summer camp and summer find ideas from my fellow Atlanta bloggers:
25 Fun Ways to Spend Screen Free Time with Your Kids ~ Mommy Week
Smyrna-Vinings 2017 Summer Camp Guide ~ Macaroni Kid Smyrna-Vinings
Alpharetta 2017 Summer Camp Guide ~ Macaroni Kids Alpharetta
2017 Summer Camp Directory ~ Alpharetta Moms
Discount Summer Movie Series ~ Yeah Let’s Go Atlanta
Beyond Traditional Summer Camp ~ Really, Are You Serious?
This is a great post! I wish this was around when my son was attending summer camp. Very helpful. 🙂
Great questions! My kids are older now but I’m realizing that I probably didn’t do my research very well at the time. This is a great post for parents – and an important one (especially in today’s world)!
These are all important questions to ask. I don’t have any little ones, but I will share this with my sister. She is currently looking into camps for my niece.
These are all great tips. Camp is a big deal. You should always know everything you can about where the kiddos are going.
Gathering all of this information beforehand will be super helpful. I like being able to make adjustments depending on what the camp offers.
It is so important to ask all these questions before choosing a summer camp. You need one that meets you and your kids needs.
These are all very important things to consider before booking your child in summer camp. You certainly don’t want any surprises to pop up after you’ve registered!
These are some great questions to ask, we don’t do summer camps like you over here but they could definitely be adapted for the things on offer. Thank you.
These are such useful tips. I never thought to ask about a sibling discount but it makes sense!
Thanks so much for these tips! My kids love summer camps. Will use these tips before we register for on this summer!
I loved summer camp as a kid but my kids never went because they were so busy with dancing. These are great tips and I wish I at least sent them for at least one week.
This looks like a very thorough article.
It seems to cover all the angles for deciding on a Summer Camp for your children.
How helpful! A couple of my kids have been talking about summer camps. I would love to check them out, so this is great to know!
We don’t go to summer camps often. However, from experience, these are all AMAZING questions!
I wish we had asked some of these questions before we sent my daughter to camp. She wound up at a 4-H camp that had no AC in the bunks. It was 95 degrees outside! It was a miserable week for her.
The safety rules is a big, big one. I’d add bullying too… seems like one kid always gets bullied at camp, unfortunately. A policy in place is important.
I will forward the link to this post to my cousin. She and her kids are looking for a good summer camp. I think they should put the information you listed in this post in consideration when choosing a camp. Thanks for this informative article.