What are the Different types of Summer Camps?

 Every year there are more options and different types of summer camps available. Believe it or not there are now approximately 7,000 summer camps in the USA alone catering to every interest imaginable.

Summer camp options have evolved into three main categories:

• Traditional summer camps
• Specialty summer camps
• Special needs summmer camps

Traditional kids summer camps:

The main difference between traditional overnight camps when compared to specialty or a special needs type of camp is the wide variety of activities offered. Traditional kids summercamps normally offer a full menu of diverse activities some of which will appeal to every camper and also insures that attendees will be exposed to games, sports and activities that they may not have yet encountered. Many campers acquire new skills and passions that can last a lifetime.

We have found that most kids traditional summercamps offer up to 40 distinct athletic as well as artistic and crafts programs, some of the many programs often include sailing, canoeing, water skiing, volleyball, basketball, archery, soccer … and the list goes on. Each camp usually has a set of it’s own traditions and special ceremonies which may include campfires, singalongs, team competitions and many more unique activities.

Specialty Overnight Summer Camps

While traditional camps offer a wide array of activities and expose campers to many new and unique experiences, specialty camps are designed to focus on a narrow and precisely defined set of activity offerings.

In the past it was difficult to find summer camps that did not fit the traditional model but today camps can be found to cater to every interest imaginable. If you take a look around any summer camp directory you can find academic camps such as computer camp, foreign language camp, science and cultural camp. You will find Arts camps such as acting camp, film camp, dance camp, photography camp and many more.

Competitive sports camps are very popular specialty camps offering concentrated expert instruction in baseball, football, basketball tennis and virtually every sport played. Wilderness and adventure camps are also gaining in popularity. You can see that if you have a specific theme in mind you will likely be able to find a specialty camp to fit your needs.

The benefits of specialty camp includes: total immersion in a favorite arts program, sportor academic interest and learning from expert instructors in a specific field. Certification can be obtained in a given specialty such as scuba diving or computer skills and kids can benefit from learning and interacting with peers having the same interests.

Possible drawbacks might be that the specialty camp you are interested in is not in your immediate vicinity thus increasing costs. Unless your child is completely gung ho about the specialty they may get tired of the same subject for one or two weeks straight. If you are considering a sport camp with a featured celebrity you may find that much of the instruction is handled by others and not the celebrity your child idolizes.

Special Needs Overnight Summer Camps

The growth and availabilty special needs camps is a trend we are very happy to see. Today parents can find a camp which will address specific special needs allowing all kids regardless of challenges to enjoy the summer camp experience.

Two broad categories of special needs camps are those addressing physical special needs and those focused on psychological challenges. These camps work at increasing children’s self esteem and developing their coping skills by supplying a supportive and safe environment allowing kids with similar needs to share experiences and benefit from highly qualified instructors.

One of the great benefits of the special needs camp is that the children find that they are not alone in facing the challenges of physical or psychological problems. Kids will often see that others with similar concerns have survived with a positive outlook which gives them realistic expectations and hope for their own future.

Parents need to insure that the medical staff at any special needs camp they are considering are fully qualified to deal with the children’s specific ailment. This takes a little intelligent questioning to find out the credentials of the camp staff. It’s also more important that special needs camp has a staff to camper ratio which will allow the proper attention required by the children.

Some of the many types of special needs camps now include: cancer patients, visually impaired kids, kids with ADD, kids with hearing problems, obese kids and many more. In future posts we will be addressing many of the specific special needs camps and specialty camps in more detail.

Please feel free to email us with any questions or specific concerns you may have.