Key Indicators that Make a Summer Camp Program Exceptional

In order to ensure your child has an incredible summer experience, it is essential they attend a summer camp program that will teach, inspire, and strengthen them in many ways. There are a few basic criteria that can help parents identify not just the best summer camp program but a summer camp program that's exceptional. Keep an eye out for a few key things.

A Great Summer Camp Program Encourages Emotional, Mental, and Spiritual Development

The camp director and staff at any exceptional summer camp program already know summer camp affects kids on every level. The benefits aren’t just physical; camp is also a place to grow emotionally and spiritually. Be sure the summer camp program you choose knows the importance of helping children learn team building and social skills. These skills will enhance their work ethic and boost their self esteem.

Summer Camp Program Staff Must Have a Stellar Reputation

Be sure to check what kind of organization is managing the summer camp program and know how that will effect your child's welfare. In addition, make sure the summer camp program staff have been properly vetted. Be sure counselors take criminal background checks and have first aid training. It is essential that parents feel they can trust a summer camp to protect and care for their kids in every way. Having experienced, reliable, and trained staff is key to a parent’s peace of mind.

A Well-Reputed Summer Camp Program Offers a Variety of Activities to Enjoy

Any summer camp program worth attending offers a variety of activities for its campers to enjoy. A well-rounded curriculum can include swimming and water sports, as well as horseback riding, archery, volleyball, basketball, arts, crafts, music, and more. Choose a summer camp program that provides kids with many opportunities to discover their passions and interests.

A Respectable Summer Camp Program Has Safety Policies and Trained Medical Staff

Investigate the emergency and medical assistance available on site. While some states have regulations for camps there is no federal oversight for summer camp health and safety. It is important that every summer camp program have a trained, certified medical professional available and prepared to handle any situation. The ACA recommends an overnight camp have a licensed physician or registered nurse on site every day. These same medical professionals should also be able to assist with any special needs kids attending camp may have.

A Quality Summer Camp Program Is Generally Housed in a Beautiful Area

In order to have an unforgettable summer camp experience it is essential that children attend a camp located somewhere beautiful where they can experience and explore in a creative environment. Whether the summer camp is in an urban or rural setting, the location must be attractive and comfortable. In a pleasant environment kids are more likely to learn and grow.
CampPage.com is one of the most comprehensive online summer camp program directories in the US and Canada. Find a summer camp program today!

How to Choose a Summer Camp Program

Choosing a Summer Camp

Choosing a summer camp is a big deal for parents and kids. The most important thing in the decision-making process is to take your time, involve your kids and do the necessary research. Here are some tips to follow to narrow down your search.

Prioritize Camp Activities

Begin your search with the kind of summer camp programs your child would like to attend. Are you seeking an arts summer camp, sports summer camp, academic and summer enrichment summer camp, adventure summer camp, or computers and technology summer camp? Find out what your kids are most excited about and choose a summer camp program that includes those activities that motivate them.

Select a Geographic Location or Region

Once you've chosen your summer camp programs, it is time to think about location. Summer camp listings are often organized by state and/or region. If you know your child wants to be near home or wants to travel to another region, search for a specific location. You may even look by area type such as mountains, water or forests.

 

After narrowing down the summer camp location most suited to your child you can begin the final stage of summer camp evaluation – reviewing the summer camp’s reputation.

Find a Summer Camp with a Reputable History

Reviewing a summer camp’s reputation is extremely important when choosing s summer camp for your kids. Check out online reviews, testimonials, PR, and social recommendations. If a summer camp has a solid, trustworthy, time-tested reputation you know it will be a positive place to send your child this summer.

The Importance of Summer Camp

Summer camp is one of the most impactful and memorable times in a child’s life. At summer camp children learn independence, communication, social skills, collaboration, appreciation for nature and physical fitness. Doing your research and involving your children in choosing the right summer camp will guarantee a fantastic time of learning and developing over the summer. CampPage.com is one of the most comprehensive online summer camp directories in the US and Canada. Explore our summer camp directory today!

 

 

Why Send Kids to Arts Summer Camp?

Reason 1 - Arts Summer Camp Improves Communications Skills

Arts summer camp is a great place for girls and boys to learn how to communicate clearly and honestly while displaying a supportive and encouraging attitude. Children taught to express their creativity freely are often more capable of using a variety of mediums  to communicate feelings and ideas. Arts, music, dance, and other activities help kids develop emotionally, mentally, and physically. Communication is like a muscle, it must be used regularly to stay strong. Artistic and creative endeavors are a excellent way to inspire kids to share ideas and feelings with others.  

Reason 2 - Arts Summer Camp Encourages Creativity

Creativity is part of what makes life special. Imagination, dreams, visions, and other experiences are born of creativity. It is what keeps life exciting, beautiful, and new. Creativity is spiritual fuel. It allows us to ignite and take action. Arts summer camp is a wonderful world where kids are given the opportunity to explore a variety of mediums. Kids are encouraged to get outside the box and to expand their perceptions. Children often leave summer camp feeling more comfortable with themselves and empowered to be more authentic.

Reason 3 - Arts Summer Camp Promotes Brain Development

Science has shown that physical activity and creative expression are essential for proper brain development and health.Arts summer camp is the perfect combination of making arts and crafts, painting, dancing, singing, playing instruments, making videos, and outdoor activities such as hiking, swimming, horseback riding, and other sports. Kids that attend artssummer camp are shown that spending time outside active in nature plus spending time strengthening artistic and creative skills is a wonderful way to live in balance. Accessing and using both the left and right brains also important for adults as they get older in order to maintain balance. Attend arts summer camp and get inspired!

How Summer Camp Programs Can Change a Child's Life

Music and Arts Summer Camp Programs

Creative expression is an important part of any kid's life. Exploring the imagination, developing the right brain, and learning to express emotion in a healthy, productive way is key to kids developing communication and relationship skills.Music and arts summer camp programs give children a wide variety of options for expressing creativity and artistic skill. Arts, crafts, singing, playing musical instruments, painting, dancing, and other performing arts can all be explored insummer camp programs.

Outdoor Adventure and Sports Summer Camp Programs

Time spent outside and physical movement are essential to proper brain development in kids of all ages. Outdoor adventure and sports summer camp programs encourage children to be courageous and strong, as well as physically fit and active. Choose summer camp programs involving mountain biking, kayaking, white water rafting, surfing, rock climbing, hiking and other  outdoor adventures or programs focused on athletic sports such as basketball, football, soccer, swimming, archery, running, volleyball and more. Kids that attend outdoor adventure and sports summer camp programshave the opportunity to try new activities, as well as improve their skills in a particular sport. Kids learn the importance of teamwork, exercise, and spending time in nature.

Technology and Computer Summer Camp Programs

In the modern world computer and technological skills are useful and create excellent future potential for girls and boys. Technology and computer summer camp programs helps children learn to balance time spent on smart phones, ipads, laptops, and video games with time spent outside enjoying nature and interacting with other people. Technology and computer summer camp programs help children understand that technology is a tool for improving quality of life, but it is not the whole of life. Kids can embrace and hone technological skill sets, as well as improve social, communication, and relationship building skills.

Why Send Kids to an Adventure Summer Camp Program?

An Adventure Summer Camp Program Teaches Kids to Be Courageous

Adventure summer camp is the perfect way to help a child become courageous. In the modern world children face many serious issues and sometimes seemingly adult situations. Kids can learn to have courage in the face of life's obstacles when they attend adventure summer camp. Adventure summer camp is meant to be just that - "an adventure". Time at adventure summer camp should challenge girls and boys alike to approach life with fascination, desire, and the spirit of exploration of the natural world and one's self.

Girls and Boys Learn to Face Fears at Adventure Summer Camp

Fear can be one of life's greatest obstacles. The majority of people in the word realize at some point that most of what they fear is inside, rather than outside. Kids that attend adventure summer camp are being encouraged to push through fear and believe in their own ability to accomplish things. Adventure summer camp has a unique meaning to everyone teen or kid attending, but the theme is always the same - do not be afraid!  Kids are taught at adventure summer camp to face their fear, trust their instincts, explore their world, and believe in their own power to solve problems, tackle challenges, and live an exciting life.

Adventure Summer Camp is the Perfect Place to Try New Activities

Children at certain ages can become set in their behavior patterns and even stuck in particular attitudes or perceptions. At adventure summer camp kids are given the opportunity to try activities they have never participated in before in an environment that is safe, supportive, and fun. If a child is searching for a new passion, or to learn about themselves and to find what it is they love most, adventure summer camp can be the perfect combination of inspiration and nurturing necessary to change a child's life.

Why Send Girls and Boys to Sports Summer Camp?

Sports Summer Camp Gives Girls and Boys the Opportunity to Improve Athletic Skills

Sports summer camp can focus around any athletic endeavor or possibly around more than one. If your child is interested in soccer, basketball, football, volleyball, baseball, softball, swimming, skiing, surfing, or any other sport you can find a summer camp that specializes in teaching kids to improve their athletic skill sets. Does your child have a future in sports? Can they use more practice, guidance, and positive feedback? Then sports summer camp may be the perfect way to help them go to the next level.  At summer camp girls and boys alike have the opportunity to become stronger, faster, and an overall better player.

Kids Learn about Teamwork at Sports Summer Camp

Teamwork is one of the greatest lessons participating in sports can teach kids. Sports summer camp gives children the chance to learn how to work together and how to show support for every member of the team. Sports summer camp allows kids to celebrate success as a result of collaborative efforts. It forces them to get past petty differences and to let go of self involvement and ego in order to achieve the best outcome for the team as a whole. At the same time children are still given the opportunity to enhance and be recognized for individual skills and accomplishments. This creates wonderful, balanced, personal growth opportunities for every kid involved.  

Sports Summer Camp Teaches Kids the Importance of Staying Active

In the modern age it is sometimes hard for kids to be active. The Internet, video games, smart phones and other kids of technology often keep them inside in one place, but sports summer camp gets them outside in the elements sweating, working as a team, and pushing themselves athletically. As children grow much of their brain development relies upon physical movement and coordination being developed as well. Sports summer camp is great way to invite kids to get out of the house and onto the court, field, diving board, or sand. It will teach them to stay active and healthy. 

 

My Wonderful World: A National Geographic Campaign to Promote Geography

What is the Campaign?

National Geographic’s ‘Mywonderful World’ is “a National Geographic-led campaign—backed by a coalition of national business and non-profit organizations—to expand geographic learning in school, at home, and in communities. We want to give kids the power of global knowledge.” Since the campaign launched, more than 80,000 people have signed up to show their support.

Mywonderfulworld.org challenges users to test their global IQ with online tools such as a survey with sample questions and a challenge with questions from the National Geographic Bee. The campaign targets parents, educators and kids & teens and offers tips and resources. For example, they offer a “Parents Action Kit” and “Top 10 Tips”.

Why The Campaign Is Important

National Geographic believes that young people need to know geography in order to succeed in the world today. They believe youngsters are not getting enough of geography in or out of school. According to statistics, “half of young Americans can’t locate world powers like Japan and India. Twenty percent can’t even find the Pacific Ocean.”

The campaign promotes and advances the importance of global knowledge through the following means: public service advertising, coalition projects, internet resources, policy advocacy, events, and state coordinators.

The Campaign’s Goals:

1. Give parents and educators ideas and hands-on tools to help children learn about theworld
2. Increase the number of geographic course offerings in schools
3. Increase the number of students taking geography and geography-related courses (such as foreign language, environmental science) and participating in geographic activities (field studies, geography clubs)
4. Increase the number of community organizations that engage kids in learning about the world
5. Help policy leaders learn about the current geographic literacy crisis and motivate them to take action

Learn more about the campaign, their results and how to get involved on their website. You can join the campaign here.

Camppage, A Summer Camp Directory

CampPage.com is another resource that offers summer camp programs that challenge and support kids in exploring their world. If you are looking for the perfect summer camp for your child check out our online summer camp programs. We offer the following listings:

Sports summer camps
Arts summer camps
Horseback riding summer camps
Adventure camps
Computer camps
Christian summer camps 

We also offer loads of other kinds of summer camp programs. Visit our online summer camp directory for more information.

USA Swimming: The National Governing Body of Competitive Swimming

What is USA Swimming

USA Swimming is the official website for the national governing body of competitive swimming in the United States. It is responsible for selecting the US Olympic Swimming team and other teams that represent the U.S. It also governs the overall operation of the sport of swimming within the country.

According to their objective, “Build the base, Promote the sport, Achieve competitive success,” USA Swimming” is a 300,000-member service organization that promotes the culture of swimming by creating opportunities for swimmers and coaches of all backgrounds to participate and advance in the sport through clubs, events and education.”

USA Swimming membership is comprised of swimmers from the age group level to the Olympic Team, as well as coaches and volunteers. Members can get involved through more than 2,800 clubs across the nation.

What You Can Find on the Site

USA Swimming contains contact information, national and worldwide swimming news, discussion forums, meet results, and a searchable database of clubs and teams. It also contains a Tips & Training section to help you improve your performance. The section includes:

• Training and technique
• Strength and conditioning
• Nutrition center
• Injury Prevention
• Doping Control

The site also includes a plethora of resources for swimmers, swim clubs, parents, officials, volunteers, coaches, and governance & LSCS.

If your child is serious about swimming, this is the site to check out.

Camppage, A Summer Camp Directory

CampPage.com is another resource that offers summer camp programs that challenge and support kids. If your child is an enthusiastic swimmer or athlete and you are looking for the perfect summer camp check out our online summer camp programs. We offer the following listings:

• Sports summer camps (including Swimming / Diving summer camps)
• Arts summer camps
• Horseback riding summer camps
• Adventure camps
• Computer camps
• Christian summer camps

We also offer loads of other kinds of summer camp programs. Visit our online summer camp directory for more information.