Ready or Not - How a Residential Camp can Benefit Your Children

Written by: Our Kids, ourkids.net; Photo: PhotoXpress.com

What are residential camps? Residential camps, also called overnight camps or sleepaway camps, offer kids the unique opportunity to stay at the camp of their choice for as little as a week or as long as a month or more. Overnight campers are able to stay in-residence with other children their age in cabins or tents under the supervision of older counsellors and remain immersed in their camp experience from the time they arrive to their last day.

Why attend a residential camp?

A primary advantage of overnight camps is that kids have more time to adjust to their surroundings and get comfortable while honing the learning and growing they do through a range of recreational and educational activities throughout the day into early evening.

With more time to spend on particular interests, overnight camps also provide a chance for kids and teens to become more independent in being away from family and teach them more responsibility for themselves and for others. In addition, this particular type of camp allows kids to develop deeper connections with campers from other cities and parts of the country (or across the world).

Find the right residential camp

Residential camp facilities offer a wide range of activities and programs to suit your child’s needs, either through traditional camps or with a focus in one particular area, such as horseback riding.

Here are some things to consider when deciding if your child is ready for an overnight camp:

Is your child comfortable attending sleepovers at a relative’s or friend’s home?

Can your child wash and dress independently, and keep track of their belongings?

Does your child have a friend or relative attending the camp during the same session?

Is your child flexible about new routines, like coping with mealtime away from home or being exposed to unfamiliar food?

If your child is emotionally insecure or if major changes are underway at home, now may not be the best time for overnight camp.

If your child has difficulty sleeping through the night, it’s likely best to wait until a regular sleep pattern is well-established.

If your child wets the bed, explain that they are not alone and that most camps offer help, support and discreet handling of this issue; then speak with the camp director.

Consider the age and maturity level of your child.

Once you’ve decided that your child is ready for this type of experience, the best way to choose a camp is to figure out what factors are most important to your family (location, types of programs, cost, etc.), start your research early, involve your child in the process, talk to other parents and visit the camp websites or the camps themselves to get as much information as possible.

Reprinted with permission by Our Kids, www.ourkids.net. Trusted by Canadian parents since 1998, Our Kids is your source to the best summer camps, private schools and extracurriculars. Get the information and feedback you need at www.ourkids.net.