Camp Directors Say Safety, Fun are Keys to
a Good Camp
By Marilyn Martinez
Teri Naftulin knows summer camps. The mother of
twin 3-year-old boys and a 7-year-old daughter, she and her
husband operate their own camp, and she visits daycamps
as part of the accreditation process for the American Camp
Association.
Despite owning a camp, Naftulin sends her daughter to
other day camps, as well as the family’s Aloha Beach Camp
in Malibu.
“We want her to have the whole summer experience,”
Naftulin says. “She loves our camps. But I want her to try all
different kinds of things.”
Taking in new experiences, developing new skills, meeting
new friends are just some of the benefits parents hope their
child gains when attending a summer camp. Parents who
attended summer camp as a child are also influenced by the
nostalgic remembrances.
“They want them to experience those kinds of things they
experienced in camp or what they didn’t experience,” says
Larry Klein, owner of Keystone Camp in Agoura Hills.
While March’s overcast days and periodic showers are with
us, many parents – well, at least the prudent parents – are
planning how their child will spend summer days. Since many
families are headed by two parents that work outside the
home, a stay at a summer day or overnight camp is a must-
book for many parents.
Camp directors say the first thing a parent should consider
when choosing a camp is the temperament and interests of
the child. In the past five years, there’s been a surge of
specialty camps that narrow the focus of a camper’s
experience. If your child is wild about baseball, the right
thing to do might be to sign him up for a baseball camp. But
camp directors say make sure the camp is chosen with a
child’s input. For example, don’t put your daughter in a
drama camp if she’s already told you she’s not interested.
“You don’t want to set them up to fail in something right off
the bat,” says Naftulin.
Summer day camps, which are not overseen by any
governmental entity, should be accredited by the American
Camping Association, which requires camps to meet certain
guidelines before earning a stamp of approval.
To begin a search for the right summer camp, parents can
search online (www.acacamps.org), visit a camp’s open
house or attend a camp fair.
“I think it’s a good way to meet the directors and see some
of the staff and decide if you think they could really
understand your child,” says Klein.
Both Naftulin and Klein say safety is a key consideration for
parents when they’re shopping for a camp.
“What goes through our minds is ‘would you trust this
person with your child,’ ” says Naftulin.
A camp’s administrative attitude should make parents feel
comfortable about just dropping in while camp is in session.
“You want to go and see what your child is up to and make
sure that you see what they say they are doing,” says
Naftulin.
Many daycamps offer group transportation to the site, with
some picking up at designated meeting points and others
picking up at the campers’ homes. Eric Naftulin, Teri’s
husband and director of Aloha Beach Camp, says because of
the prevalence of divorced families, a camp’s administration
should be willing to pick up and drop off at two different
locations.
Another sign of a camp working with parents’ schedules is
one that is willing to accommodate family vacation schedules.
“For parents, I think they should be looking for a camp to
give them outstanding customer service and flexibility,” says
Eric Naftulin.
Camp directors say while children want their camp
experience to be fun, parents want to make sure their child’s
days are both fun and meaningful. For younger children, a
general daycamp is usually a good choice.
A camp’s schedule should have varied activity periods that
alternate between busy and quiet. “Right after a long hike
you don’t want your child playing a game of kick ball,” says
Teri Naftulin. “And at the same time, I don’t want my child to
just sit and do coloring all day. You want a good blend of
passive and active activities.”
At Klein’s Camp Keystone, campers participate in a variety of
activities, ranging from fishing to taking trips down a 274-
foot water slide. Klein says he believes in offering an old-
fashioned camp experience with modern touches. For
example, one activity is shooting foam out of a “cannon.”
“We’re outside in a recreational setting and the point is just
to have fun,” says Klein. “Play just for the point of play. We’
re just having a great time.”
Marilyn Martinez is the Editor of L.A. Parent Magazine, United
Parenting Publication.
March 2004
a Good Camp
By Marilyn Martinez
Teri Naftulin knows summer camps. The mother of
twin 3-year-old boys and a 7-year-old daughter, she and her
husband operate their own camp, and she visits daycamps
as part of the accreditation process for the American Camp
Association.
Despite owning a camp, Naftulin sends her daughter to
other day camps, as well as the family’s Aloha Beach Camp
in Malibu.
“We want her to have the whole summer experience,”
Naftulin says. “She loves our camps. But I want her to try all
different kinds of things.”
Taking in new experiences, developing new skills, meeting
new friends are just some of the benefits parents hope their
child gains when attending a summer camp. Parents who
attended summer camp as a child are also influenced by the
nostalgic remembrances.
“They want them to experience those kinds of things they
experienced in camp or what they didn’t experience,” says
Larry Klein, owner of Keystone Camp in Agoura Hills.
While March’s overcast days and periodic showers are with
us, many parents – well, at least the prudent parents – are
planning how their child will spend summer days. Since many
families are headed by two parents that work outside the
home, a stay at a summer day or overnight camp is a must-
book for many parents.
Camp directors say the first thing a parent should consider
when choosing a camp is the temperament and interests of
the child. In the past five years, there’s been a surge of
specialty camps that narrow the focus of a camper’s
experience. If your child is wild about baseball, the right
thing to do might be to sign him up for a baseball camp. But
camp directors say make sure the camp is chosen with a
child’s input. For example, don’t put your daughter in a
drama camp if she’s already told you she’s not interested.
“You don’t want to set them up to fail in something right off
the bat,” says Naftulin.
Summer day camps, which are not overseen by any
governmental entity, should be accredited by the American
Camping Association, which requires camps to meet certain
guidelines before earning a stamp of approval.
To begin a search for the right summer camp, parents can
search online (www.acacamps.org), visit a camp’s open
house or attend a camp fair.
“I think it’s a good way to meet the directors and see some
of the staff and decide if you think they could really
understand your child,” says Klein.
Both Naftulin and Klein say safety is a key consideration for
parents when they’re shopping for a camp.
“What goes through our minds is ‘would you trust this
person with your child,’ ” says Naftulin.
A camp’s administrative attitude should make parents feel
comfortable about just dropping in while camp is in session.
“You want to go and see what your child is up to and make
sure that you see what they say they are doing,” says
Naftulin.
Many daycamps offer group transportation to the site, with
some picking up at designated meeting points and others
picking up at the campers’ homes. Eric Naftulin, Teri’s
husband and director of Aloha Beach Camp, says because of
the prevalence of divorced families, a camp’s administration
should be willing to pick up and drop off at two different
locations.
Another sign of a camp working with parents’ schedules is
one that is willing to accommodate family vacation schedules.
“For parents, I think they should be looking for a camp to
give them outstanding customer service and flexibility,” says
Eric Naftulin.
Camp directors say while children want their camp
experience to be fun, parents want to make sure their child’s
days are both fun and meaningful. For younger children, a
general daycamp is usually a good choice.
A camp’s schedule should have varied activity periods that
alternate between busy and quiet. “Right after a long hike
you don’t want your child playing a game of kick ball,” says
Teri Naftulin. “And at the same time, I don’t want my child to
just sit and do coloring all day. You want a good blend of
passive and active activities.”
At Klein’s Camp Keystone, campers participate in a variety of
activities, ranging from fishing to taking trips down a 274-
foot water slide. Klein says he believes in offering an old-
fashioned camp experience with modern touches. For
example, one activity is shooting foam out of a “cannon.”
“We’re outside in a recreational setting and the point is just
to have fun,” says Klein. “Play just for the point of play. We’
re just having a great time.”
Marilyn Martinez is the Editor of L.A. Parent Magazine, United
Parenting Publication.
March 2004
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