Is Your Child Attending summer Camp for the First Time? Here's Everything You Need to Know to Make Certain You (and They!) Are Ready.

Aloha Beach Camp Summer Camp Director Eric Naftulin

How do you know if your child is ready for their first camp experience? Send your kids to summer camp before they’re ready, and you can expect potentially disastrous results. Wait too long before sending them, and you might have the proverbial, “I wish I’d done this sooner” regret.

Some kids are ready for camp before others. If your child is independent, already goes to school, accustomed to being separated from you for extended periods, and/or has older brothers or sisters they look up to and interact with, they may be ready for camp this year.

Sit down together with your child and bring up the idea of camp. Frame the conversation in a way your son or daughter will understand. Ask questions such as, “Would you like to go to camp this summer and make new friends?” or “Do you want to play some fun games and do some new activities at camp?” Their answers will be revealing.

Consider a Day Camp First, Sleepaway Camp Next

One way to "ease into" the camp experience is with a day camp. Many parents start their kids off with a day camp experience before sending them to overnight camp because day camps can be a natural stepping-stone to sleepaway camps. For one thing, you won't t need to worry about homesickness too much :)

Also, since day camps are generally local establishments, you can visit the camp and meet the director ahead of time.

Make sure to bring your child along. If he or she gets excited about what they see, this is a good indication they’re ready for camp. If their reaction is mixed, negative or indifferent, now may not be the right time for their first camp experience.

After attending day camp for a few summers, your child may be interested in attending an overnight or sleepaway camp ... which can be a tremendously fun experience like no other.

All in all, summer camp can be a powerful experience for a child in terms of making new friends, building social skills, and increasing their self-confidence and esteem. That’s why it’s so important to make sure your child’s first camp experience is positive from the start.

If your kids don’t enjoy themselves the first time they go to camp, they might never want to go back.

But if they have a ball, there’s no telling how much of a fantastic positive impact this experience can have on their lives. That’s why it’s so crucial that your son or daughter’s first camp experience is a great one!

By Eric Naftulin, Executive Director, Aloha Beach Camp
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