![\"kids](\"https:\/\/www.activityhero.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/sleepaway_camp.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
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If your kids haven\u2019t tried sleepaway camp, you\u2019re entering uncharted territory for your family. That, however, is not actually a bad thing. \u201cDoing something outside of your comfort zone burns memories that last forever because it won\u2019t blend into the background of life,\u201d says Michael Richards, founder and executive director of Science Camps of America<\/a> based in Pahala, Hawaii. When kids spread their wings, they can grow as a person \u2014 and become more the person they really<\/em> are, not limited by the perceptions and history of their classmates or even their own family.<\/p>\n \u201cCampers all enter on this totally equal basis, and they can express their personality without the backdrop of their whole life, their whole history,\u201d says Richards, whose camps are for teens aged 13 to 17 who are interested in exploring volcanoes, rocks, forests, oceans, and skies of Hawaii to learn about related sciences like geology, climate, and astronomy. \u201cYou can\u2019t come to school and reinvent yourself \u2014 or even be<\/em> yourself,\u201d he adds. \u201cIn the camp, kids can express their personality and no one is going to judge them or say, \u2018Why did you suddenly change?\u2019 I think that gives kids tremendous empowerment.\u201d<\/p>\n Being in a camp environment also helps prepare kids to function as positive and productive members of society during adulthood. At Camp Chrysalis<\/a>, where kids aged 8 to 17 explore various outdoor environments in California, director Lee Tempkin takes pride in showing campers how \u201cshared leadership\u201d works. \u201cEveryone calls me Lee, though it\u2019s clear I\u2019m the leader,\u201d he says of his management style. \u201cThe staff and I have camp huddles, talk around the campfire, and discuss who would like to give the next camp talk,\u201d he says. \u201cKids see that we are all part of an adult community. That we respect and work with each other and with them.\u201d Being in a tight-knit group 24\/7, even for a short time, helps kids build stronger teamwork skills and independence, all of which will serve them well when they eventually leave home as a young adult entering the workforce or college.<\/p>\n Still a bit hesitant? Worried if your kid will thrive and if you will survive? Here are some ways to tell whether\u00a0you and your child are ready \u2026 and how to prepare them for a transformative, positive experience.<\/p>\n Richards says that \u201cthe vast majority of kids love [overnight camp], even if it is their first time doing it.\u201d The kids who do best, says Tempkin, are those who are open, flexible, and positive about new experiences. His camps expose kids to a variety of outdoor activities while living among redwoods, tide pools, marshes, and mountains and learning about ecology and our responsibility for our planet. Kids will get dirty and wet. They\u2019ll sleep in tents with other campers and learn outdoor skills. Kids who are accustomed to spending most of their time in an urban area, indoors, or in solo activities may have a tougher time adapting. For them, as well as kids younger than age 8, he says it\u2019s better to start with overnights or a weekend getaway at a friend or family member\u2019s house. \u201cSummer camp is not the time to have a kid be away from mom and dad for the first time,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Kindness, too, is key. \u201cKids who are mean to other kids may have a hard time,\u201d says Tempkin. Campers will be interacting with each other in close proximity all day (and night) without breaks. Kids don\u2019t have to like everything or everyone new, he notes, but they need to appreciate different experiences and different kinds of people.<\/p>\n In a way, this is good news, because it means that bullying is not generally a problem at either of these overnight camps, and probably many others. \u201cKids are amazingly open about it, and they won\u2019t let anyone get away with the slightest bit of it,\u201d Richards says. \u201cMaybe because they\u2019re not with their usual peer group. They think, \u2018Let\u2019s stop this before it starts.\u2019 It\u2019s really something to see.\u201d<\/p>\n Richards says that telling a kid, \u201cyou\u2019re going here\u201d is one of the biggest mistakes parents make. Of course you won\u2019t want to let your child have the only<\/em> say-so: Sometimes kids don\u2019t have the same concerns that you do. And if you aren\u2019t comfortable with their pick, your child will sense that, and it might affect their stay. On the other hand, kids will be more invested in having a good time if they are allowed to select a program that excites them.<\/p>\n Some camps offer a range of activities that can include athletics, crafts, survival skills, and so on. Others center on a particular theme, such as a single sport, academic subject, or interest (like soccer, science, or computer coding). \u201cKids find us because they\u2019re interested in science,\u201d says Richards. \u201cSo they\u2019re going to be in a group of like-minded kids. All of a sudden, these kids have that shared enthusiasm, and that makes it a very good social experience.\u201d On the other hand, kids who don\u2019t have a specific interest may prefer\u00a0to dabble in a variety of activities, which can help them find a new hobby they\u2019ll love. Either way, discuss these different options and be sure your child knows what \u201ctheir\u201d camp offers.<\/p>\n At Camp Chrysalis, kids learn to keep track of their gear, their toothbrush, their fork, and so on. They will spend 8 to 12 days at Big Sur, Mendocino, or Sierra. They will hike, swim, and hang out. They also learn camping skills like \u201chow not to damage a tent,\u201d \u201chow to sterilize drinking water,\u201d and \u201chow to whittle safely.\u201d You can help set them up for success by encouraging them to take more responsibility for such items and actions at home. Let them start packing their sports bag or packing their lunch for school. When preparing for camp, have them help you pack their labeled camp gear, too, so they know where everything is located.<\/p>\n At Science Camps of America, Richards likes to give kids as much choice as possible throughout the day, such as which bed to sleep in, which van to ride in, and what topic to debate that evening. If you don\u2019t already do so, start encouraging your kids to make more of their own choices when it\u2019s feasible.<\/p>\n Another tip: Once they\u2019re at camp, leave them be. Both camp directors agree that kids will have a better experience if their parents aren\u2019t checking in all the time. In fact, many camps take away tech, though they\u2019ll certainly allow phone calls if a child is particularly homesick.<\/p>\n If you miss texting your kids, remember this: Taking that away will free them up to interact with the kids at camp. Richards says he gathers up the cell phones\u00a0after each camp\u2019s orientation. \u201cThe kids know that it\u2019s going to happen and they\u2019re all horrified by the prospect of it, but within a few hours, you\u2019ve got 20 strangers who are best friends. It\u2019s amazing to see how fast they socialize and connect without cell phones to distract them.\u201d You can both get accustomed to the idea by easing up on the tech connections at home a bit, too. And if they do phone home, Richards says make sure to tell them you\u2019re excited and happy for them. You may feel like you should tell them how much you miss them, but both camp directors agree that this often makes kids feel guilty about having fun, which can inhibit their ability to immerse themselves in the experience.<\/p>\n Fear of the unknown can be powerful, but it\u2019s easy enough to dispel some of it. Richards, for one, believes in finding information that helps kids and parents \u201cenvision the environment\u201d and understand what a typical day or week will hold.<\/p>\n \u201cI encourage parents to look at the camp\u2019s website with their kids,\u201d says Tempkin. \u201cWe also have a family night in June, where we show slides. I think it\u2019s reassuring to have some of the basic information so it\u2019s not so scary for them to go off on their own.\u201d<\/p>\n If you like, call the camp and see if a director or staff member can answer your questions. What do the facilities look like? What food will be provided? What will the campers learn? Work with your kids to create a list of things you want to ask.<\/p>\n If you learn something you think the kids won\u2019t love, don\u2019t withhold the information from them, advises Tempkin. \u201cI\u2019m a believer that kids are people who need to be respected to handle information, especially regarding an experience that is going to be their<\/em> experience.\u201d The more a child knows, the better they can picture themselves there, having a great time.<\/p>\n Talking to other parents can be helpful, too. Ask the camp director for references. Also look for written reviews such as the ones on ActivityHero or on the camp\u2019s website.<\/p>\n For parents who are worried about their kid getting lost in the shuffle, it\u2019s important to look at the size of the camp, says Tempkin. \u201cWe divide our campers into four small groups of 8 or 9 kids with 2 staff members, and they eat together and doactivities together on a daily basis, so the staff gets to know the campers really, really well.\u201d Richards, too, has a smaller camp, with just 20 kids and 5 staff members per session. \u201cWe try to develop a relationship with each kid, one-on-one,\u201d he says. \u201cOur motto is:\u00a0Don\u2019t treat them as a group. Treat them as individuals<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n Maturity of the staff is important too, says Tempkin. Half of his staff members are adults, not college or high school students. \u201cThe maturity of the staff is reassuring for families who have never done camp before,\u201d he says. Younger staffers can serve as great role models or mentors, but there must be enough adults available to deal with larger concerns and keep campers on track.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also a good sign if some staffers are former campers, since they will know the culture, and they obviously enjoyed their stay when they were kids. Tempkin says that most of his staff grew up attending his camp, and he has known them since they were 8 or 10 years old. \u201cThey act as mature mentors who can be a positive factor in the kid\u2019s life,\u201d he says. \u201cKids need adults in their lives who are not their parents, especially as they become teens. A good camp can provide those mentors.\u201d<\/p>\n Last, ask how long staffers have been with the camp. A low turnover rate means staffers know what they\u2019re doing \u2014 and they enjoy it enough to return summer after summer.<\/p>\n Kids love to teach their parents, and attending a summer camp offers them a chance to learn new things and then pass them on. Your child can do this by keeping a journal. Kids at Camp Chrysalis write in a \u201cBear Book.\u201d In fact, Tempkin says that this can also help dispel some homesickness because kids know they can always write a letter to home and share it later. They also send a postcard to parents midway through the trip. This is fun for kids, most of whom have never written out a postcard before, and for parents who feel better when they receive even a brief communication.<\/p>\n Another option might be to revisit the locations your child\u00a0explored and ask them to serve as your tour guide. Richards says that one mom and her son spent a few days in Hawaii after his camp ended, and she phoned a few days later to share\u00a0how much her son enjoyed showing her around the island. Richards adds, \u201cIt gave that boy an opportunity to take what he had learned and teach it to his mother. And as we know, when we teach something, that\u2019s when we really learn it.\u201d Tempkin has similar stories of campers who became \u201cgreat tour guides of the areas they\u2019ve learned about.\u201d<\/p>\n As for parents, knowing that our children have surpassed us, even in a small area of expertise, is tremendously rewarding. So when they share, listen closely and ask questions.<\/p>\n In the meantime, go ahead and start making your own list of what you want to do \u2014 or where you\u2019d like to go \u2014 when your kids are at sleepaway camp. Who knows? Their getaway might be a transformative experience for you, too.<\/p>\n Considering exploring overnight camps for your children this summer? Two directors share tips to prepare kids for the positive experience of a lifetime.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":5482,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"templates\/template-cover.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[217,720,735,552,725,740,729,741,730,744,553],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5475","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-adventure-outdoors","category-biology","category-httpblog-activityhero-comcategorycamps","category-environmental","category-geology","category-hiking","category-marine-science","category-nature-programs","category-science","category-httpblog-activityhero-comcategorysleep-away-camps"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.activityhero.com/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5475","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.activityhero.com/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.activityhero.com/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.activityhero.com/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.activityhero.com/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5475"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.activityhero.com/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5475\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5978,"href":"https:\/\/www.activityhero.com/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5475\/revisions\/5978"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.activityhero.com/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5482"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.activityhero.com/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5475"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.activityhero.com/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5475"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.activityhero.com/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5475"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Shop for overnight camps > ><\/a><\/h4>\n
Think About Their Personality<\/h3>\n
Let Your Child Choose the Camp<\/h3>\n
![\"child](\"https:\/\/www.activityhero.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/hike_to_the_creek.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/h3>\nEncourage Their Independence<\/h3>\n
Shop for overnight camps > ><\/a><\/h4>\n
Do a Bit of Detective Work<\/h3>\n
Ask About Staff Numbers, Age, and Experience<\/h3>\n
![\"kayaking](\"https:\/\/www.activityhero.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/kayaking-counselor.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nTalk About How Kids Can Share Their Experiences With You <\/strong><\/h3>\n
Shop for overnight camps > ><\/a><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"