Planning for the summertime

REBECA KUROPATWA

Every child is ready for new and different experiences at different stages but, since parents know their child best, armed with some basic strategic considerations, it should be fairly straightforward to gauge whether this is the right time for your child to start camp and, if so, which one.

Your child’s age is definitely important to consider. Generally speaking, children younger than seven may not adjust easily to being away from home. A good way to test the waters with your child is to first see if he/she enjoys the day camp experience. That may better prepare them for overnight camp.

According to Brenda Tessler Donen, executive director of B’nai B’rith Camp in Winnipeg, “Your child’s age is relevant to whether he/she can manage being away independently and for how long.”

If your child has recently become interested in camp and consistently talks about it, it’s a good sign that he/she is raring to go, she noted. Other points to think about include whether your child has had positive overnight experiences away from home when visiting relatives or friends, i.e. whether these separations were easy or difficult.

“The camp location is also important,” said Tessler Donen. “Being further away is something a young child may not be ready for, but an older child may want exactly that. It’s good to make sure the camp you send your child to is accredited every three years, meeting required standards regularly.”

Checking into what camps have to offer and comparing those selections to what your child expects from the experience will go a long way to ensuring a smooth transition and creating positive expectations. Knowing that a camp will fit your child’s interests, special needs and abilities is critical.

“If your child is very active, a camp focused on sports may work well,” said Tessler Donen. “As well, if your child is artistic, a drama, music or computer [camp] may be a good fit.”

Parents will also want to try to determine whether the camp director has a similar philosophy to running the camp as they have in parenting, and the cost of camp is obviously another consideration.

“Make sure you’re able to budget the camp cost or find other options [for financial support],” said Tessler Donen. “Also find out what the camp’s associated costs are – besides registration – so there are no unwanted surprises.” In British Columbia and the surrounding regions, there are camperships available through most of the camps themselves; as well, if people are interested in funding camperships, they can do so through the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, where the contact is Marcie Flom.

Parents should be aware that tuition costs may cover limited transportation and other amenities but that there might be extra fees for special programs and trips, laundry service, camp canteen and special equipment. As well, the camp director should be able to tell you whether it is appropriate to send spending money to camp with your child.

Four to eight weeks at a private overnight camp typically costs thousands of dollars, so it is good to know what you are getting into. Refund policies vary greatly from camp to camp. Some refund for illness only, some will give a total refund prior to a certain date, and some do not refund at all. Most camps will ask for a small non-refundable deposit at the time of application. Often, camps will offer special discounts for registering early, full-season enrolment or multiple family member enrolment.

“The camp’s staff is something to look into too; seeing who will be taking care of your child, what the camper-to-staff ratio is, staff qualifications, and possible past staff issues,” said Tessler Donen.

Camps should have at least a 40-60 percent return staff ratio, she recommended, as that is one indication that the camp is a good place for a child to spend a summer.

“Your child’s safety is certainly important, so checking that the camp staff have had criminal and child abuse screenings, and are first-aid certified is key,” she added. “You want to also be sure that the camp has a health-care facility with registered nurses, first-aid responders and a hospital close by in case of emergency.”

Camps offer widely varying options to help both parents and child to reach their summer fun and exploration goals. Talk with your child about these goals and find the choice that is right for both of you.

Rebeca Kuropatwa is a Winnipeg freelance writer.

WHERE TO START

In this day and age, almost every camp has a website and e-mail address, in addition to an old-fashioned phone number, so it should be relatively easy to get in touch with a camp to find out what programs, facilities and financial aid they have to offer. Here in British Columbia, there are several camps from which to choose, both within the province and outside of Canada. If you can’t make the camp fair at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver on Thursday, Feb. 10, 3:30-7 p.m., here are some places to start:

• Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver: jccgv.com, 604-257-5111 or 604-257-5147

• Camp Gan Israel of Vancouver and Richmond: ganisraelbc.com, [email protected] or 604-266-1313

• Camp Hatikvah, located on Lake Kalamalka in Oyama, B.C.: camphatikvah.com, [email protected] or 604-263-1200

• Camp Miriam, on Gabriola Island, B.C.: campmiriam.org, [email protected] or 604-266-2825

• Camp BB Riback, along the shores of Pine Lake, Alta.: campbb.com, [email protected] or 1-800-267-2267

• Camp Solomon Schechter, in Olympia, Wash.: campschechter.org, [email protected] or 604-288-7655

• B’nai B’rith Camp, on the Oregon coast: bbcamp.org, [email protected] or 1-503-452-3444

• Camp Espana in Marbella, Spain: campespana.com, [email protected] or 1-416-628-6581

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