Summercamps
No Longer Just Log Cabins and Wienie Roasts.
Some kids hear the bugle at the crack of dawn during summer
camp. But 16-year-old Amanda Shaw heard the roaring engines of
NASCAR stock cars outside her bunk area at the Atlanta Motor
Speedway. She was attending Race Camp, a summer camp designed
for kids who want to become race-car drivers.
Amanda is one of the 9 million kids who attend one of America's
8,500 summer camps each year. Maybe your child is not into race
cars. Have no fear--there is a summer camp for nearly every
activity, condition, pursuit or theme imaginable!
Perhaps your child is an aspiring Bill Gates or has visions of
playing on stage with Yo-Yo Ma. Computer camps and music camps
are easy to find nation-wide. There is a myriad of camp options
from gardening camps to leadership camps, and from academic
camps to special needs camps (for kids with specific medical
conditions). How do you know which camp is right for your
child?
How can you be certain that a camp will be safe and that the
kids will have a fun and rewarding experience? While there is
no simple answer to those questions, many parents take comfort
in American Camping Association (ACA) accreditation. About
2,200 of the 8,500 summer camps across the country pay to
undergo certification by the ACA in 300 different categories,
including: staff, health, safety and program quality.
The experience your child receives at camp depends on the
camper, the camp and how they mesh. Some important questions to
ask when exploring camp possibilities: What is the camp's
philosophy? What is the camp director's background? What
training do camp counselors receive?
Other summercamps
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