Are you wondering whether your child is mentally and physically ready for overnight summer camp? Sleepaway camp will offer your child the opportunity to gain vital life skills, from freedom to strength. But how can you be sure if your child is ready for overnight camp this summer?
Once your child hits a specific age, you might think they’re entirely ready for sleepaway camp. However, being prepared for sleepaway camp is not as straightforward as reaching an age group. Many children begin sleepaway camp when they are eight to ten years old, and some other kids are not ready till they are 11 or 12 years old. Continue reading to determine if your child is ready for overnight camp.
Personal Hygiene
Independence is a significant factor when finding out if your kid is ready for overnight camp. One way to know that they’re ready is when they can take care of their hygiene. At summer camp, particularly overnight camp, your child must be independent enough to do things like brushing their teeth, taking a shower, dressing themselves, making their bed without much resistance, and getting around most of their day-to-day routine on their own. Camp counselors may point out to campers about their cleanliness, but it is most significant that kids understand how to do this.
Successful Sleepovers
Try to evaluate if your child has had successful sleepovers away from home. Has your child slept at their cousin’s house or a friend’s house and enjoyed it? If your child called you whenever they slept away from home, they could not entirely be ready for overnight camp. But if your child has successfully been to sleepovers away from home many times and enjoyed it, they are probably prepared for overnight camping.
Able to Adapt to New Situations
Your kid must be able to navigate new situations with minimal direction effectively. There will often be counselors and resources in an overnight camp, but your camper should be capable of making friends and getting involved in camp activities without much pushing. Overnight camp could be intimidating for them, even if your kid shows interest in going. That is not to say that they are not prepared; it’s just one thing to bear in mind.
Shows Interest in Overnight Camp
Another consideration is if your child begins asking questions about overnight camp, which indicates that they might be ready for this. Try checking out a camp’s website, going to a virtual camp fair, or even a backyard visit with the camp director can be beneficial in deciding whether your child is ready for overnight camping and if the camp is an excellent fit for them. Be aware of what your child says while watching the camp video or maybe the questions they ask throughout the backyard visit. You’ll also want to observe your kid’s body gestures and what that tells you. It is typical for a child to get anxious around any new experience, so having open conversations about what overnight camp is like, will help your son or daughter imagine what an overnight camp will be like.
Independent Bedtime Routine
If getting your child to bed is complicated or you have to lay and read with them still, they may not be ready for an overnight camp. Kids should be comfortable going to sleeping independently without their parent’s assistants before going to sleepaway camp. It’s better to be sure that your kids are ready before sending them on this journey.y.
Your Child Know What Sleepaway Camp Is
Does your child know what overnight camp is? Try to ask them to explain it to you so that you can get a good understanding of what your child really thinks happens. Just as much as we might have fond remembrances of our own childhood overnight camps, it is crucial to send your kid off with reasonable expectations. If your kid can recognize that it will not always be the land of their dreams (and that there will not be any gadgets), then they are probably ready for overnight camp!
Preparing for a Successful Camp Experience
Once you identify your child is ready for overnight camp, it is time to think about preparing them for this experience. While you would like to get your kid excited about camp, you don’t want to talk about it constantly because it may make your kid feel anxious. Let them know that it is okay to miss Mom/Dad. However, let them know that they will have a wonderful time there. Lots of camps host new camper orientations and get-togethers.
Choosing the Right Overnight Camp
If you think that your child is actually ready for sleepaway camp, the next thing to do is to choose which camp is the most suitable for them.
There are a vast number of camps to suit every kid’s interest. From outdoor adventure camp to sports camp to music camp as well as science camp and everything in between, take some time to explore camps that your kid will love and wish to go back to.
Planning for Camp
One of the best things you can do to help your son or daughter enjoy an overnight camp is to prepare them properly. Help them set realistic goals for camp and techniques they can use in case they get homesick. You may send care packages if you want but remember that numerous camps today don’t want parents to send food since many kids have food allergies, so you have to be mindful of other campers. As an alternative, you can send money for snacks. Contact the camp to understand their rules better ahead of time so you can plan with your child care packages or a weekly camp allowance.
