The end of the course is approaching, and we are many parents who are already looking for a summer camp for our children. In the first place, it must be a place where they have fun and make new friends, but there are also other issues that we must consider when choosing.
If you are in the process of searching and choosing a camp or colony, we give you some Useful tips that can help you choose Among the wide offer in the market.
Define the type of camp we want
The offer of summer camps is so varied that, a priori, it can be somewhat chaotic to opt for one easily. Therefore, it is essential to ask "Why do I want my son to go to a summer camp?"
- The most common answer is usually because we work and need someone to take care of our children, or to avoid getting bored at home while we do other tasks.
In this sense, we can go to urban camps organized by many schools at the end of the course, or the municipalities themselves. The activities that are carried out there are fun and varied (painting, crafts, some sports, water games, experiments ...), and are basically focused on entertaining children.
He schedule is similar to what they have during the school year, although in some cases they offer the possibility of taking only half a day. There are also urban camps that include an overnight excursion in the program.
The advantage of these types of camps is their proximity and its price, in addition to the children sharing time and activities with schoolmates or neighbors in their municipality. On the other hand, and as an important point to keep in mind, is that most include activities that are also focused on young children.
- Another option would be that of thematic camps, where all the children who attend share the same hobbies and live together, learn and work around the same type of activity.
There are sports camps (only football, only racket sports, only water sports, ...), multi-adventure or nature camps, robotics, artistic, musical (where you start or reinforce the knowledge of an instrument), cooking , of languages…
Sometimes you have to look for these types of camps away from our town or municipality, and logically they are usually more expensive than the previous ones. In addition, it is important to look at the minimum age to attend, because they don't usually admit young children.
On the other hand, it should be borne in mind that many of these camps include overnight stays during the time they last, although there are also those that do not include this modality, or that even offer the possibility to choose between sleeping there or going home .
In any case, the choice of camp must be agreed with our son, involve him in the search, have his opinion and, above all, take into account how he is, what degree of maturity he has and what his tastes and / or aptitudes are. .Price quality
Once defined the type of camp we want and the days of duration, our search will be more limited and we will find it easier to find the one that best suits the interests and personality of our child.
Experts advise not to get carried away by fashions, brands or advertising campaigns, and carefully analyze the value for money.Among the aspects that we should consider when assessing the camp are:
Quality of sports facilities, common and recreational, type of accommodation and rooms, swimming pool, cleaning ...
Quality of dining facilities and type of food offered to children
Does the final price include the trips that need to be made for the different activities or classes? What bus or transportation company is behind these trips? Do you move students safely?
Quality of the activity program, training of the monitors that teach them, type of excursions that are carried out, nationality of the monitors in case of having opted for a language camp ...
Years of experience of the company that organizes the camp and whether or not it specializes in the theme to be taught.
Legal aspects
Another important point to consider is if the company that organizes the camp complies with the regulations in force in each community and It has all the permits, compulsory degrees and insurance that are required to carry out the activities.
Likewise, we must also look at the maximum ratio of children per monitor and the number of coordinators that exist.
And finally, when booking your place find out well about the booking conditions, it requires that you receive a receipt if prior signaling is required, and when you get the final invoice, make sure that it is complete and that all the data of the company responsible for the camp or activity are included.
Other aspects to consider
Other aspects that we must assess when choosing the camp are:
How is the communication with families How long is the camp? Can we meet with the monitors and managers before starting to meet them personally and / or clarify our doubts?
How is the health care? Are there personnel or monitors specifically trained to handle an emergency? How do you proceed in that case? Are staff prepared to treat students with chronic illnesses or disabilities?
If your child has any food allergy or intoleranceYou should take into account several factors, including allergy training or specific staff knowledge, as well as the type of menus offered in the dining room service.
References from other families who have taken their children to that camp
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