Soumi Pandey
Top 10 Tips for Choosing a Summer Camp for Your Child
When someone says ‘summer camp,’ the first thing that comes to mind is days of fun-filled activities that build your child’s confidence. But did you know that there are various types of summer camps?
A summer camp need not only be outdoors; your child can explore an art-related camp, a tech camp, adventure camp, special needs camp, or others. The list is endless.
The pandemic may have restricted summer camps to the online medium, it still has opened newer and advanced methods of communicating, giving rise to several virtual camps. Parents today face difficulties in choosing the right summer camp for their children because of these infinite choices.
To help your dilemma, listed below are 10 tips for choosing the right summer camp for your children.
How to Choose a Summer Camp for Your Child?
1. Start By Finding Out Your Child’s Needs/Expectations
You need to set an agenda for the summer camp. Understand what your child should be achieving at the end of the camp. For example, if you want your child to learn basketball, you will want to enroll them in basketball coaching. Similarly, find out what your child wants to learn before finding them the right summer camp.
The expectation can be as simple as meeting new friends, or it can be academically inclined where your child wants to learn about technology. Your child will want to meet like-minded peers instead of feeling left out. So, talk to them and list down the expectations before starting your research.
2. Search for Camps and What They Offer
As mentioned earlier, summer camps today have a lot more to offer. Even virtual summer camps are finding ways to achieve what they would have done in the physical world. You can decide from among the various summer camps out there based on your child’s needs.
For instance, if your child needs to be more social, then a general summer camp with peers is a good start. Whereas if your child needs something more specific such as STEM learning, art, or sports, then look for camps that can fulfill these needs.
Many students today are inclined towards tech summer camps for the value they add to their education and future jobs. Tech summer camps such as MoonCamp by Moonpreneur are an excellent way to mold your child’s mind and develop skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and more. So, when searching for a camp, look for what they are offering and how it can benefit your child.
3. What is the Duration/Style of the Camp?
Summer camps vary in duration as per the activities they want to cover in the camp. So, find out the schedules of the camp; are they day camps or night camps; do their timings suit your child; are they virtual camps or physical ones; and so on.
Due to the pandemic, you might want to consider looking for virtual summer camps to keep your child safe. In this case, find out the mode via which the sessions will be conducted. Ask the camp conductors if there are any specific requirements in terms of software, equipment, etc., that you would need for the camp.
4. What is the Camp Environment Like?
Even if the summer camp is a virtual one, find out what the environment is like. Find out how flexible the camp is with regards to learning abilities. Suppose your child is showing an interest in a particular sport or technology more than the others, will the camp trainers help develop those interests further?
The camp environment can have a significant impact on your child’s participation levels. If the online sessions are not interactive, your child may not take home as much as they can in an engaging class. Therefore, you must research the camp environment to see if it fits your child’s needs.
5. Is the Camp Adding Value to Your Child’s Growth?
Even though summer camps can be all fun and games, there is always value-addition at the back of it all. Whether it is an adventure camp, sports camp, or academic camp, each of them should help your child’s growth. So, find out what value the camp will add to your child’s growing years.
Take, for example, a tech camp such as MoonCamp. This camp will educate your child in futuristic streams such as robotics, coding, sensors, home automation, etc. Simultaneously, it also tries to create an entrepreneurial mindset among children and encourages them to build their own products using their camp learnings.
6. Find Out More About the Camp Instructors
A good instructor will be a passionate teacher and dedicate their time and efforts to your child’s benefits. Take your time to get more information on the trainers/mentors assigned to your child. At the same time, find out how flexible the camp is in terms of changing the trainers if your child doesn’t warm up to them.
You may not be able to determine the quality of the instructor through mere qualifications provided on websites or elsewhere. Yet, the data can help you understand their background. You can also check some reviews to know how the tutors have fared in the past before deciding on the camp.
7. Are There Any Additional Skills Included?
Most summer camps will highlight the primary skills that they will help your child develop. But few camps can give your child a little bit extra. Online summer camps such as MoonCamp is a tech camp that goes beyond technology. They also teach your child video creation and eCommerce as additional skill sets.
So, get in-depth information about the camp offerings and check out their add-ons. Make sure your child can make the most of their summer break through these camps.
8. Can Parents Monitor Their Child’s Progress?
Summer camps have a way to communicate the events of the camp with the parents. Find out how you can monitor your child’s progress throughout the camp. If the camps are virtually held, check if you can get recordings of the sessions.
You can also ask the camp conductors their take on parents joining in for a session or two to supervise how the sessions are managed. Ask them how they will address concerns, ideas, etc., from parents and incorporate them into their camp.
9. What Are the Key Takeaways of the Camp?
Find out what your child will get at the end of the camp. Many summer camps provide certificates, awards, etc., to children who participate in activities. If you are enrolling your child in a tech summer camp, check with them if they provide certificates to help your child in the future.
10. Is It Worth the Money?
Finally, find a summer camp that is worth the money you are willing to spend. Summer camps can make many promises, but use your understanding to determine if they can deliver on them. Do thorough research on the right online summer camp for your child and choose the one that fits your budget without compromising quality.
Here is What MoonCamp Has to Offer!
MoonCamp is an online tech summer camp offered by Moonpreneur. The camp concentrates on future techs such as robotics, Arduino, Raspberry Pi, home automation, artificial intelligence, sensors, and other topics. MoonCamp is available in three countries – US, UK and UAE.
Moonpreneur. is dedicated to encourage and build the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs. Therefore, the summer camp also includes sessions to develop a business mindset, complete from creating a product to selling it through eCommerce.
MoonCamp can effectively help your child create their own products through hands-on learning experiences. The camp provides each child with kits and games for learning and building. Through this camp, your child will get an education beyond the four walls of a classroom and help them be ready to face challenges in the future.
So, if you are looking for a tech summer camp for your child, MoonCamp can tick all the ten boxes.
Final Words
There isn’t a doubt that the pandemic has affected the way summer camps have functioned in the past. Yet, today’s technology makes it possible to bring the same experience into your homes. So, do your research, find the best summer camp for your child, and enroll soon.