by Mabel Jane

Created on: January 12, 2010   Last Updated: January 29, 2010

Some of the best memories children have are their experiences at summer camp. As parents, we want our children to remember canoeing with their bunk mate, making friendship bracelets with their new camp buddies and roasting marshmallows while singing favorites in front of a glowing fire. What we do not want as a memory for our children is having to leave all the fun because of an accident.

One of the most unnerving parts of summer camp for a parent is knowing that their child is out of their care, their watchful eye and out of the safety of their safe home. That is why, as a parent, the most important part about sending your child to camp is preparing ahead of time and following these simple rules to ensure your little camper's safety- both physical and emotional- while they are away.

Finding the Right Camp

When choosing a summer camp for your child, do your research. Find a camp that will make your child feel comfortable and provides activities your child will like to do. Make sure to pick a camp that is within your child's age group so there won't be activities that may be too old and challenging/dangerous for your child to do at his or her age. 

Do background checks on the camps too. Make sure to find out if there have been any recent accidents, outbreaks, staff problems, etc. Check any comments that have been posted on the camp's website or on another site. Also, see what kind of staff the different camps have. Find out what the staff to camper ratio is. There really should not be more than one staff member to every 10 campers. Also, it is important to make sure the camp has a certified lifeguard if there are any where activities and a certified health officer or camp nurse on hand 24-7. You may also want to research what is nearby the camp; how close is the nearest hospital? How far is it from civilization? etc.

Some places even have open houses during the off-season, where parents can go, meet the staff and learn more about the camp while getting their questions answered. Call ahead to find out if you can bring your child. If so, it may be a good chance to see how your child is cared for by the staff and how the staff interacts with your child.

To get started on your camp research, check out: www.mysummercamps.com, www.camppage.com and www.kidscamps.com.

Packing

After you have chosen the right camp for your child and have registered, most places will send you a packing list along with other important information. It is important to follow the list

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