by Liz Moore

Created on: June 30, 2010

Summer is a wonderful time of year.  Across the country, the weather is hot, the days are long, and everyone just wants to get outside to enjoy the beauty of nature.  Swimming, hiking, biking, horseback riding, skateboarding...whatever a kid likes to do, they can get out to do during this fun time of year.  Summer is the time of year most kids enjoy the most because they have freedom from the responsibilities of school and summer is the time of year that kids should be allowed to enjoy as much as possible since the responsibilities of adulthood come all too soon.

When possible, parents might want to send their kids to summer camp.  Family activities are great, and many families will probably take a summer vacation together, but most parents work throughout much of the summer so their kids will be alone quite a bit.  This can lead to hours spent in front of gaming consoles when kids should be outdoors enjoying the natural world.

Not sure what camp might be the best fit for your child?  Try one of these websites to see what's available:

Kidscamps.com:  This site lists both day and overnight camps with a wide variety of activities ranging from sports, to academics, to teens, to just about anything else you can think of.

Mysummercamp.com: This site also offers a wide variety of camp options and allows parents to search for a particular area or specialty.

Chooseacamp.com:  Lists links to a large number of summer camps like the sites listed above, but also adds a few more special interest areas from which to choose.

These are just a few of the many sites available to parents who are trying to choose a summer camp experience for their child.  A random internet search may bring up more, or parents may also find options for camps through local connections such as a school, church, or friends and neighbors. 

Parents who may not be too eager to send a child off to a sleep-away camp can always choose a day camp that may be available through a local parks and recreation program.  These can be a wonderful alternative since the child is kept busy throughout the course of the day, but they're still home in the evening to spend quality family time with parents and siblings.

The camp experience is one that can create a lot of wonderful and precious memories for a child.  Parents should take the time to consider this when choosing a camp - and they should also talk to their child about what types of activities they might enjoy so that the child has the most enjoyable experience.

You might also want to consider taking a family "camp" vacation.  After all, why should the kids have all the fun?

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