When is the best time to send my child to camp?

Being a parent through the ages and stages of childhood is demanding but also rewarding, especially when you see your child flourish. Remember to include “camp” on your best-choice list of places where that happens.

The pages linked to above are a very general guide only, but it will help you to explore the links between the stages of development and the ways that camp – be it summer camp and/or March break camp – can help a child to grow and learn.

Here’s what you’ll find in this section:

• Your child age 4 to 6 is a sponge for information. For kids at this stage, camp offers early social experiences that he or she will not have available through any other means. Camp also exposes them to adult leaders other than parents. There are numerous other benefits.

• Your child age 7 to 9 is developing their own interests and camp can help him or her explore these interests, though activities such as drama, computer & tech or specific sports. Camp also offers new opportunities to socialize and take on new challenges. Learn more about the benefits of camp for kids at this age.

• Your child age 10 to 12 is graduating into adolescence and is torn between being a kid and acting older. Camp offers these tweens/ preteens an outlet to be themselves among their peers. They also meet kids of different backgrounds and abilities; kids this age at camp start to learn tolerance of others. Of course there are many other benefits of camp for preteens.

• Your child aged 13 to 15 is beginning to stretch his or her adolescent wings at an age many people find to be one of the most difficult or challenging phases in life. Kids this age are learning who they are, dealing with the attitudes of others and developing self-esteem. Camp offers these children an environment where they can start and foster friendships and can grow self-esteem through mentoring those who are younger. There are of course, many other benefits for teenaged campers.

• Your child aged 16 and up is developing a firm idea of who he or she is. Camp offers strong, older role models as well as the opportunity for he or she to act as one, to younger children. Teenagers at camp get time away from their parents, learn on their own and may have a chance to learn some appreciation for their parents, for city life and other things they may be taking for granted. They can also start to develop leadership skills as junior counselors or even as counselors. Read more about the benefits of camp for teenagers.

When choosing a camp, be realistic about your child’s physical, intellectual and emotional development levels and his or her limitations. Every child develops at a different pace and in a unique way, but all can find a place in the sun at camp.

For more information about which camp might be right for your child, please join Our Kids at their annual Camp Expo. This is a fun, informative event for families to meet leading day and overnight camps from Ontario and Quebec. Choose from camps that focus on: arts, sports, education, special needs or an all around traditional experience. Families also have a chance to win $500 toward an exhibiting camp!

Pre-register online for FREE admission valid for a family of four here (Regular walk-in admission is $20, which goes directly to supporting Kids in Camp).

When is the best time to send my child to camp? was originally posted by ourkids.net. Our Kids is Canada’s trusted source for information on private schools and summer camps.