Summer Camps: The Best of Both Worlds - Parents and Kids

Odds are you're reading this article because you've explored, to some degree the idea of a residential summer camp. Whether you're a veteran at packing the kids off to summer for camp or a newbie to the whole process, there are a few thoughts that cross your mind.

First, there are a lot of camps. Second, many appear to offer the same program. Third, they're not necessarily cheap. Finally, for the money spent, isn't it fair that I expect a little enrichment?

The answer to each thought, yes. Yes, there are a lot of camps, choosing a camp can be an arduous journey. See a previous article on choosing a camp for more on this topic. Yes, many appear to offer the same program, often they are not the same, again, see previous article for more details on how to filter through the offerings. Yes, summer camps are not cheap, and neither should be the experiences your children receive. And yes, its quite fair for you to expect a bit of grooming, a bit of educating to take place.

Most children want to go off to play, to have fun and so, it would be ideal to have them at a camp that addressed your want for a little education and the child be none-the-wiser for being at this type of camp: It can be done.



The most obvious camp for education are camps specific to college prep programs or that offer summer classes, often on a university campus. Often kids will rebuff the idea of these camps because they don't appear fun and seem like more school. In these cases you need to be more discrete in the program you're looking at.

Try to locate camps that refer to team building. In their descriptions see what they do that is supposed to build teams. For instance, a rafting camp requires campers to work together to get their raft safely downstream. Hiking a mountain or climbing on ropes will require a team attitude for support and safety.

Query camps that refer to behaviors requiring people to interact one on one and in mass. Familiar words and phrases to look for include discussions, community, leadership, evening campfire, interconnectedness, etc. Camps using these words are, at minimum, reaching to achieve the benefits these activities offer.

Query the term, experiential education, and summer camps to find a camp with this focus. Schools are cutting programs, college entrance is ever more competitive, school sports is more and more about winning and less about learning to be a teammate. For these reasons, the need for education through experience, experiential education, is ever increasing. Therefore, camps that address this method of learning are at minimum working towards providing this type of education.

Here, an example of experiential education at work, viewed through the application of a rafting camp. In a camp requiring rafting, campers must learn how to prepare their gear each day, the must work together to get the gear in place, they must work to paddle in unison, they must work together in learning safety guidelines and what-to-do-when-scenarios, etc. Just the activity of rafting encompasses team, employing and exercising all the necessary skills you'd find in a boardroom or in real life scenarios.



If you're exploring residential camps, you probably have the means to send your child. It's natural and good parenting to want to get the most experience for your dollar spent. Your child's life will be greatly enriched from their summer experiences.

Of course camp should be a positive experience, but you can look for the industry terms to hedge your chances of finding a camp that will please you as well as your child. Best of camp-hunting and to having the summer of a lifetime!


Christopher Pyle has rafted the American River for 24-years. As owner/director of Action Whitewater's Adventure Camp, he allows Mother Nature and her incredible classroom to inspire and strike awe into campers. To see your future and learn how to enroll, visit the camp page.