Are you sending your child (gulp!) to overnight camp for the first time this summer? No worries, the kids at camps will have fun - it’s the parents who need the peace of mind. And getting the right items packed should help alleviate a little of this anxiety for you. This collected and curated advice about what to pack comes to you from parents who have been there, done that (and a few who were campers themselves as youngsters). These tips might be the only packing list you need.
Searching for Summer Camps in Calgary? Here’s Help!
I still remember the Excel spreadsheet my husband created when our son was in grade school. We were trying to patch together multiple summer-day-camp options that would be fun and enriching for him and that also would, frankly, help us out with childcare while we both worked. We talked with friends, read everything we could get our hands on, poured over websites... and cobbled together a plan. What we didn’t have was great advice - like the tips from our experts below – on how to go about the whole process. With this advice, you’ll know where to start looking, what questions to ask – and you’ll even nab a few tips on what to do once you’ve chosen the right camp(s) for your child.
Being away from home and loved ones causes feelings of homesickness in almost everyone. As many as 95 per cent of kids experience mild sadness, and some feel intense, long-lasting distress. Younger kids and those who have never spent time away from home have the most trouble at camp. You may be worried that your attempts to comfort your homesick child will only make the problem worse.
Going to a sleepover camp is a milestone for children. Kids will make friends fast and experience new ideas. They’ll eat foods that they would have never tried at home and develop more self-confidence. Sleepover camps give kids a great opportunity to learn new life skills, too. If your child is anxious about the thought of going away to camp this summer, think, plan, and discuss now so you can enrich your child’s camp experience before it begins.
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