So you've decided you want your child to go to summer camp? Before getting camp information you should have a goal in mind. Make a list of things you feel you want your kid to gain from a summer camp experience. Make sure it's not just about activities. What about a camp's physical attributes, like cabins or tents? Is it a small, personal camp or a large camp with loads of campers? Once you have this information, you can create a check list to help compare camps and narrow down your search for the Best Summer Camps.

Narrow your search to four or five possibilities, and then call or e-mail each camp to ask for information. Perhaps more important than printed materials, camps will send you a promotional video. Remember, these DVDs are tools to help you find the right summer camp. But they are also tools for camps to SELL a place in their camp to you and your child. So keep that in mind when you view them.

Now it is time get to get your child involved. Sit down as a family and watch the videos. Let your child take the lead talking about what he or she saw, and tell you more about what he or she is looking for. You may need to do a little encouraging to get your new camper talking. Doing this persisitently will help you see what is important in a camp to your child. Prior to going to camp, please explain to your child that the videos are advertisements and that the reality may not always match what you see on the screen. It is good to stop for brief reality check now and then!

The DVD can tell you much more than what you see on the surface if you pay close attention for clues about the camp's philosophy and strengths. Also look for the following indicators:

-Does the video answer your questions about the camp? While there should be additional questions that you will want to ask the director, the video should give you a comprehensive overview.

-What does the video emphasize? Pay attention to what activities and facilities get the most time in the video.

-How old is the video? If there is no date, then estimate the age based on the campers' clothing and the background music. No matter how recent the video appears to be, you should ask the camp director what has changed or been added to the video program since its filming.

-What philosophies does the video suggest? Does the video seem to complement the philosophies expressed in the camp's printed materials?

-What level of sports are shown, in terms of skill and sophistication? If you're looking for a specialty sports camp, does the level of play look too advanced or too basic?

-What philosophical qualities does the video stress? Does the video seem to be consistent with and complement the philosophies expressed in the camp's printed materials?

-What is your and your child's general impression after watching? Sometimes a gut instinct may tell you the most.

DVDs are a great way to get a feel about each individual childrens summer camp, but it should not be the only factor in the important decision about a camp. Be sure to talk to the camp directors and talk to campers' parents.

If this is your first time looking for a summer camp please go to Summer Camp Advice a FREE online reference that helps parents figure out what Summer Camp is about 

About the author: Lonnie lorenz has been the owner of Swift Nature Camp since 1996. She has created a is a Minnesota Outdoors Summer Camp for boys and girls ages 6-15. Our focus is to blend traditional summer camp activities with that of aAnimal Camp and Science Summer Camp 

• Discovery Camp is a twelve-day First Timer’s Program offered at the Swift Nature Camp facilities near Minong, Wisconsin. The program utilizes Swift Camp’s highly trained staff at a ratio of two staff members for every cabin of eight new campers. The first time at summer camp will quite possibly be a child’s first extended time away from home. The program acknowledges this by making sure that every new camper will find a staff member on hand at all times. First time campers need to feel special, and the first priority of this program is to foster the sense that camp is there for them and exists for their benefit.
• Prior to each camper’s arrival, the staff studies the informational packet for that person. They learn about each child and gain awareness of specific individual needs. If any camper has medical circumstances or special needs these will discussed by the staff in confidence with the camp nurse. By the time a child arrives at camp, the staff will feel as if they already know that new camper. This preparation is immediately beneficial to the first-time camper from the moment he or she steps off the bus and is warmly and personally greeted.
• The first day of Discovery Camp is Orientation Day. New campers get a complete tour of Swift Nature Camp, including a visit to the HealthCenter, the Mail Box, and every activity area. Every activity is introduced with a discussion about the importance of safety and the basic safety information for that activity.
• Staff members work hard to promote an atmosphere of nurturing and harmonious friendship from the campers’ first day of cabin life. There is a Respect List for all to agree to and sign, and each night will end with a bedtime story. The cabin is the place where community begins. First time campers are gently brought into a sense of connection and community with others who begin on equal footing.
• At Discovery Camp, first time campers are introduced to Swift Camp’s well rounded noncompetitive variety of camp activities. Each morning a cabin’s campers are invited to instruction at two activity areas. These activities include Swimming, Canoeing, Nature Center, Arts and Crafts, Archery, and more. The new campers are encouraged to try new and different activities, giving each of them the opportunity to discover and explore what activities he or she might enjoy and eventually excel in. In the afternoon, campers learn how to make their own choices from the activity board, making their own decisions about which activity to pursue that day.
• Swift Nature Camp aims to encourage each child to learn independence in a safe, age appropriate environment. The twelve day first-timer program is set up to run the optimum length of time for a first time camper to leave homesickness behind and gain a comfortable sense of autonomy. For many of these campers the greatest first lesson camp teaches them is that they can leave home, return days later and find out that very few things will have changed, especially their parents’ love for them.
• The directors of Swift Nature Camp think it's important that parents know that their children’s first time away from home is in a safe, nurturing and secure environment. As a part of the Discovery Camp’s first timer program, parents are encouraged to visit at any time after the first five days.
• Parents who would like to find out if this is the right first-time summer camp experience for their child are encouraged to speak with other parents who have had their children attend Swift Nature Camp. A list of references is readily available for that purpose. Discovery Camp, a special program for the first time summer camp experience, is finally available to suit the needs of campers and parents alike!

"Good morning," they mustered back.

He asked for announcements.

Nothing for a moment, then one camper offered, "Ryan farts in his sleep."

Giggles.

"Are there any real announcements?"

"But it's true!" the camper insisted.

Another said, "It's Lindsey's birthday Saturday!"

The kids, ages 10 to 16, cheered and descended into chatter. The counselor raised his hand, reeling them back with a simple command: "Listen to your camp family."

After quickly running through the Camp Maplehurst Song ("I've got the Maplehurst feeling up in my head, up in my head …"), the kids headed to a breakfast of French toast, sausage links and strawberry yogurt on plastic trays.

It was an average Camp Maplehurst morning, the details likely forgotten before the last sausage was served (except maybe by poor Ryan). But in the camp family, as the counselor put it, even the ordinary is extraordinary. Every moment matters. Consider: For a few weeks every summer, each camper takes on a few dozen brothers and sisters. They sleep together, eat together, play together, sing together, work together and learn together. They fight and make up. They start figuring out love. They see one another in pajamas and bathing suits. They develop their own vocabularies that allow them to know the differences among the Moose Song, the Beaver Song, the Pirate Song and, when rushed, the Flagpole Song ("This is the flagpole song/It doesn't last too long").

In the togetherness, idiosyncrasies are forgiven. Peer pressure dissipates, or as much as it can at the age of 14. Material things prized back home are made moot. What good is a PS3 at camp?

And judgment is withheld. Don't believe it?

"I don't have many friends at school," said Roberto Soto, 13, of Guadalajara, Mexico. "I like to read, and in Mexico reading is considered nerdy, and if you're a nerd, you're considered an outcast. Here, people are from a lot more places and everyone is open."

Anyone who has been to summer camp knows that the relationships are like few others. Friendships form quickly, intensely and with open minds. Even if camp friends don't keep in touch long-term, what has been shared is long remembered.

One hundred fifty years since summer camp was born, the American Camp Association estimates there are as many as 15,000 summer camps in the U.S., much of the recent growth in specialized camps: music, religious, athletic, etc. Peg Smith, chief executive officer of the ACA, said the camp experience "is probably even more important than it was 150 years ago."

"It is a microcosm of a community," Smith said. "You learn to contribute to that community and to make relationships. Being able to communicate needs and resolve conflict stays with you."

Even the youngest campers realize the difference between what happens at camp and what happens back home.

"There's a lot of drama at school," said Charlotte Thomas, 12, of Short Hills, N.J.

"You get into fights with your friends, but here, you figure it out because you have to," said Anna Stern, 12, of Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
That was Thomas Cohn's plan when he started Maplehurst in 1955. Cohn, a University of Michigan psychology professor, wanted an outlet for kids built on freedom and creativity not promoted in schools. The camp is particularly popular with kids from Midwestern suburbs and attracts many international campers.

Laurence Cohn, who grew up attending his father's camp, took the reins with his wife, Brenda Cohn, in the 1970s. They deal with issues the elder Cohn never had to address, such as restricting use of MP3 players to afternoon rest time and asking for cell phones at the start of each session.

"The kids don't want to give up their phones," said Laurence Cohn, a psychology lecturer at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. "So we ask nicely."

He figures phones get in the way of the real business of camp, namely, being at camp. It's difficult to miss text-messaging when post-breakfast activities include biking, tennis, archery, arts and crafts, model rocketry, basketball, fencing, golf, kayaking, floor hockey, improvised comedy, tai chi and photography. And that's just before lunch.

Campers can program their own time to learn what they like, Cohn said. But that freedom is balanced by the responsibility of cleaning their cabins daily.

"I don't even have to do that at home," said Jordan Correll, of Farmington Hills, Mich.

Leaving usually ends up being the worst part of camp. It happened a few days early last summer for Maud Foriel-Destezet, 16, because of her family's travel plans.

Seemingly everyone at the camp offered Foriel-Destezet a hug, and tears flowed quickly. Her cabin mates formed a circle and took her in, heads down, arms around one another's shoulders, to create a world of sniffling teenage girls in shorts and T-shirts.

"The real world is waiting for you on the other side," said Margot Kriete, 16, of Birmingham, Mich.

A few hours after Foriel-Destezet had left, those same girls were all smiles while performing in the long-awaited camp talent show. Dressed in brightly colored clothes, they lip-synced to a top-40 hit, leapt, giggled and made new memories.

Kids Summer Camps offer many opportunities to become competent. Practicing both new and old skills on a regular basis, it makes sense that there will be improvement. Novices have chances to learn, while those who are more experienced can improve. Learning new skills and improving on old ones builds self-esteem. Children become more independent and self-reliant at camp with their new found skills.

Sending your child to camp is giving them an opportunity to try something new. No matter how many after-school programs or lessons a child takes, its likely they will never have the opportunity to try all that is offered at summer camp. In a supportive environment, the child can try at something new. The interesting twist to these activities is that, since campers often don't know anyone else at camp before they go, they are more willing to try activities that their friends at home might not expect them to. The athlete can try out for the camp play, while the artist may dabble in sports. At camp, children can try new things and set their own goals for success.

Though years later, your child may not remember capture the flag games or the words to a camp song, the life lessons learned at camp will remain. At camp, a child learns how to take responsibility. The child who has never before made a bed, will learn how to smooth out sheets and blankets and tidy up a cubby. Though counselors will remind and encourage, campers quickly take responsibility for personal hygiene, and for more minor health issues, a camper learns to articulate what hurts and how to get help. All of this personal responsibility further fosters a sense of independence and self-esteem. Camp also improves a child's social skills by making new friends and learning how to reach out to strangers. At camp, children learn to get along with others, all while living together 24 hours a day, learning about courtesy, compromise, teamwork, and respect. Minnesota Camps

During a recent survey of campers in 20 different camps that where accredited by the American Camping Association provided answers to questions like "What did you learn at camp?" "How are you different in school because of what you did at camp last summer?" "How do you feel differently about yourself since you've been to camp?" American Camp Association

Can you think of things you learned and did at camp last summer that helped you in school this year? * I learned to have more patience and to appreciate the things I have. (10 year old female) * I feel that I am better at interacting with friends and family. The people skills learned at camp affected me dramatically when I went home. (15 year old male) * Leadership, organization, water-skiing, make my bed, keep my stuff clean, to keep in touch with my friends, respect, how to handle pressure. (13 year old female)

If explaining camp to friends, what would you say you learn here? * You learn mostly how to interact with different kinds of people and are open to different ideas. You learn how to cooperate well with others who share and don't share the same opinions as you. (15 year old female) * I learned to have fun, be a leader, discipline, and most of all - respect. (12 year old male) * You learn how to make new friends, learn different sports, and learn that camp can be a very good part of summer! (9 year old female)

Do you feel differently about yourself when you are at camp? * I feel differently because I feel like I am accomplishing something by being here. (13 year old female) * At school there are defined groups of people, but at camp, everyone feels wanted. (15 year old female) * Yes, because I'm with people my age and people who respect everyone. (11 year old male) * At camp I think that I can do more and be proud of myself. (13 year old female) * At camp I have a personality that is different from home. I'm less cautious to do fun or exciting things. I don't feel as alone as I sometimes do at home. (14 year old male) * When I'm at camp I feel that I can be more open with myself and others. I tell people things at camp I wouldn't speak of back home. I feel so much more in tune with myself here and I can discuss issues so much more openly. (15 year old male) * I don't have to be fake to anyone. Everyone here accepts me as I am and I'm not judged or criticized. (15 year old female)

Given the benefits of a sleepaway camp, it seems that all children should enroll. There are camps for almost all children, including those with special needs. However, there are certainly children who are not ready for an overnight camp experience. Be sure you and your child are ready to leave home.

Find out how to pick the Best Summer Camps.

Discovery Camp is a twelve-day First Timer’s Program offered at the Swift Nature Camp facilities near Minong, Wisconsin. The program utilizes Swift Camp's highly trained staff at a ratio of two staff members for every cabin of eight new campers. The first time at summer camp will quite possibly be a child's first extended time away from home. The program acknowledges this by making sure that every new camper will find a staff member on hand at all times. First time campers need to feel special, and the first priority of this program is to foster the sense that camp is there for them and exists for their benefit.

* Prior to each camper's arrival, the staff studies the informational packet for that person. They learn about each child and gain awareness of specific individual needs. If any camper has medical circumstances or special needs these will discussed by the staff in confidence with the camp nurse. By the time a child arrives at camp, the staff will feel as if they already know that new camper. This preparation is immediately beneficial to the first-time camper from the moment he or she steps off the bus and is warmly and personally greeted.

The first day of Discovery Camp is Orientation Day. New campers get a complete tour of Swift Nature Camp, including a visit to the HealthCenter, the Mail Box, and every activity area. Every activity is introduced with a discussion about the importance of safety and the basic safety information for that activity.

Staff members work hard to promote an atmosphere of nurturing and harmonious friendship from the campers’ first day of cabin life. There is a Respect List for all to agree to and sign, and each night will end with a bedtime story. The cabin is the place where community begins. First time campers are gently brought into a sense of connection and community with others who begin on equal footing.

At Discovery Camp, first time campers are introduced to Swift Camp’s well rounded noncompetitive variety of camp activities. Each morning a cabin’s campers are invited to instruction at two activity areas. These activities include Swimming, Canoeing, Nature Center, Arts and Crafts, Archery, and more. The new campers are encouraged to try new and different activities, giving each of them the opportunity to discover and explore what activities he or she might enjoy and eventually excel in. In the afternoon, campers learn how to make their own choices from the activity board, making their own decisions about which activity to pursue that day.

Swift Nature Camp aims to encourage each child to learn independence in a safe, age appropriate environment. The twelve day first-timer program is set up to run the optimum length of time for a first time camper to leave homesickness behind and gain a comfortable sense of autonomy. For many of these campers the greatest first lesson camp teaches them is that they can leave home, return days later and find out that very few things will have changed, especially their parents' love for them.

The directors of Swift Nature Camp think it's important that parents know that their children's first time away from home is in a safe, nurturing and secure environment. As a part of the Discovery Camp's first timer program, parents are encouraged to visit at any time after the first five days.

Parents who would like to find out if this is the right first-time summer camp experience for their child are encouraged to speak with other parents who have had their children attend Swift Nature Camp. A list of references is readily available for that purpose. Discovery Camp, a special program for the first time summer camp experience, is finally available to suit the needs of campers and parents alike!

Discovery Camp is a twelve-day First Timer’s Program offered at the Swift Nature Camp facilities near Minong, Wisconsin. The program utilizes Swift Camp’s highly trained staff at a ratio of two staff members for every five new campers, with two counselors assigned to each cabin of eight new campers. The first time at summer camp will quite possibly be a child’s first extended time away from home. The program acknowledges this by making sure that every new camper will find a staff member close at hand at all times in all situations. First time campers need to feel special, and the first priority of this program is to foster the sense that camp is there for them and exists for their benefit.

Prior to each camper’s arrival, the staff studies the informational packet for that person. They learn about each child and gain awareness of specific individual needs. If any camper has medical circumstances or special needs these will discussed by the staff in confidence with the camp nurse. By the time a child arrives at camp, the staff will feel as if they already know that new camper. This preparation is immediately beneficial to the first-time camper from the moment he or she steps off the bus and is warmly and personally greeted.

The first day of Discovery Camp is Orientation Day. New campers get a complete tour of Swift Nature Camp, including a visit to the Health Center, the Mail Box, and every activity area. Every activity is introduced with a discussion about the importance of safety and the basic safety information for that activity.

Staff members work hard to promote an atmosphere of nurturing and harmonious friendship from the campers’ first day of cabin life. There is a Respect List for all to agree to and sign, and each night will end with a bedtime story. The cabin is the place where community begins. First time campers are gently brought into a sense of connection and community with others who begin on equal footing. 

At Discovery Camp, first time campers are introduced to Swift Camp’s well rounded noncompetitive variety of camp activities. Each morning a cabin’s campers are invited to instruction at two activity areas. These activities include Swimming, Canoeing, Nature Center, Arts and Crafts, Archery, and more. The new campers are encouraged to try new and different activities, giving each of them the opportunity to discover and explore what activities he or she might enjoy and eventually excel in. In the afternoon, campers learn how to make their own choices from the activity board, making their own decisions about which activity to pursue that day. 

Swift Nature Camp aims to encourage each child to learn independence in a safe, age appropriate environment. Jeff and Lonnie Lorenz knew from experience that homesickness is most likely to run its course when the length of time away is just beyond the number of days a child can hold in mind for a countdown. The twelve day first-timer program is set up to run the optimum length of time for a first time camper to leave homesickness behind and gain a comfortable sense of autonomy. For many of these campers the greatest first lesson camp teaches them is that they can leave home, return days later and find out that very few things will have changed, especially their parents’ love for them.
The directors of Swift Nature Camp think it's important that parents know that their children’s first time away from home is in a safe, nurturing and secure environment. As a part of the Discovery Camp’s first timer program, parents are encouraged to visit at any time after the first five days. 
Parents who would like to find out if this is the right first-time summer camp experience for their child are encouraged to speak with other parents who have had their children attend Swift Nature Camp. A list of references is readily available for that purpose. Discovery Camp, a special program for the first time summer camp experience, is finally available to suit the needs of campers and parents alike!