Ontario Summer Camps -- Tips for parents.

cutie

Stay Type: Day or Residential?
At a day camp, campers spend their days at the camp site, or on a day trip, and return home each evening.

At a residential (sleepover) camp, campers stay at a campsite for the length of the session - from one or two weeks to a month and more. Accommodations at residential camps vary: campers may sleep in tents or cabins - or, if they attend a tripping camp, under the stars!

Although some parents may see day camps as merely a stepping stone to residential camps, many day camps offer a range of activities and programming as wide as any offered at a residential camp.

Ownership and Affiliation
Ownership and affiliation also differentiate camps and reflect a camp’s programming, staffing and overall philosophy.

Many social service and publicly funded organizations run Agency-Sponsored Camps as part of the range of services they offer to the community. Campers and parents who use the other services of the agency will turn to it again for their camp experiences.


Municipality-Sponsored Camps are run by the recreation department of a city or municipality. Usually, these are day camps based at sites - schools, conservation areas, or recreation complexes - throughout the municipality.


Private Camps are owned privately by individuals, families, or private organizations. Since the camp is often an important source of income for these owners, the camp's philosophy, staffing, program decisions and site development will reflect the owner/operator's own leadership style and values.


Religiously-Affiliated Camps are owned and operated by religious groups. In some cases, religious studies form a portion of the camp program; in other cases, the camp's religious affiliation is simply a source of staff commitment, and of the camp's philosophy.


Aside from these basic differences, there are many other features that determine the character of a camp. When choosing camps, try to find out how each one deals with:

Sleeping quarters
Food service
Range and depth of programs
Camp setting
Gender makeup
Staff training
Cost per session
Health care
Sanitation
Recreation facilities
Session Length
Geographical location

[ Last edited by cutie on 2004-4-14 at 08:41 AM ]