How to select a residential camp in the U.S. for your child or teen?

Looking for a residential camp is a lot like trying to find a needle in a haystack. When you consider that there are over 8,000 residential or overnight summer camps in the U.S to choose from the question many parents face is, how to begin? Well here are some basics and facts to begin with:

Facts: Residential Camps

The term residential is synonymous with an overnight, or sleepaway camp
A residential camp session may run for only a few days and up to 10 weeks
There are about 4,000 private residential overnight camps in the U.S. These camps are the most expensive from about $800 to $1600 per week.
There are about 8,000 non-profit agency run residential camping programs in the U.S. These include youth agencies and religious organizations. These camps offer parents a more affordable choice, costing between $300 and $800 per week
There are residential free camps designed to serve underprivileged and special needs kids and youth. These camps tend to be agency sponsored

So you see; there are plenty of non-profit and privately run overnight summer camps. These residentially operated camps run for varying sessions. The most popular camp stays are one and two weeks. However, many traditional camps, those with a broad range of activities and interests, often offer longer - four, six and eight week programs. Tip: Consider shorter length camping programs for first time and young campers.

Get selecting!

To begin the process, consider what is important, or not…

Finding a camp near you - Since there are overnight summer camps in the Northeast, West coast, Midwest and Southeast, decide if location is a deciding criteria.
Does it matter - If interested, there are Christian summer camps, Jewish and other religiously run camps to consider. There are also coed, all boy and all girl camps.
What's your type - Do you want a traditional summer camp or specialty camp?
If you have an idea about the above, your next step is to consider ways to obtain more information about residential summer camps that fit these criteria.

Resources:

Looking for camp gear for your child? Visit our Campstore.

Looking for books about residential camps? Visit our Bookstore

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