Bethany Kandel is a former national news reporter for USA Today and is the author of The Expert Parent (Pocket Books).

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By Meira Maierovitz Drazin

Summer camp options include everything from specialty camps that focus on theater, sports or academics to general all-inclusive programs. In general, day camp is a wonderful experience for children of most any age, as it allows them to grow by making new friends while learning new skills from positive role models. And for those who may be making last-minute plans, day camps generally have more openings than overnight camps as we get closer to summer.

A ratio of one staffer for every six campers is appropriate for younger children.

But how to choose one that’s right for your child? According to the directors of four very different kinds of New York City area day camps, the following are the top 10 topics parents should be thinking about.

Make Sure Your Child is Ready: Many camps have a “camp readiness screening,” in which camps and parents look together at factors like the age of the child, his maturity and familiarity with separation. Gail Ionescu, director of the “mommy and me style” Poppyseeds toddler summer program, suggests that if your child is too young, or you don’t want her first separation experience to be at camp but you still want to give her the social experience as well as consistency of a group of peers, you might consider a program where the toddler or young child comes with a caregiver.

Know Your Child: David Knapp, director of Asphalt Green, suggests talking to your child about her hobbies and interests. “Camping has developed over the years. It used to be a general experience, but now there’s all kinds of specializations: computer camp, horseback riding, soccer, gymnastics. You need to think about what you’re looking for in terms of your child’s interests and needs,” he says. Alan Saltz, director of the 52-year-old 92nd Street Y camp program, agrees: “Try to match your child’s interests, abilities and personality with the right setting. While your decision will ultimately be based on your own sense of what your son or daughter will enjoy and be challenged by, input should also come from your child.”

Make a Checklist: “Figure out what important elements you are looking for—weeks, hours, pick-ups, lunch, busing, flexibility, what you’d like your kid to be doing during the day—and make a checklist of the items you expect,” says Knapp.

Ask About Staffing: “Make sure the camp understands that older children need less supervision and younger children need more. A ratio of 1:10 for 11 or 12 year olds is appropriate but 1:6 is better for younger children,” says Knapp. If your child has special needs such as ADHD, a smaller ratio might be more appropriate.
Ionescu emphasizes that for toddler programs, it is important to inquire if the teachers have a background in and underlying understanding of early childhood development. Petunia Chmiel, director of St. Bartholomew’s Summer at St. Bart’s, which uses New York City school system teachers as head counselors, college students as assistants and high school seniors as counselors-in-training, recommends asking specifically about the head counselors and “if they are real teachers.” Knapp, based on Asphalt Green’s experience with a range of staff from high school seniors to retirees, recommends camps that strike a balance in the age of their staff: “I’m skeptical of camps run by all adults,” he says. “Young people add energy.”

Talk to Friends: Talk to other parents, teachers and childcare professionals. “The fact is, great camps get buzz, so open your ears and poke around on the Web,” says Saltz.

Check It Out: “Visit the camp if you can, preferably with your child,” says Saltz. Chmiel agrees: “Bringing the child gives them something to look forward to,” she says. For city kids, “going to camp in the country can provide a great change of pace,” adds Saltz, “but make sure the setting appeals to both of you.”

Consider Vacation Time: Today there are some camps like St. Bart’s which offer weekly sessions that don’t have to be consecutive, thereby accommodating your family vacation without forcing you to pay for unused days. Chmiel recommends planning any summer vacation you might want to take well in advance.

Stay Informed: “You should expect to get information formally and informally through some combination of newsletters, counselors or the camp director, and phone calls,” says Saltz. “Choose a camp with open communication and established channels for conveying information about your child on a regular basis.”

Know the Policies: What is the camp’s policy on refunds? Medical care? Does the camp have a state permit or New York City license, which guarantees minimum safety standards?

Take a Chance: “If you’re thinking about a specialty camp—for sports, art, nature, etc.—remember that your child doesn’t have to be an expert in the area,” says Saltz. “General interest in the subject or activity is much more important than technical ability or innate talent.” 

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Q: How can children with disabilities benefit from a camp experience?
A: From the child’s perspective, camp is fun, they learn skills, they make friends, and it can be a support network because they’re with children who have similar special needs. Meanwhile, parents are getting respite and learning that their child can be safe with another adult.

When evaluating special needs camps, ask about specific activities.

Q: What makes a special needs camp different from a typical summer camp?
A: For one thing, many special camps have intensive medical care readily available. The other thing is the staff training. There are kids with severe behavioral issues, and in a mainstream program, the staff may only have a general idea about what to do when the child is really losing it because the child is overly stimulated and stressed out. In a special needs program, staff may understand and be able to use techniques like applied behavioral analysis and timeouts, rather than just calling up a parent. So many parents of kids with disabilities have had the experience, “Come get Johnny. That’s it, he’s going home.” If you’re in a special needs program, everybody’s like Johnny, and hopefully the staff has been appropriately trained.

But don’t assume that because your child has a disability, they have to go to a special program. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, it’s your family’s right to ask for reasonable accommodations at a mainstream camp. Does that mean you want your child in a program that doesn’t know how to successfully work with your child? Of course not.

But you may say, “Oh, I like the staff here, I like the facility. Maybe I will try this mainstream program.”

Q: What should parents look for when choosing a camp for their child with special needs? What questions should they be asking of camp directors?
A: When your child is ready for camp, consider the program’s philosophy: Do they have an inclusion program, or is it a very specialized program for children with intensive needs? If your child has a disability that requires one-on-one attention, make sure that this is the type of program that can provide that. If your child has dietary needs, make sure those needs can be met. Ask about the specific activities—an organized program should be able to say, “This is when your child is being given aqua-therapy. This is when we’re doing arts and crafts. This is when we’re doing dance therapy.” You’ll also want to ask about transportation. If you can, visit the program the summer before; if you can’t visit, most camps have CDs and videos they can send you.

Q: What kinds of scholarships are available for campers with special needs?
A: There are many funding sources. Some are reimbursement programs where you put the money upfront and you can get the money back later. Others come from charities like fraternal organizations, the Lions Club, Knights of Columbus, Kiwanis Club. But the early bird catches the money, so apply early to funding sources.

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The question is not if camps use technology, but how they use it.

Can there be any way out of the technology trap? Indeed. All it requires is thoughtful application of intentionally selected technologies. Electronic technologies are particularly welcome when they save us time, nourish our relationships, teach us something, or amuse us in healthy, wholesome ways.
These days, every camp uses electronic technology of some sort, from telephones to toasters. Even the most rustic and isolated camps use electronic technologies for safety (e.g., GPS units, walkie-talkies, satellite phones) or publicity (e.g., web pages). Evaluating a camp’s appropriate use of technology no longer involves questioning whether it uses new technology, but how.

Famil-E-Values

Every family has different values and a different history with technology. For some, what camp offers is welcome relief from the burdensome yoke of electronic technologies. For other families, camp might offer tools that truly enhance interpersonal connections. As you consider each point, ask yourself what makes the most sense for your circumstances, your own family’s values and history and your child’s development.
Telephones. Some camps have a “no phone/no call” policy because they recognize that telephone calls exacerbate homesickness and erode children’s independence. Although parents and camp directors may have phone contact, campers are not typically permitted to make or receive calls. (Exceptions are made for family emergencies, of course.) Some seven- or eight-week camps allow scheduled weekly phone calls. Again, this policy reflects the belief that phone contact is not a treatment for homesickness, nor should it interfere with the growth in self-reliance most camps seek to promote.
Email. Many camps allow parents to send e-mails to their children, which are sorted and distributed with the regular mail. Unlike a phone call, children and parents don’t hear the sound of each others’ voices. As tender as real voices are in other contexts, such immediate contact while children are at camp reliably flares campers’ homesickness (and parents’ “kid-sickness”).
Facsimile. Some camps are using faxes to send campers’ handwritten letters to their eager parents. Potentially, a parent could send an email to their child in the morning and receive a faxed reply in the afternoon. Potentially, this also creates an unnecessary burden for parents, children and camp staff.
Photographs. Since the 1920s, some camps have published photographic yearbooks. Of course, families had to wait until Thanksgiving to receive a copy. The advantage of such a long wait was that it forced children to recreate a verbal narrative of the experience. Today, such narratives may be bypassed because camps are posting hundreds of digital photographs a day on their websites. Parents at home or at work can instantly view, purchase and download photos of their child at camp. Of course, this can also create undue anxiety when your child is not photographed on a certain day, or appears not to be smiling in a certain snapshot.
Video Streaming. Some camps see this as the ultimate way to give parents a window into their child’s world, but others see it as the ultimate way to rob children of an experience all their own. Even more so than the provision of photographs, this medium may create more anxiety than it was designed to quell and encourage children to bypass a truly interactive, personal narrative with their parents. Why write during camp or talk after camp when Mom and Dad already saw it all on their laptop?

Run the Diagnostics

In your search for the camp that best matches your child’s interests and abilities, consider that the thoughtful application of electronic technology requires two things. First, it must meet one or more of the criteria of efficiency, connection, education, and wholesome entertainment without eroding any of the other criteria. Second, it must be in accord with the camp’s stated mission. If a camp hasn’t applied technology thoughtfully, consider other camps that have.
Any camp that passes these diagnostic tests must now pass two tough parent tests: first, does the camp’s application of technology match your value system? For example, the camp may provide live streaming video, thus providing a kind of connection and entertainment for parents. But does this match your value system, which may include affording your child an opportunity to independently explore a new place and new relationships? Are you comfortable that someone could hack past the camp’s website password and view camp activities, or does that threaten your sense of safety and privacy?
If the camp’s technology passes your values test, the second test is this: Does the camp’s application of technology give you an opportunity to take a break from full-time parenthood? As much as parents and children might miss one another, both say their relationship is stronger when they’ve had some time apart. However, if the camp’s use of technology makes more work for you, it diminishes one of the benefits of time apart: respite for you.

Worth the Wait

Remember that camp is not the stock market or a breaking news story. It’s community living, away from home, in a natural, recreational setting. Nothing needs to be transmitted at the speed of light. Plus, children are exposed to electronic technology all year. It’s nice for them to have a break during the summer.
It’s also healthy for children and parents to talk with each other about their experiences after spending some planned time apart. Technologies should not crowd out the necessary psychological space for dialogue. The artificial needs created by new electronic technologies—to see and hear everything the instant it happens—are not always developmentally appropriate needs for our children. To wait a few days for a traditional letter to arrive, for example, gives parents and children alike the time to reflect, form new relationships, solve problems independently and understand their emotions. In these ways, unplugging the digital umbilical cord promotes healthy growth and self-reliance.
–
Christopher A. Thurber, PhD, a board-certified clinical psychologist, is co-author of The Summer Camp Handbook. This article was originally printed in CAMP Magazine and reprinted by permission of the American Camp Association © 2006 American Camping Association, Inc.

Appeared in West Side Spirit in November 2008.

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The downtown fair will be held Saturday, Jan. 30, at Friends Seminary School, 222 E. 16th St.

The Brooklyn fair is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 31, at The Berkeley Carroll School, 762 President St.

Both fairs are held from noon to 3 p.m.

For more information or to register for the fairs, visit newyorkfamilycamps.com.

Registrants who attend a camp fair will be qualified to win a free family vacation at the Woodloch Resort in Pennsylvania.

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However, even as parents are pinching pennies, Adam Weinstein, executive director of the American Camp Association, says he hasn’t seen camp-goers cut back on their summer experience.

“Childhood only happens for a defined amount of time, and we’re finding that the last dollar parents cut is for their kids,” he said.

Saving money simply starts with developing some summer camp savvy. Here are a few tips:

• Research camps by cost. At American Camp Association-sponsored websites such as campparents.org and campwizard.org, parents can search for camps within specific price ranges. ACA associates can also provide guidance when it comes to selecting a camp that fits your financial situation. “We’re here to give parents options and find the best match for their children, values and pocketbooks,” Weinstein says.

• Register early. Many camps offer an early-bird rate in the fall, according to Weinstein. “By March, hopefully people are starting to think about the summer 2011 experience,” Weinstein said. “If they’re starting to look for 2011 in March, they’ll be in a better place to plan financially.”

• Take advantage of special discounts and payment plans. In addition to giving discounts for early registration, some camps will offer savings for full-season enrollment or enrolling multiple family members. Some camps may also offer payment plans to make affording camp more feasible.

• Inquire about financial assistance. “Nonprofit camps provide a substantial amount of scholarship money,” Weinstein says. In fact, according to the American Camp Association, around 90 percent of camps offer some sort of financial assistance in either partial or total tuition subsidies. These “camperships” are typically need-based, but don’t assume you make too much to qualify. It’s important for parents to ask if financial assistance is available and to apply early.

• Look into what is included in tuition. Typically, day camps include transportation costs in tuition, but resident camps may only offer limited transportation, such as a van ride from a major train station. Don’t forget to ask about fees for special programs or trips, laundry service, special equipment that may be required, service organization memberships and whether or not you should send spending money with your child.

• Find out the camp’s refund policy. Refund policies differ from camp to camp. While some will refund for illness or will give a total refund prior to a certain date, other camps will not refund at all. Most camps will ask for a small non-refundable deposit at the time of application, which may or may not go toward the total cost. Make sure you know the camp’s refund policy before you send any money.

Camp is a vital component to a child’s education and development, according to Weinstein. So with the many options available for making it affordable, he stresses that parents should make sure they are choosing the correct camp for their child.

“Find the right camp and then choose the right amount of time you can afford,” he said. “I’d hate for people to choose the wrong camp experience because it’s less expensive.”

–
Reprinted by permission of the American Camp Association © 2005 American Camping Association, Inc.

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Day camp offers kids “a place to learn to take risks in a very safe environment,” said Renee Flax, director of program services at the New York branch of the American Camp Association. Day camp gives children the chance to build friendships, to mature and to experience everything from new sports to nature, Flax explained.

New York City offers a wealth of day camp opportunities, but with many convenient and nature-filled day camps just outside the city’s borders, parents should keep their minds open and consider a full range of options.

“The number one thing camp outside of the city offers is space,” said Sam Borek, owner and director of Woodmont Day Camp in Rockland County. Borek and his wife are former Manhattan residents and parents of two. Each summer, they welcome about 40 percent of their 350 campers from New York City, offering children ages 3 to 15 the freedom to play and learn on 50 acres of open land. The camp is only a 20-minute drive from the George Washington Bridge, but Woodmont, like many other camps outside New York City, offers campers a bus service straight from the city.

As Doug Volan can attest, taking a camp-provided bus is an easy way to reach offerings beyond the five boroughs. Volan started taking such a bus to New Rochelle’s Mount Tom Day Camp, in Westchester County, as an 8-year-old camper living in Manhattan. Today he is the camp’s owner and director. Mount Tom offers a slew of activities, from swimming and sign language to origami and art. The camp is even home to some traditional farm animals—along with some quirkier creatures: “Instead of being normal and getting a hamster and a guinea pig, [we’ll] get a chinchilla and a hedgehog,” he said. Volan says that camp goes beyond recreation to help campers build life skills in a safe, supportive, non-graded, country setting.

More rural environments also allow children to get a break from city living without going far. Rockland County’s Gate Hill Day Camp, in Stony Point, is only 25 minutes from the George Washington Bridge, but the 33-acre wooded space “makes you feel like you are further upstate,” said owner and director Josh Male. Male co-runs Gate Hill with his parents, Bob and Jennifer, both educators who bought the camp in 1989. Nearly 25 percent of its 500 campers come from the five boroughs, with many taking the camp’s buses from Manhattan to “what families in the city call ‘the country,’” Male said. City parents and children who tour the camp often get particularly excited about the pond, which is often mistaken for a lake. City visitors seem to think that “anything larger than a puddle is a lake,” he joked.

Pierce Day Camp, in Roslyn in Nassau County, is another family-run camp. Doug Pierce is the third generation of Pierces to run the camp, founded by his grandfather in 1918.

“This is family nepotism at its best,”
he said.

The coed camp, for children ages 3 to 13 years, hosts more than 1,000 campers every summer. But kids did not always come from New York City. Fifteen years ago, a former camper and counselor pushed Pierce to publicize his camp in Manhattan. Pierce finally agreed to give it a try, sending a couple of vans to pick up campers in the city. All of the vans came back filled with eager campers, and the camp now welcomes nearly 40 percent of its campers from New York City aboard the door-to-door buses.

Pierce sees firsthand the excitement and growth children experience at camp, through everything from athletics to simply sitting around the campfire and toasting s’mores with new friends. Though he encourages the idea of venturing farther into nature for a full day-camp experience, he believes that regardless of location, “Going to camp is the most important thing.”

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Many families trying to select a camp best suited for their child will schedule camp tours the summer before attending. Visiting camps allows you to see the camp “in action” by checking out the facilities, observing activities, seeing the interaction of the campers and staff and having an opportunity to talk to program directors and camp owners.

But for other families, summer is a busy time, and traveling to multiple camps in different states can be a difficult and exhausting task. Now that the summer has come and gone, many parents worry that they’ve missed out on camp tours and are at a disadvantage in their decision-making process. This is not the case, and here’s where camp fairs come to the rescue.

Manhattan Media and American Camp Association-NY camp fairs allow families to meet with multiple camp representatives, obtain written materials along with videos and ask questions regarding many different types of programs—all at one prime Manhattan location. The fairs are not only a wonderful time-saver, but a fruitful introduction to the many options that are available to your child. However, before you grab the kids and head out to the fair, it’s wise to be prepared. By asking yourself some of these questions, you will narrow your approach and not feel overwhelmed when you arrive:

• Are you interested in a day or overnight camp?

• If you are looking at day camps, do you need bus service and/or
extended hours?

• How many weeks do you want to send your child to camp?

• Do you prefer a co-educational, brother/sister or single sex camp?

• What is your budget?

• What locations are you focusing on?

• Will your child prefer to pick his/her own activities at camp or do you want a structured program?

Having the answers to these questions before you arrive at the fair will give you a better idea of where to begin and on which camps to focus your attention. When you register at the fair, there will be a list of participating camps available for your review—the guide can be very helpful in knowing which direction to take. The map provided will indicate which are day camps and which are overnight camps.

Once you have selected the type of camps you want to consider, here is a recommended list of questions you can ask the camp representatives in order to make your interaction with them productive. Keep in mind, camps typically have two staff people in attendance, and they want to touch base with as many families as possible in the few hours they have, so having a list of questions prepared will help you make the most of your time spent with them.

• What is the camp’s philosophy?

• Is the camp accredited with the American Camp Association?

• What is the background of the director?

• What is the camper-to-staff ratio?

• What kind of training do the counselors receive?

• What is the percentage of returning campers and program staff?

• What is a camper’s daily schedule like?

• Is the camp equipped to manage special requirements (food allergies, medication, etc.)?

Be sure to bring a notebook, as you will probably be talking with many camps, and it will be difficult to remember each camp’s specifics. If your children are with you, have them get involved in asking questions. It’s important they feel involved in this process as well. Camp representatives will be happy to respond to any questions and can provide you with names of current camp families who can speak with you about their experience. Camps will also provide you with promotional written materials and videos/DVDs to give you a glimpse into their camp world. Manhattan Media will supply you with a goody bag to carry all of the materials you collect along the way. Some camps participating in the fair will also have camp-related gifts and treats for your children to make the experience a fun one.

If you have any questions, please look for ACA-NY representatives at the fairs as well. We would love to talk to you and help you make this important decision. We look forward to seeing you there!

–
Renee Flax, director of program services of the American Camp Association-NY, is a professional camp advisor for the American Camp Association. She works closely with families who are choosing camps for their children. She can be reached at 800-777-2267 or Renee@aca-ny.org.

Upcoming Camp Fairs

Saturday, Jan. 23
Noon to 3 p.m.
Upper East Side
St. Jean Baptiste High School
173 E. 75th St. (betw. Lexington & Third avenues)

Sunday, Jan. 24
Noon to 3 p.m.
Upper West Side
Congregation Rodeph Sholom
7 W. 83rd St. (betw. Central Park West & Columbus Avenue)

Saturday, Jan. 30
Noon to 3 p.m.
Downtown
Friends Seminary School
222 E. 16th St. (betw. Third Avenue & Rutherford Place)

Sunday, Jan. 31
Noon to 3 p.m.
Brooklyn
Berkeley Carroll School
762 President St., Park Slope (betw. Sixth & Seventh avenues)

For more information or to RSVP, visit newyorkfamilycamps.com

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But today’s kids, with their jam-packed schedules, often can’t sacrifice two months for sleepaway camp. And so more and more camps have accommodated families by offering two- and four-week options.

“There was a time that you went to camp, camp ran the schedule, that was kind of it. Today, kids have so many choices,” said Renee Flax, director of program services at American Camp Association, New York.

But the mini-sessions, still part of the full-summer schedule, can cause anxiety for some campers. Those who attend only the first four weeks can lack closure, while those who arrive four weeks into the summer can have trouble fitting in.

The shorter four-week summer camp schedule minimizes repetition, keeping things fresh.

So in the late 1980s and early 1990s, American camps began creating two distinct four-week sessions in order to consolidate the full-summer experience into one month. The program has proven very popular among American families. “The key is that all the campers arrive together and go home together,” said Jennifer DeSpagna, director of Timber Lake West, a sleepaway camp in the Catskills. Timber Lake West, one of the first four-week camps on the market, switched to the four-week program in 1988.

The agenda of the four-week session is similar to that of the summer-long camp: both consist of opening campfires, closing banquets and a full lineup of sports, arts and other activities.

The shorter schedule minimizes repetition, keeping things fresh.

“It doesn’t really get stale or tired. There is always life to the four-week program,” said Justin Dockswell, director of Camp Wicosuta, a girls’ camp that overlooks Newfound Lake in New Hampshire.

Nowadays, parents often organize multiple plans for their children during summer break. Rather than view the shorter session as a stepping stone for a longer session elsewhere, families tend to choose the short option so that they can devote the rest of the summer to specialty camps, day camps or pre-season sports training. Kids visit grandparents, spend time at family vacation homes or travel; children of divorced parents spend time with the parent they don’t live with.

For some families, four weeks is an appropriate break from their children’s year-round itinerary of school, athletics and family time. Amy Simon’s 12-year-old son Matt and her 9-year-old daughter Kate attend three-and-a-half-week sessions at Camps Cobbossee and Kippewa, brother-sister camps in southern Maine. The family didn’t consider full-summer session camps, instead allotting part of the summer for family getaways to national parks or sports.

“They also like being home,” away from the structured setting of school or camp, Simon said. “It gives them a chance to have some down time.”

Simon herself attended eight-week sessions as a child.

“It wasn’t a choice for me,” she said, explaining how her parents regarded summer camp as a form of childcare while they were at work. “Parenting was not as hands-on as it is today.”

For parents who themselves didn’t experience camp as children, sending their youngsters away for four weeks is just long enough to stomach.

“Some families think of seven weeks as a prison sentence,” said Josh Cohen, director of Camp Cobbossee. Cobbossee, once an eight-week program with a four-week option, discontinued the longer season in 2007 when attendance declined.

“There was a lot of pressure on the first-session boys to stay on because they felt they would miss something by not staying for second session,” Cohen said, which can cause tension between parent and child. “With our current program, that doesn’t happen.”

Other families choose the four-week over the eight-week sessions to trim expenses, as the shorter sessions usually cost around 40 percent less.

“Some think of it as money they can spend on a family vacation,” Cohen said.

For counselors, saying goodbye to campers four weeks into summer can
be difficult.

“The biggest guys that never thought they’d get emotional would cry,” Cohen said.

But a break midway through the summer can also rejuvenate the staff.

“It gives them the chance to be mentally prepared for the next group coming in,” said Ginger Clare, Camp Kippewa’s co-director.

In 2008, Clare and her husband and co-director, Steve Clare, transformed the traditional seven-week program of Kippewa into two distinct periods.

“The three-and-a-half-week sessions give kids time to do other things in the summer that’ll look good on their college application,” Clare said. “It’s the best of both worlds.”

Though month-long camps are the trend among families these days, Flax anticipates that there will always be a demand for full-summer sessions.

“The parents who’ve experienced them themselves will keep these eight-week camps alive,” she said.

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“Parents do a disservice to their children when they think that camp is fun and school is learning,” said Scott Brody, owner and director of Camps Kenwood and Evergreen, brother-sister resident camps in New Hampshire. “What kids learn in camp is complementary to what they learn in school.”

Camps can have a positive effect on values and habits. A 2007 survey conducted by Teen Research Unlimited found that those who attend camp are less likely to indulge in drugs, alcohol, promiscuity and unhealthy diets, and are more likely to volunteer, join the military and care about politics and religion than non-campers. Experts say children develop leadership, teamwork and compassion more readily at camp than in the classroom. Most agree that campers also gain a sense of self, free of parental pressures, by making decisions largely on their own.

“That development of autonomy in a child is critical to his or her well-being,” said Ben Michaelis, a child and adolescent psychologist.

Marla Coleman, a director at Coleman Country Day Camp and former president of the American Camp Association, refers to school and camp, respectively, as the yin and yang of education. At Coleman’s Long Island camp, children ages 3 to 13 can learn aquatics, athletics, adventure and arts during four-, six- or eight-week sessions.

“Because camp doesn’t teach to a standardized test,” Coleman said, “children are free to go at their own pace.”

Camp is a sanctuary from technology in an era when digital media increasingly displaces children’s face-to-face relationships. And Michaelis says that the experience can nurture kids’ creative sides.

“Exposure to creativity can change the dynamics of an upcoming school year,” he said. “It’s a tremendous bump in the child’s self-esteem.”

Many camps fear that President Obama’s wish to extend the academic year into the summer might interfere with children’s holistic growth.

“The teacher-centric mode of instruction isn’t favorable for encouraging human connections,” Coleman said.

A longer school year could also lend itself to a more sedentary lifestyle that could foster obesity.

Many camps offer time for unstructured play, which provides a respite from the hectic extracurricular activities of today’s over-scheduled children. Brody, the camp director, explained that camp helps counteract the 21st-century trend of helicopter parenting by nurturing self-reliance in children and adolescents.

“The natural impulse to protect your child is noble, but it can go too far,” he said.

Excessive media use and classroom time can also curtail students’ outdoor activities. Writer Richard Louv spearheaded “no child left inside” initiatives around the country following his 2005 book Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder.

Children and teens also gain a stronger appreciation of the environment at camp, which can make them more eco-friendly.

“Kids need to catch tadpoles in the creek, wander among the trees and feel the sun on their faces to understand the importance of those things,” said Peg Smith, CEO of the American Camp Association.

Parents can save on tuition by registering early, having their children attend shorter sessions or sending more than one child to the same camp. Or, if a family is struggling financially, camp directors sometimes lower tuition or give extra time for payment. Loyalty can also cut expenses—at Elmwood Day camp, for example, all returning families automatically receive a 10 percent discount when they enroll early.

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