How do I find the best camp for my child?

Is there really a “best” summer camp among all the rest? There are many good ones. But being the "best means different things to different people. So the best summer camp is simply the one that meets your child’s needs in ways others don’t.

And yet, there are certain attributes common to every camp to be considered among the elite. It doesn’t matter if it’s a day camp, overnight camp, traditional camp, sports camp, or any other kind of camp. They all must meet certain standards of quality (if not excellence) to be included in the mix.

The best summer camps are those that:

• Emphasize camper safety as their number one priority


• Use modern equipment for every activity)


• Have a high annual counselor return rate)


• Have a high annual camper return rate)


• Have highly organized staff training and recruitment programs)


• Have well-maintained camp facilities)


• Have well-planned and executed activity program(s))


• Cultivate atmospheres where your child feels safe, comfortable, and accepted by his or her fellow campers)


• Have counselors who go out of their way to make a personal connection with your child)


• Promote environments where your child can increase his or her self-confidence and esteem, and grow as a person through the camp experience.)


• Have achieved accreditation by the American Camp Association. (Accreditation ensures the camp meets or exceeds up to 300 best-practice industry standards relating to camper health and safety, supervision, activity planning and programming, food service, transportation and more)

Where do you find the best summer camp for your child? We recommend contacting the American Camp Association (ACA) for a free referral. Let them know you’re looking for a summer camp and communicate any important details about what type of camp you’re looking for. They’ll give you several names and numbers of potential camps that might be the best for your child.

You can also use the ACA's Internet camp search engine tool at http://www.findacamp.com where you can input certain criteria such as camp location, type of program, activities offered, camper ages, and more, and the search engine will provide you with a free listing of camps that match your search criteria.

Best of luck finding the best summer camp for you!