Why is summer camp so expensive?

If the word “affordable” doesn’t come to mind when you think of summer camp, you’re not alone. Sending your kids to camp for just a few weeks could run you several hundred to several thousand bucks or more.

The good news is there’s a camp for every budget. You don’t have to break the bank for your child to enjoy a fantastic camp experience. Not only that, choosing a less expensive camp DOES NOT necessarily mean you've picked a lower quality camp.

You might be asking yourself whether sending your child to camp is worth the price. And, by the way...why does it cost so much?

In general, summer camps have costs they need to cover in order to deliver a safe, fun program for your child. When you pay a little more for camp, the camp can be extremely selective in the staff it hires, plus camp can purchase higher-end (best quality) equipment and supplies to share with your camper.

You can’t put a price tag on safety, supervision and fun for your child. But that’s not all. We haven’t even discussed insurance premiums, advertising, transportation, and other many other costs camps incur to provide an outstanding camp experience for your child.

The high cost of raising kids is indisputable, but the documented benefits of the camp experience are indisputable, too. Imagine all the fun and important things your child would miss by not going to camp:

• Fun, instructional activities


• Social interaction with other kids


• Making new friends


• Learning new skills


• Learning to live independently and take responsibility for themselves


• Gaining self-confidence and esteem


• Making personal connections with other kids and camp counselors


• Creating special lifetime memories

In this economy, families are cutting back on everything that’s not essential. Certainly a fantastic camp experience is something every child deserves, but whether the price of camp is “worth it” is open to subjectivity. Only you can decide the appropriate answer for your family.

And although the summer camp industry is often considered to be one where you get what you pay for, the important point to remember is that there’s a camp to fit every family’s budget whether you’re looking for a day camp in Los Angeles, a sleepaway camp in New York or any camp anywhere in between.