News & Resources

Making Contact With Summer Camps

April 2011


Making Contact With Summer Camps

If you are currently in the process of trying to find the best match in a summer camp, now is a great time to contact camp directors directly and start a dialogue in order to determine if a particular camp is right for you and your child.

Most camp directors will be thrilled to speak with a parent who might be seeking to send their child to camp; however, as a parent it might be easier to use email as an initial point of contact if you are considering a large number of different camps as possible choices.

Using email, you might be able to sift out “deal breaker” information (i.e. cost/budget) in order to zero in on the group of camps which are all at least in the “ballpark” with respect to the criteria spelled out by you and your child.  The Camp Channel’s listings all have forms which allow you to send a camp an email inquiry directly from their listing.

If there are not too many camps on your list or you’re more of a “telephone person”, you can always call the camp office to make initial contact.  One advantage of calling vs. email is that you might get a better “first take” on a director through a verbal conversation – which often conveys a better understanding of a person.

Even though email and telephone calls can be effective tools, it is important to always follow up directly with a camp director; preferably in person, at some point in the process order to better understand and get a feel for the camp director’s overall perspective & other aspects you might believe to be significant.

Some camps offer open house dates for parents to see the facilities and ask questions.  Some will even schedule individualized visits for either you to tour the camp grounds or for a director to come to your home to meet everyone & field questions.  Sometimes directors will deliver a slideshow or video presentation.

Feel free to search or browse for a summer camp on the Camp Channel!