Planning ahead for summer camp has a financial benefit beyond simply securing a spot. Many residential and day camps offer early bird enrollment rates that reward families who commit and submit payment or a deposit before a set deadline. The discount is typically not advertised prominently, which means families who do not ask directly may miss it entirely.

How early bird discounts work

The structure varies by camp, but most early bird programs follow one of two models. The first requires a deposit of a set amount, often a percentage of the total tuition, to be submitted by the deadline. The deposit locks in the reduced rate even if the remaining balance is not due until closer to the session. The second requires payment in full by the deadline in exchange for the discounted rate, which is more common at smaller programs where cash flow is a practical consideration.

Deadlines typically fall somewhere between November and March depending on the camp, with January and February being particularly common cutoff months for summer programs. Some camps structure their pricing in tiers with multiple deadlines: the earliest commitment receives the deepest discount, a mid-season enrollment rate applies through a second deadline, and the full standard rate applies after that.

How much can you save

Discounts vary widely. Some camps offer a flat dollar amount off tuition; others offer a percentage reduction, typically in the range of five to fifteen percent. On a multi-week residential camp enrollment where tuition may run several thousand dollars, even a modest percentage discount represents a meaningful saving. For families enrolling multiple children at the same camp, the per-child discount compounds accordingly.

Other financial considerations

Early bird discounts are separate from financial aid or scholarship programs, which many camps also offer. Families who need assistance beyond what an early bird rate provides should ask the director specifically about need-based aid, since many camps have scholarship funds that are not widely advertised. Sibling discounts are another common but underutilized option worth asking about directly.

Payment plan options may also be available regardless of enrollment timing. Some families find that spreading tuition across several monthly payments is more manageable than a single upfront amount, and many camps accommodate this without requiring the full amount by the early bird deadline.

When to act

The practical answer is as soon as you have identified a camp your child wants to attend and you are confident in the decision. Waiting to confirm details or compare additional options is reasonable, but waiting past a published early bird deadline to avoid that friction costs real money. A direct conversation with the camp director about pricing, deadlines, and what is included in tuition is the most efficient way to understand the full financial picture before committing.

Browse the Camp Channel summer camp directory to find programs and contact camp directors directly to ask about early bird pricing, payment plans, and financial aid options available for the upcoming season.

Family camps bring parents, children, and in many cases grandparents and extended family together in a camp setting for a shared experience. They occupy a distinct category from traditional children’s camps and from parent-child programs: the defining feature is that the entire family attends together rather than children attending independently or a single parent accompanying a child. The range of programs available under the family camp umbrella is broad, and understanding the differences helps identify which type of experience matches what your family is actually looking for.

Types of family camp programs

Family camp programs generally fall into two categories based on how structured the experience is.

Programmed family camps operate more like a traditional camp with a scheduled curriculum: activities, instruction, group events, and organized gatherings are built into the daily schedule, and families are expected to participate to some degree. These programs are well suited to families who want structure, variety, and the experience of camp programming as a shared activity rather than simply using camp facilities as a backdrop for independent leisure.

Facility-based family rentals sit at the other end of the spectrum. The family books use of a camp’s grounds, lodging, and amenities and largely sets their own agenda. Meals may or may not be provided depending on the arrangement. These programs are closer to a cabin rental or resort stay that happens to take place at a camp facility, and they suit families who prefer flexibility and independence over a structured program.

Most family camp options fall somewhere between these two extremes, offering a mix of optional organized activities alongside unstructured time to use facilities freely.

Where family camp programs are offered

Family camp programming is available through two distinct types of providers. Traditional summer camps often offer family sessions in the shoulder periods just before or after their primary children’s program, typically in early to mid-June and in August or September. These sessions allow camps to make productive use of their facilities and staff outside the core season and give families access to established camp infrastructure.

Dedicated family camp facilities are separate from children’s programs entirely and often have more scheduling flexibility throughout the year. Geography plays a meaningful role in availability: facilities in mild-climate regions such as the Western United States tend to offer programming across more of the calendar year, while camps in cold-weather regions are often limited to late spring through early fall.

What family camps typically include

Most family camp programs include some combination of lodging, meals, and access to the camp’s activity infrastructure such as waterfront, hiking, sports facilities, and program equipment. The specifics vary considerably: some programs provide three meals a day in a communal dining setting; others provide kitchen access for families to prepare their own food. Lodging ranges from traditional camp cabins with bunk beds to more comfortable lodge-style accommodations depending on the facility.

Activities available to families at camp depend on the facility’s programming infrastructure and what is included in the session fee versus available for an additional cost. Asking specifically what is included, what requires separate registration or fees, and what the age range of activities accommodates ensures expectations are aligned before you arrive.

Parent-child programs within family camp settings

Some traditional camps offer parent-child sessions that are distinct from their broader family programming. These programs, often structured as father-son or mother-daughter weekends, are specifically designed around the one-on-one parent-child dynamic rather than the whole family unit. For more on that format, see our guide to father-son and mother-daughter camp programs.

Find family camps on Camp Channel

Use the Camp Channel full camp search to find programs and contact camp directors directly to ask about family session availability, dates, and what is included. Not all camps offer family programming, and those that do may not advertise it prominently on their primary website.

While your child’s summer at camp might truly be nothing short of priceless, it is difficult to escape the fact there are real costs associated with sending your child to summer camp. While most camps try to extend affordable rates and different session offerings in order to provide families various options which might be most in line with a family’s budget, sometimes the reality of the situation might still leave a family a few dollars (or more) short of being able to afford a camp of one’s choice.

If the prospects of sending your child to camp might seem bleak due to financial reasons, don’t give up hope … since you might not be aware of opportunities which exist to be awarded financial assistance. Many camps are in a position to assist in at least pointing you in the “right direction” if they are aware of such opportunities. Sometimes a particular camp might work directly with a specific funding source, or a camp director might simply be aware of the existence of (third party) organizations which might be worth an inquiry. In any case, please understand that not all camps are in a position to offer financial assistance or to provide you with any solid leads. It all really depends upon the specific circumstances pertaining to any given camp. Having said that, you won’t find out until you ask!

Much depends upon the particular camp and whether they offer an established internal program – controlled directly by the camp to provide financial assistance, or in many cases whether a camp is in some sort of partnership with a third party “benefactor” to assist with children/families in need of some level of financial support.

Just as the actual availability of financial assistance can vary greatly from camp to camp, so too can the actual level of assistance provided. Some people might find themselves in the lucky position of having their entire enrollment fee subsidized while others might find some form of a “sliding scale” pay scale used to reduce a parent’s out of pocket expenses based upon the household income level. There are also assistance programs which will donate “matching funds”.

For example, Performing Arts Workshops with seven summer day camp locations in southern California (Studio City, Pasadena, Chatsworth, West L.A., Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and El Segundo) has recently announced:

Through a generous donation, twenty scholarships at each of the Summer Camp locations are now available. It is the donor’s request that the scholarships have no conditions or prerequisites. These special scholarships have been made available as a matching fund. PAW’s donor, whose wish is to help local children experience the arts this summer, will sponsor half the tuition for up to twenty children at each PAW camp location. Each matching scholarship provides $240 of the tuition when the parent matches the remaining $240. Please call (310) 827-8827 for more info.

Camp Menominee for Boys in Eagle River, Wisconsin makes use of a special fund (Nate Wasserman Fund) to provide “camperships” based upon financial need:

Applicants must be willing to contribute some amount toward the enrollment fee and are asked to provide information about their financial situation which is then submitted to the board which oversees the Nate Wasserman Fund.

The board then decides whether or not the applicant qualifies for assistance based upon financial need. If so, they will determine how much can be awarded based upon the specifics of an applicant’s situation. This amount — which combined with the families’ out-of-pocket contribution — will equal about 2/3 of the total enrollment fee, whereby Camp Menominee will cover the remaining 1/3.

When it’s all said and done, some families who’ve been awarded a “campership” may pay as little as 10% of the regular rate, while others might pay as much as 45% … it varies from case to case. Please call 800-236-2267 for more information.

The particular type of camp or program emphasis can also have be a factor as to the likelihood of there being financial assistance offered. For example, it seems that summer camps who serve individuals with special needs are often in a position to offer financial assistance due to being associated with a much larger “parent entity” which is either a non profit and/or simply an extremely benevolent institution seeking to better the lives of children who might be contending with what could be terminal, life-threatening, or extremely challenging conditions.

Regardless of the type of camp or program you are interested, getting in touch with the camp director is a great step toward uncovering what options might be available for your child and your pocketbook. If financial assistance is not a realistic option at the moment, then it’s possible the camp director might be able to provide you with some program alternatives which might be available & more in line with your budget … as well as guidance for the following summer if the lack of funding is due to an issue related to timing. Just remember, it never hurts to ask!
Continue reading →

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!

Summer is has officially begun with the Summer Solstice occurring a couple days ago on Monday June 21, 2010. If your child will be attending summer camp it is important to prepare necessary items to use during the course of day-to-day life (clothing, camping gear, toiletries, etc.), while also keeping in mind that some things might be prohibited at camp.

All summer camps are different with respect to items which are required as well as those which are not allowed, so you are strongly encouraged to inquire directly with the specific camp. Often times a “packing list” or “gear list” will be available directly on a camp’s website.

Camps often utilize a particular provider for camp logo apparel such as t-shirts, hats, sweatshirts, etc. and may require your child to purchase a number of these specific items to participate in camp related activities. An official packing list may also provide you with a recommended amount of clothes and supplies to bring to camp. Keep in mind that if your child is going to attend a residential or “sleepover” camp, be sure to check whether or not laundry services are provided and plan accordingly.

Food is by far one of the more prevalent items which are prohibited by most camps. Cell phones, hand held video games, & other electronic items are often not allowed. Still, it is possible some might be permissible … such as digital cameras or GPS units. You may want to review your camp’s website or contact the camp director if you have questions as to whether a particular item is allowed at camp or not.

If your child is taking any medicines or has special needs (i.e. diet, allergies, etc.) it is strongly recommended that you insure the camp director is aware of these issues before camp begins. Many camps have medical staff to organize and regulate medications for campers. However, your camp might require you to send medications via a particular protocol to insure that “everyone is on the same page”.

Keep in mind there may be some items of equipment which are the responsibility of the camper to bring along to camp (i.e. sleeping bag, flashlights, canteen, baseball mitt, etc.), yet other gear might be made available and supplied at the camp (i.e. basketballs, tents, water skis, etc.). Remember, don’t be afraid to ask the camp director if you are in doubt, most will be happy to assist you.

It is often a great idea to clearly label the clothing and gear with your child’s name. There are many label companies who provide customized label solutions. Labeling such items might even be a requirement at camp. A permanent magic marker can also be of use for labeling gear and equipment.

Most camps either require or encourage writing letters, so a supply of paper, pens or pencils, stamps, and envelopes will definitely be useful for your child to write to family and friends regarding all of their experiences at summer camp!

In an era of instant digital communication, the handwritten letter holds a particular place in the camp experience that no electronic equivalent fully replaces. Many residential camps actively encourage letter writing as both a communication tool and a developmental one, and the tradition of mail call, where a counselor distributes letters to campers in their cabin, remains a meaningful daily ritual at camps across the country.

What letter writing offers that other communication cannot

Writing a letter requires a child to slow down, organize their thoughts, and express them in a sustained and deliberate way. That process serves a purpose beyond communication: it helps a child work through the experiences, emotions, and observations of camp life in a manner that is personal and reflective. A letter home about a first successful swim across the lake or a difficult moment with a cabin mate captures something that a quick email or photo cannot.

For families at home, letters from camp serve as a running record of the summer. Read in sequence at the end of the session, they document the arc of a child’s experience in a way that is genuinely irreplaceable. Many families keep camp letters for years.

What to send your child before they leave

Providing your child with adequate letter writing supplies before the session begins removes one practical barrier to writing. Basic supplies include:

• A pad of paper or stationery
• Pens or pencils
• Pre-addressed envelopes with your return address already filled in
• A sufficient supply of stamps for the duration of the session

Pre-addressing and pre-stamping envelopes for your child is worth the extra few minutes before departure. A camper who has to track down an envelope and figure out addressing is less likely to write than one who has everything ready to go. Some families also include a few self-addressed stamped envelopes so the child can write back without any logistical friction.

Writing to your child at camp

Letters sent to campers carry their own value. Mail call at many camps is a daily or near-daily event, and receiving a letter gives a camper a tangible connection to home and family during what can be an emotionally complex experience. News from home, messages from siblings, and notes from friends and extended family all contribute to a child feeling remembered and connected while away.

It is worth noting that not receiving a letter while others do is a real experience for some campers, and a meaningful one. Most camp counselors are attuned to this and provide support, but families who make the effort to write consistently give their child a more reliable anchor during the session.

Letters alongside digital communication

Some residential camps provide limited email or digital communication options alongside traditional mail. Where available, these tend to be one-directional services where messages are printed and delivered rather than allowing direct digital exchange. Letter writing and email-to-camp services complement each other rather than compete. For more on how digital communication options typically work at residential camps, see our guide to emailing a camper at camp.

Browse the Camp Channel summer camp directory to find residential programs across the United States. When reviewing camps, asking about their communication policies, including how mail is handled and whether email services are available, is a useful part of evaluating whether a program is the right fit.

The camp director is ultimately responsible for everything that happens at a summer camp — the program quality, staff selection, safety protocols, and the daily experience of every camper. Before committing to any program, a direct conversation with the director is one of the most reliable ways to assess whether a camp is the right fit for your child.

How to reach a camp director

Most camp directors are accessible through multiple channels. Email is a practical first step for gathering basic information and getting a sense of how promptly and thoroughly a program communicates. A phone call goes further — tone, enthusiasm, and willingness to answer questions openly all come through in a way that email cannot convey. A face-to-face visit or camp tour, where available, is the strongest signal of all. Directors who welcome in-person visits and open house events are demonstrating confidence in what their program has to offer.

CampChannel.com listings include contact information for each camp. Use the directory to generate a list of programs that match your child’s interests, then reach out directly to the directors of your top candidates.

What to ask a camp director

There is no such thing as a question that is too basic or too detailed when it comes to your child’s safety and wellbeing. Directors at quality programs expect these conversations and welcome them. Topics worth covering include:

• Staff hiring, background check, and training procedures
• Camper-to-staff ratios during activities, meals, and overnight hours
• How the camp handles medical situations and what health staff are on site
• Meals — where food is prepared, how dietary restrictions are handled, and what a typical day of eating looks like
• How the camp communicates with parents during the session
• What happens if a camper is homesick or struggling socially
• Whether the camp holds ACA accreditation or equivalent third-party oversight

A director who is evasive, dismissive, or reluctant to answer any of these questions directly is a meaningful warning sign worth taking seriously.

What a director’s responses tell you

The substance of a director’s answers matters, but so does the manner in which they engage. Directors who are genuinely invested in their programs tend to answer questions with specificity, volunteer information you did not think to ask for, and speak about their staff and campers with evident care. A conversation that feels transactional or rushed is worth noting, even if the answers themselves are technically adequate.

No amount of research online substitutes for this direct engagement. The ultimate responsibility for the enrollment decision rests with you as the parent, and a direct conversation with the director is the most reliable tool available for making it.

Find camps and connect with directors

Browse the Camp Channel summer camp directory to search programs by type, location, and age range. Each listing includes contact information so you can reach the director directly. Camp directors can add or update a listing on Camp Channel to connect with families actively searching for programs like yours.

It is being lost! Today less and less children are getting to go to summer camp. The wonderful experience of summer camp has been a way of life for generations of American children. Sleeping away from home and making new friends is a time of increased independence and maturity.For others who did not get the opportunity to go to Outdoor Camp they just don’t understand the importance.

In many books and movies summer camp has been the scene. To name a few, “The Parent Trap” and “Indian Summer”. Yet, the majority of these movies and books are not realistic. Either they sugar coat the camp experience or they make it just horrible. Summercamp!, the documentary is one of the most realistic true stories about kids at summer camp. Filmed at Swift Nature Camp in Wisconsin, it truly shows how the kids interact and what makes camp so special. During the filming over 300 hours of film was shot to make this charming 90 minute feature. This documentary shows camp like it really is, this is no glossy brochure or promotional DVD, it just shows kids living life with new friends and in new situations.

These days parents heavily schedule their children making it more difficult to plan for summer camp. In addition, we parents, have given much more importance to technology than nature. After all the boogie man outside rarely comes in to harm your child. Thus making the world of mature unsafe. It is estimated that most children spend nearly 6 hours a day in front of some sort of screen.

Famed author Richard Louv, of Last Child in the Woods: is alarmed by this untouching of nature. He calls it Nature-deficit disorder and sad situation in child development. He feels there is a link between lack of outdoor play and increase in obesity, attention disorders, and depression.

Summer Camp is just one place that can help children learn to appreciate nature as well as teach children independence and friendship. Connection with nature and other children are important in raising a generation that sees the importance in protecting this planet. Most camps today are specialized in sports, acting or math. So, how do we find a traditional camp that encourages good values and a focus for nature?

Ask yourself these questions before selecting your child’s summer Camp:

1.) What about technology? All electronics can take away from the true camp experience. Ipods and cell phones allow children to hide in their electronics rather than participate with the cabin. Louv says that tent mates with video games or text messaging can easily distract your child. At first most campers are not so keen on this idea but after a few days at camp they see a reason to take a break.

2.) Does the camp have an Outdoor Focus? Louv suggests some camps are trying to be all things to all people. No longer are camps seen as a traditional time in the woods. Historically, summer camps used their natural settings, and encouraged children to play in a outdoor environment. Today this is no longer true, many camps take place on college campuses.

3.) Can children play without direction in Nature? Nature-deficit disorder is nearly always due to parents over scheduling kids. Louv suggests this gives kids less time and energy to explore their natural world on their own. Summer camps have figured this out and design structured and non structured play. When children play on their own, they have to figure it out and work together, what a wonderful learning experience.

4.) Is there Environmental Education? Does camp schedule time where nature can be explored and discovered? These times should be hands on and not like school. Does a theme of the outdoors run within all activities? Are “WOW” moments created that highlight the wonders of nature? Does the summer camp try to reduce its environmental footprint? Does it compost and recycle?

5.) Kids eat 3 times a day. So the food has got to be good. For years children’s summer camps have had a poor reputation for their meals. This has changed at many camps. More vegetarians have caused this change. Ask about fried foods? Is there a salad bar with fruits and yogurt? Can the camp cope with your child’s food allergy? Still meals must taste good and be kid friendly.

Written by Jeff Lorenz, Owner/Director of Swift Nature Camp

Summer is quickly approaching and summer camps are busy gearing up for the upcoming camp season. At the location of the Camp Channel’s main office in Ophir, Colorado (elevation 9,700 ft), summer is often described as two months of the year … with the other ten months being winter. An early June snowstorm is not uncommon and one in May is more the rule than the exception. Nonetheless, residents of Ophir and the surrounding Telluride area will often take advantage of a late season blessing of soft white powder and venture up their favorite back country skin track to get in a final fresh run on their skis or snowboard.

Making the most of an opportunity to experience the outdoors is almost second nature to residents of Ophir, Telluride, and the San Juan mountains of Colorado. The wonders of nature are immediate and accessible. This is especially true during the winters in a small mountain town; which are typically long, dark, and confining. Getting outside to go snowshoeing, skiing, or snowboarding is not only great exercise for the body, it’s an excellent way for the mind and soul to relax and find a connection with nature. During the summer months, a day hike or an overnight camping trip into a remote high alpine basin offers up a reality, which at it’s essence, is far removed from the routines of daily life and always being on the go; also enabling one to be untethered from the technological devices which many of us have become dependent.

I often find my thoughts are more lucid after venturing into the outdoors, even for just a short while. All too often, I will have been working on the computer for hours and hours, yet still be unable to solve a particular problem; however, after taking a break and going out into a forest of Aspen and Blue Spruce for a hike, a solution may suddenly dawn upon me. While the human brain is an extremely complex and evolved part of the human body, making the most out of it is often quite simple and obvious.

Summer camp can be an ideal setting for kids to break free of television and computer games and experience the outdoors in a social setting conducive to personal growth, introspection, and an appreciation of the outdoors. There exists a wide variety of residential overnight camps and summer day camps which offer both specialized and traditional camp programming.

Most summer camps are still accepting camper enrollments and will be happy to discuss session options which would be most suitable for you or your child. Also, many overnight summer camps and day camps are also still accepting employment applications for camp counselor jobs and other summer staff positions. Summer camp jobs can provide the same restorative benefits as well as other unique growth opportunities to individuals who may have spent the previous nine months studying at a college or university.

The United States celebrated the first Earth Day On April 22, 1970. It was a need celebration to bring to light how pollution was killing this world. Today, Earth Day is no longer celebrated nationally but is celebrated around the globe.

The earth is in better shape than those early days yet, there is a staggering divide between children and the outdoors. Richard Louv, child advocacy expert, directly blames the lack of nature in the lives on today’s wired generation. He calls this phenomenon nature-deficit order and he links it to some of the most alarming trends for our kids. Including rises in obesity, attention disorders, and depression.

His recent book, Last Child in the Woods, has spurred a national dialogue among educators, health professionals, parents, developers and conservationists. It clearly show we and our youth need to spend time in nature.

Schools have tried to use nature in the class room for some time. At Holman School in NJ, Ms. Millar began an environmental project in the school’s courtyard. It has become quite an undertaking–even gaining state recognition. It contains several habitat areas, including a Bird Sanctuary, a Hummingbird/ Butterfly Garden, A Woodland Area with a pond, and a Meadow. My students currently maintain the Bird Sanctuary–filling seed and suet feeders, filling the birdbaths, building birdhouses, even supplying nesting materials! In addition, this spring they will be a major force in the clean up and replanting process. They always have energy and enthusiasm for anything to do with “their garden”.

Despite schools doing their best to get kids in nature, we as a nation have lost the ability to just send our kids out to play. Summer Camps are a great way to fill this void. A recent study finds that today’s parents overprotect their kids. Kids have stopped climbing trees, been told that they can’t play tag or hide-and-seek Not to mention THE STICK and how it will put out someone’s eye.

Can technology be the blame for the decline in outdoor play? Adrian Voce says “Children are not being allowed many of the freedoms that were taken for granted when we were children,” “They are not enjoying the opportunities to play outside that most people would have thought of as normal when they were growing up.”

According to the Guardian, “Voce argued that it was becoming a ‘social norm’ for younger children to be allowed out only when accompanied by an adult. ‘Logistically that is very difficult for parents to manage because of the time pressures on normal family life,’ he said. ‘If you don’t want your children to play out alone and you have not got the time to take them out then they will spend more time on the computer.’

Many play providers see the benefits to children of taking risks. “Risk-taking increases the resilience of children,” said one. “It helps them make judgments,” said another. We as parents want to play it safe and we need to rethink the benefit of adventure in a child’s life.

Examples of risky play that should be encouraged include fire-building, den-making, watersports and climbing trees. These are all activities that a Summer camp can provide. At camp children to get outside take risks and play, this while being supervised by responsible young adults.

Earth day has provided so much..but there is more we can learn from nature. This summer help your child regain their appreciation for nature by sending them to Camp. This is an opportunity that will be treasured the rest of your child’s life.

Written by Jeff Lorenz, Owner/Director of Swift Nature Camp