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So you are thinking about a Summer Camp for your child. First decide if your going to a Coed Summer Camps or an all boys or girls camp. Each have their own merritt. Maybe a Coed Camp is best for your child. Next, work with you child to find a camp that will increase their interests or expose them to new activities. After all that, here are the top 10 questions to ask a summer camp director. This list was compiled by the American Camp Association.

What’s the camp’s philosophy? Is it one you’re comfortable with? Is it a good match for your child? Is competition or cooperation emphasized? If it’s a camp run by a religious organization, what religious observances or practices are part of the program? If you’re looking at a sports camp that touts an affiliation with a celebrity athlete, how much time–if any–will the sports star actually spend there?

How does the Summer Camp get and train its staff? Do counselors have criminal background checks? First aid training? Drug Testing? What’s the training all about?

What about return rates? How many counselors are returning this year? How many campers are returning? ask the director why?

What’s the ratio of staff to camper? Guidelines for overnight camps are for a 1:6 ratio for ages for younger children, and 1:10 for older teens.

What’s the age of Staff ? Eighty percent of the staff be 18 or older and that all staffers be at least 16 and a minimum of two years older than the campers they supervise.

What medical staff work at the camp and what backup facilities are nearby? The ACA recommends that an overnight camp have a licensed physician or registered nurse on the site every day, and that day camps should have direct phone access. If your child takes medication, has food allergies or a chronic medical condition, be sure you are comfortable that the camp will be able to handle your child’s needs.

How does the camp Punish campers? Know what your summer camp’s rules and regulations. Be sure they match yur parental thoughts. Know what breaches would send a camper home.

What is a day at camp like? This will help you know if your child will find happiness with the level of activity. Is their choice in selecting activities.

Will the camp be transporting the children? What vehicles are used and how often are they inspected? Who drives them and what training do drivers have?

Get References and more References, Get the names of parents with children who have attended the camp. They will tell you what makes camp so special and why they want to return.

Need more ideas to help you make a smart decision? Check out Summer Camp Advice A Summer Camp

Jeff and Lonnie Lorenz are the Owners of Swift Nature Camp, a non-competitive, traditional coed overnight summer camp near Minong, Wisconsin. Boys and Girls ages 6-15 enjoy playing in nature, caring for animals, and learning science. It’s like a Home School Summer Camp. Traditional camping activities include canoe trips, horseback riding, waterskiing and more. Swift specializes in programs for the first time camper! Learn more at Childrens Summer Camp

With 1000’s of summer camp opportunities, it;s easy to see that not every SUMMER CAMP is right for every child. So, it is inportant that you and your child sit down at the computer screen and start a little research project. Here are a few important factors.

Religious Affiliated or Secular? You may decide to limit your search to programs affiliated with your families religion. These types of camps generally incorporate a religious component, while still offering regular camping activities. Be sure to ask how religious components are included in their daily and weekly program. Some camps limit the religious component to holidays, while others include daily prayers as part of the camp day and choose only to celebrate holidays particular to that religion. You may want to ask if the camp will celebrate Independence Day. Although this is a national holiday, some more religiously observant camps choose to de-emphasize it.

Session Length: Full Summer or Less When looking at camps, you want to know how long most of the children stay. You may prefer a full summer program, lasting seven or eight weeks, or, for family or budget considerations, you may desire a shorter program. Some camps run sessions of varying lengths, from a minimum of one week to a range of varying combinations. Some camps offer only a full-summer program. Some advantages to a full summer program include: * All campers come and go at the same time. It can be a problem if your child has made a good friend at camp, who leaves after two weeks, while your youngster is staying for another six weeks. Furthermore, all the campers are going through the emotional adjustment to camp at the same time. * All campers get the same program. It can be disappointing if your child is staying for the first month of camp, and color war, often the highlight of the experience, isn’t held until the second half of the summer. * The campers have time to build relationships and to sample the wide variety of activities offered. Many families prefer a shorter experience for their child. The child may not be ready for a longer program, they want time for a family vacation, or a longer program doesn’t fit into the family budget. It is important to note that shorter sessions do not reduce Homesickness, it often causes a camper to just get stuck, counting the days till Mom comes to save them. Often session lengths differ from coast to coast. Whereas camps on the east coast tend to have longer session lengths, west coast camps seem to favor shorter sessions, with options to combine sessions to stay longer.

Session Length: Full Summer or Less When looking at camps, you want to know how long most of the children stay. You may prefer a full summer program, lasting seven or eight weeks, or, for family or budget considerations, you may desire a shorter program. Some camps run sessions of varying lengths, from a minimum of one week to a range of varying combinations. Some camps offer only a full-summer program. Some advantages to a full summer program include: * All campers come and go at the same time. It can be a problem if your child has made a good friend at camp, who leaves after two weeks, while your youngster is staying for another six weeks. Furthermore, all the campers are going through the emotional adjustment to camp at the same time. * All campers get the same program. It can be disappointing if your child is staying for the first month of camp, and color war, often the highlight of the experience, isn’t held until the second half of the summer. * The campers have time to build relationships and to sample the wide variety of activities offered. Many families prefer a shorter experience for their child. The child may not be ready for a longer program, they want time for a family vacation, or a longer program doesn’t fit into the family budget. It is important to note that shorter sessions do not reduce Homesickness, it often causes a camper to just get stuck, counting the days till Mom comes to save them. Often session lengths differ from coast to coast. Whereas camps on the east coast tend to have longer session lengths, west coast camps seem to favor shorter sessions, with options to combine sessions to stay longer.

Summer Camp advice is a FREE service filled with information for parents looking for a camp.

Lonnie Lorenz is the director of Swift Nature Camp, a non-competitive, traditional coed overnight Summer Camp. Boys and Girls Ages 6-15 enjoy nature, animals & science along with traditional camping activities. Swift specializes in programs for the First Time Camper. as well as Teen Summer Adventure Camp.

With 1000’s of summer camp opportunities, it;s easy to see that not every SUMMER CAMP is right for every child. So, it is important that you and your child sit down at the computer screen and start a little research project. Here are a few important factors.

Budget Concerns: When selecting a summer camp budget needs to be considered, but a high priced camp is no guarantee that your child will have a wonderful time. Generally speaking, higher priced camps will provide higher staff to camper ratios as well as have better equipment and facilities. Plus they tend to use little or no volunteer staff. There are good sleepaway programs that meet all budgets. According to the American Camp Association, resident camps range from $25 to $200 per day. Many camps, especially those sponsored by nonprofit organizations, offer some form of financial assistance to those in need. The American Camp Association also reports that 85 percent of camps reported offering some sort of financial assistance. Some families have also been able to ‘trade services’ in exchange for a reduced or eliminated camp fee for their children. Parents may be able to work as nurses or office staff in exchange for their children to attend camp free of charge.

Advantages of a coed camp: If you have children of the opposite sex, it can be easier if you can find one camp that suits them both. The mechanics of getting children off to different programs may be too complicated. Coed camps can be less competitive than single sex camps. Because there is a more social atmosphere in camp the intensity of play is reduced. A good coed camp will focus not on coed relationships but on coed friendships. This can be an important part of becoming a mature adult.

What About Friends? Should at-home friends go to the same camp? Going to camp with a close friend can lessen pre-camp jitters and to some extent, lessen homesickness, but when best friends are bunkmates, it can complicate adjustment to camp. Some things to consider are: * Friendships may not be able to survive the effects of living together 24 hours a day. * An old friendship can limit the development of new relationships.* If one child is having more trouble adjusting, the other may feel responsible for ‘taking care’ of her friend and ensuring her happiness.* Jealousy can develop if one camper begins to bond with others, leaving her friend out.* It’s important to ask the camp what they do to help new campers feel comfortable.

Need more help finding the best dSummer Camp. THis service is free and has loads of information. will walk you through the process of picking the right camp.

Lonnie Lorenz is the director of Swift Nature Camp, a non-competitive, traditional coed overnight Summer Camp. Boys and Girls Ages 6-15 enjoy nature, animals & science along with traditional camping activities. Swift specializes in programs for the First Time Camper. as well as Teen Summer Adventure Camp.

April 22nd, 2010 will be the 40 year celebration of the first Earth Day here in America. Since then many rivers have been cleaned up and smog eliminated from our cities. Despite all that success, today our kids are suffering.

child expert, Mr. Louv, ,blames parents for not getting their kids out in nature. We are the screen generation, with kids spending nearly 6 hours on the screen every day. Nature-deficit order he links to some alarming trends for children. Rises in obesity, attention disorders, and depression.Environmental Awareness

For years traditional summer camps have been promoting the outdoors and informing children about nature. Today the term summer camp means every thing from traditional outdoor camps to computer camps and everything in between. Yet if you want your child to gather greater appreciation for the environment have your child attend Swift Nature Camp. Environmental Camp

Swift Nature Camp is a Wisconsin Outdoors Summer Camp for boys and girls ages 6-15. The focus is to blend traditional summer camp activities with an appreciation for nature and environmental concerns. Making Nature Fun while teaching how important it is to protect the environment. Here is what a campers are saying.

“We learn and have Fun. We are always doing stuff! The nature and sunsets are wonderful.”

“Sometimes learning about nature take place on a walk to the archery range or walking to go for a swim. Its so cool to see the turtles come up and lay their eggs.”

“The zoo and the Nature Center are best cause the animals are fun to play with …I even got to adopt one.”

“I had never seen an eagle before…wow.”

” It a child’s natural curiosity that makes our Science Camp work.” says Lonnie Lorenz the Director ” Frog hunts are always a favorite. They stay in the Nature Center for a day then released back in nature. When campers canoe down a river and see all the beauty they now feel that their is a reason to protect it.”

As an environmental camp SNC shines, but it’s our small size that allows us to help each camper with their development. At summer camp children will have an opportunity to act on their own, be self-reliant and try things for themselves. THis is all part of growing up.

Our Counselors are wonderful role models that promote perseverance, listening, teamwork and appreciation of differences, campers set new and high standards for their own behavior. This in turn brings their new found independence more in linewith what yu are trying to do at home. We are on your side.

The amzing thing about SNC is it gives each child a new place to try new things while making new friends. It is a new world. All you need is a personal development plan and you can be who ever you want to be. Some campers return year after year saying that “Camp gives me a place to bemyself with real people.”

All this happens in the fun and sun of the north woods of Wisconsin. For staff and campers alike, Swift Nature Camp is more than just a place to be: it is their summer home. So why not join our Swift family this summer?

Need help finding a summer camp that fits your child’s needs. Visit Summer Camp Advice Find a Summer Camp

About the authors: Jeff and Lonnie Lorenz are the directors of Swift Nature Camp, is an overnight Summer Camp with a a non-competitive, traditional focus . Boys and Girls Ages 6-15 enjoy nature, animals & science along with traditional camping activities. Swift specializes in Teen Camp programs for the Teenage Campers as well as a First time Camper Program.