Tips That Can Help When Choosing a Summer Camp

By the end of May, with our eyes on more than two months of summer vacation that our children will enjoy, many parents face a dilemma: With whom do we leave our children while we work? Some have the problem solved when there are grandparents around or people hired at home for that purpose. But for those who do not have such support, there are other options, such as camps that each summer attract the attention of parents and children.
A variety of camps adapt to all types of preferences such as arts and crafts, music, languages, sports, culinary arts and ecology, among others. What should you consider when selecting a summer camp? The choice you make will be based on the age of the child and the hobbies he or she likes. Remember: the camp must have a leisure activity that the child will enjoy.

With that in mind in 2016, The Children’s Trust, a county-funded initiative to address the needs of Miami’s children, launched a mobile application that helps parents make an informed decision about where to enroll their children. It is downloaded to the App Store if you have an iPhone and Google Play if you use the Android operating system; just enter “The Children’s Trust” in the search field.

The digital guide covers almost 200 program options, several of them free, and allows you to search activities and places using keywords such as an address or a zip code. An interactive map also shows all points of interest within the county.

We recommend that before making the decision, follow the following tips:
1.- The type of camp depends on your available budget; therefore, research for low-cost options or grants.
2.- It is important to choose the one most related to the personality and interests of your child. To do that, we suggest that the child participate in the selection and if possible share it with other friends.
3.- You should also take into account the distance from your home, duration of the camp, type of interaction, and its quality controls in place.
4.- Ensure that the camp has the necessary accreditation and complies with its policies before enrolling the child in it.
5.- Find out if the staff is accredited and if there is adequate coverage for the number of children for which they will be responsible. Your child should always be supervised by qualified personnel!
6.- Check if the camp is adapted to your child’s physical needs or special diet, if required.
Finally, remember that what you are looking for is the comfort and safety of the child, so when you call, ask all the necessary questions to obtain lots of information. Although you may seem to be asking for too much, it is never enough when it relates to the welfare of your child.

Advantages of Summer Camps

• You can work and know that your child is properly cared for during summer vacations.
• Children are active instead of spending time watching television or playing video games.
• Children can learn new skills: learn to speak another language, to take photographs, to play musical instruments, or to participate in a new sport.
• Children expand their circle of friends, share with children from other areas and build new social bonds.