If you’re like me, trying to pick a spring or summer camp can bring on a migraine. The process of selecting a “fun” camp triggers countless memories of my children nagging and complaining.

I can hear them now; “But Mommy, I don’t want to go to camp! It’s so BORING!” I really, really hate the B-word. It makes me feel helpless. The past few years they complained so much that they managed to take the vacation out of summer vacation. But not this year! This year will be different because I’ve done my homework! I’ve researched, asked questions, and compared. This year, by golly, they will NOT be BORED! I’m actually hoping to hear the F-word (FUN) a few times too.

Fun is king for kids, but for parents, safety comes first. So as I scoured the net, www.lavalfamilies.ca and www.llfamilies.ca for information on spring and summer camps. I looked for student-instructor ratios, location, age of instructors, and list of activities. Whether you are exploring day trips to faraway locations or shorter trips to museums, sports centers, and nature parks, for example, are great.

Another important factor, of course, is price especially since I have FOUR kids to send to camp. So I’m always looking for sibling discounts, and almost every camp I came across or called offered lower rates for families with more than one child.

And here’s a factor that I care a great deal about, but that my kids could not care less about; LEARNING. I want them to keep learning throughout the summer. However, not so much academic learning as much as developing their social skills and interpersonal skills. I believe sports are essential because they teach kids to work as a team, relate to other kids, and handle losing. I also love the idea of exposing them to arts and culture through dance, art, music and theatre. It doesn’t have to be classical music or Van Gogh. It could be the drums and finger painting. I just want them to be creative and daring! I want them to get out of their comfort zone.

There are camps that offer kids the chance to learn a musical instrument, or to play in a concert. Music is completely underestimated as a learning tool in our education system. Anyone who’s ever had to learn to read musical notes will attest to this fact. It’s hard, but it develops math skills. Theatre is another fantastic summer camp activity.

Playing a part in a play means learning lines, overcoming shyness, developing oral speaking skills (tone of voice, enunciation skills) and so much more. I’m a fan of improvisation, particularly because it’s amazing as a tool to develop communication skills, creative problem solving, and supportive team-work. I used to do improve as a teen in high-school, and it taught me to think quickly on my feet. So in choosing a summer camp, I like to make sure there is going to be a lot of creative activities. If your children are older, look for camps that allow them to take on leadership roles. Planting the seeds of leadership from a young age is paramount.

There is a large array of camps to choose from in Laval -- from city-sponsored and run day camps, to private ones listed in our magazine and LFM website.

For space aficionados, there’s a real gem in Laval; the Cosmodome, which is partly sponsored by government. They have really cool flight simulation activities and allow kids to experience what zero-gravity feels like, among other things. I encourage parents to choose camps with a variety of activities that their kids will actually enjoy. Of course, if your kids are crazy about dance, then maybe a dance camp is the way to go. It’s not the case for most children, though. Most prefer variety.

I won’t tell you which camp I’ve chosen, but I can tell you that this year I plan to hear the word FUN a lot in my house!