Many families keep their children active and entertained during the summer months by enrolling them in camp for the season. Camp provides a healthy way to combat restlessness and unstructured days while allowing children to learn positive life skills. However, when faced with the choice of day camp or overnight camp, parents may wonder what the right decision is.

The Benefits of Overnight Camp
Summer camp offers a host of benefits for children. Camps are environments rich in mental stimulation and physical activity, where children have the opportunity to learn new things and explore while developing friendships.

The activities in overnight camps are similar to day camps, with the primary difference being an increase in independence since children remain overnight with no parental supervision. It’s a chance for them to experience freedom in a new way and learn about themselves. Another vital lesson overnight camp brings is decision-making. Without their parents around, children begin to understand the thought process that goes into making a decision. They learn to be accountable for their choices and feel empowered as well as more confident.

How Will You Know When Your Child is Ready?
Parents who decide overnight camp is a good option may wonder when the right time is. The average age is between seven and nine years old, but this is not a hard and fast rule. It boils down to the temperament of each individual child.

Roxane Picard is a mother of three children who recently sent her seven-year-old to overnight camp for the first time. One of the factors that prompted her decision was her own experience. “They were the best days of each summer,” she recalls. “With so many activities like horseback riding, canoeing, rock climbing – [things] I never got to do at home.”

Ultimately though, Picard says it was her daughter’s choice. After discussing it, her daughter felt excited at the prospect and repeatedly asked to go. Since Picard knew her daughter was independent and could do things like wash herself and get dressed on her own, she decided to send her. “We trusted her to take care of herself,” she says. “That was a big boost in our relationship with her.”

A Few Tips to Consider
Parents can base their decision on two factors; whether or not they feel the child is independent enough, and if the child is interested. That is pivotal and will affect the overall experience. It is recommended to have a conversation with your child about what life at camp would be like and what would be expected from them.

If the child is independent and has slept at a relative or a friend’s house before with no separation issues, that’s a good start. It also helps if the child has already experienced day camp before. It would also be wise to start with an overnight camp that lasts a weekend or several days before jumping into one that lasts several weeks. And if you’re worried your child will get homesick while away, remember, camp is loaded with plenty of interesting activities to keep your child entertained.