The camp fair gives parents the opportunity to do a lot of legwork in a short amount of time. Forget phone tag and surfing endlessly on the web! In the space of an hour you will meet representatives and camp directors from upwards of 50 different camps. Admission to the fair is free. You will be provided with free colorful brochures of the camps and many give prospective campers free videos/DVDs to take home. In addition, directors are happy to make in-home follow-up visits to answer more personal concerns. Many day camps also offer early drop off and late pick-up campers.
Sleep-away camps, also known as resident camps or overnight camps, often have programs for children beginning as young as 6 years old through high school age. There are traditional sleep away camps, as well as, newer concept camps. The types of sleep-away camps available are varied and provide programs for children of a variety of ages with varied interests. There are academic camps, adventure camps, travel camps, computer camps, sport camps, teen travel camps, fine arts camps, and special interest and special needs. The list goes on and on. Sessions can be one-week or eight weeks long or any combination thereof.
Representatives from The American Camp Association (ACA) will be on hand at each fair to answer questions about “How to Choose a Camp” and to distribute pamphlets with the questions most frequently asked by parents who are trying to choose a camp for their child. The American Camp Association will provide a free booklet, which contains pertinent information about contacting the camps and viewing their web pages, to each family attending. In addition, the Executive Director of the ACA will offer free parent seminars at each location.
Camp directors are interested in meeting older teenagers and adults who are interested in a summer camp position. Teachers and school nurses are particularly good candidates for summer positions. If you are job hunting, come prepared to fill out an application and have an “on-the-spot” interview. Bring copies of your resume’ and dress for an interview in a casual setting.
At each camp fair location day camps from the surrounding communities will be in attendance. Typically a day camp will only attend a fair in the area that they service. Many of the day camps offer experiences for very young children through pre-teen. Many offer transportation, meals, early drop-off and later pick-up for working parents. Sleep-away camps from around the country will be in attendance and those camps may attend several or all of the fairs.
A camp fair is similar to a job fair or a college fair. A camp fair is an opportunity for parents and their children to meet and talk with camp directors and their staff, see videos and DVDs of the camp and get an instant feel for the camp. Day camps, as well as sleep-away camps will be represented. Admission and parking are free. Each family will receive a free 50+ page booklet which contains a half-page summary of every camp participating in all fairs in the month of the shows. The camp information includes a description and contact information. Typically during the fair, parents and children highlight those camps which appeal to them and then walk around the fair and talk to those camp directors. There are lots of give-aways for the kids, so bring them along!
Finding a camp via the Internet is certainly helpful, but it is time consuming. You then have to fill out contact information and wait for someone to contact you or return your telephone call. At a camp fair, the director is there to talk with you and answer any questions you have “right on the spot.” In this day and age of heightened concern for your child’s safety, wouldn’t it be prudent to meet the people who are going to care for your child face to face?
According to the American Camp Association (ACA), “Obesity in children has reached epidemic proportions—and experts agree that children aren’t overweight just because they are eating too much. They’re overweight because they aren’t physically active. A summer experience at camp is the perfect prescription for keeping children active and healthy.” “It is more important than ever for our youth to be physically active when they are not in school,” states Marla Coleman, past president of the American Camp Association, “in the camp community, children and youth participate in healthy activities that contribute to the growth of healthy habits.”
