You might not think that the dead of winter is a perfect time to find a summer camp for your child, but indeed it is. Would your child be interested in a horseback riding camp or a sailing camp or traveling to National Parks? How about a fashion or modeling camp? What about an adventure or weight loss camp? Are you looking for a summer camp for your child with special needs? All of these type of camps and many more will be attending the 6th Annual ACA-NJ Camp Fairs throughout January.

The first camp fair will be held on Saturday, January 16, 2010, at The Grand Summit, 570 Springfield Avenue, Summit. The next day, Sunday, January 17, 2010, the second camp fair will be held at the Teaneck Marriott at Glenpointe, 100 Frank W. Burr Boulevard, Teaneck.

The following Saturday, January 23, 2010, the third fair will be held at The Excelsior, a catering hall, 355 Route 9 South, Manalapan. On Sunday, January 24 2010, the ACA will host the fourth fair at the Bridgewater Marriott, 700 Commons Way, Bridgewater.

The next weekend the fifth camp fair will be held Saturday, January 30, 2010, at the Woodcliff Lake Hilton, Woodcliff Lake. The next day, Sunday, January 31, 2010, the last camp fair of the season will be held in East Hanover at the Ramada Inn and Conference Center on Route 10 West.

All fairs will run from noon to 3 p.m., and are open to the public; admission is free. There are numerous free giveaways and free snacks. Free face painting at all fairs will be done by Bella Faccia. The Somerset Patriots will bring their mascot, Sparkee, to the Bridgewater fair, and Radio Station Z-100 will bring its prize van to the Manalapan fair.

The free admission provides parents with a 60+-page booklet summarizing all the camps and providing future contact information for all the camps participating in the ACA's camp fairs this season. Camp directors show DVDs, talk with parents about the programs and facilities that their camp offers. In addition, they distribute their own pamphlets and often their own camp DVD's and giveaways. Camp directors offer sign-up sheets for parents to make more personal and further contacts. Often camp directors make home visits to discuss their camp.

"Although the Internet is a great way to do preliminary research when finding a camp," according to Barbara Rubin, Camp Fair Director, "it does not have the impact of a face-to-face meeting with a camp director, let alone, almost 35+ of them in one room. The camp fairs provide a perfect one-stop shopping spot for busy parents."

Representatives from the non-profit American Camp Association (ACA) will be on hand to answer questions about "How to Choose a Camp," distribute pamphlets with the questions most frequently asked by parents who are trying to choose a camp for their child.

The camps, which are located from Maine to Georgia, and include a camp from Spain, will be informing parents and campers of their wide range of activities. Sessions vary from one week to eight weeks, and are priced to meet a variety of family budgets. For younger children and those less eager to go far from home, there are numerous camps and summer programs available nearby. Many of the day camps offer early drop off and late pick up to accommodate working parents. Numerous resident camps offer special sessions for young or first time campers; a number of the camps specialize in programs only for teenagers. Sleep-away camps offer a variety in the kinds of activities available, length of session, location, cost, and population. Some camps are coed, while others cater to one sex; some are sports camps, some camps are private, others are run by YMCAs, and several stress religious values.

Rubin said, "If your older teen is interested in unique adventures, traveling around the globe or taking pre-college course there is program out there for him/her. Certainly there are lots of traditional summer experiences available but more and more adolescents are looking for a new experience and our camp fairs are a way to find not only the traditional but what's cutting edge in summer programs."

Resident camps may participate in one fair or all six fairs; check the website, www.acanjsummercampfairs.org, for exact location participation. To date, the following resident camps will attend: Adirondack Woodcraft Camp, American Wanderer, Blue Ridge, Campus Kids, Camp Canadensis, Cape Cod Sea Camps, Camp Cayuga, Chestnut Lake Camp, Camp Eagle Hill, Camp España, Fairview Lake YMCA Camp, Fashion Camp NYC, Forest Lake, Frost Valley YMCA, Greenwood Trails, Independent Lake, International Sports Training Camp, Camp Kingsmont, Lake Greeley Camp, Camp Lakota, Linden Hill Summer Program, Camp Lindenmere, Camp Lohikan, Loomis Tennis Camp at Swarthmore, Camp Louemma, Camp Marist, Camp Med-O-Lark, Mercersburg Summer Programs, Modeling Camp, NJ "Y" Camps, Camp North Star Maine, Camp O-AT-KA, Pine Forest Summer Camps, Camp Quinebarge, Science Camp Watonka, South Mountain YMCA/Camp Conrad Weiser, Stone Mountain Adventures, Timber Lake West, Valley Forge Military Academy Summer Camp, Camp Weequahic, Camp Wekeela, Camp Winauke, YMCA Camp Ralph Mason, and YMCA Camp Mohawk.

The following day camps will participate in the Summit fair: Centercourt Athletic Club, Chatham; Camp Discovery, Madison; Future Stars, Morristown; Harbor Hills, Mt. Freedom; Camp Harmony, Warren; Hi-Hills Day Camp, Gladstone; Jefferson Lake Day Camp, Stanhope; ; Morristown-Beard School Day Camp, Morristown; Summer Adventures at Oak Knoll, Summit; Oasis in Madison at Drew University; Camp Riverbend, Warren; River Edge Farm Riding Day Camp, Bedminster; Seaton-Hackney County Stables, Morristown; Summit Area YMCA, Summit; and Union County College-College for Kids, Cranford.

The following day camps will attend the Teaneck fair: Champion Day Camp, New City, NY; Day Camp in the Park, Stony Point, NY; Deerkill Day Camp, Suffern, NY; Deer Mountain Day Camp, Pomona, NY; Dwight-Englewood Summer Connections, Englewood; Summer Explorations at Elisabeth Morrow School, Englewood; Gate Hill Day Camp, Stony Point, NY; Harlem Wizards, Paramus; Nature Place Day Camp, Chestnut Ridge, NY; Spring Lake Day Camp, Ringwood; and YMCA of Greater Bergen County, Bear Mountain, NY.

Local day camps attending the Manalapan fair include: Camp Arrowhead, Marlboro; Black Bear Lake Eagle, Millstone Township; Eagle River Day Camp, Monroe; Frogbridge Day Camp, Millstone Township; Ivy League Day Camp, Englishtown; Camp Marlboro, Morganville; Pine Grove Day Camp, Wall; Camp Sacajawea, Farmingdale; and The Vianney Institute of Learning, Holmdel, and YMCA Camp Topanemus, Freehold.

Attending the Bridgewater fair includes these day camps: The Dance Connection Performing Arts Camp, Hillsborough; Camp Harmony, Warren; Hi-Hills Day Camp of Gladstone; Morristown-Beard School Day Camp, Morristown; Oak Crest Day Camp, Somerset; Camp Riverbend, Warren; River Edge Farm Riding Day Camp, Bedminster; Summer Performing Arts Camp, Bridgewater; and JCC Camp Ruach, Bridgewater.

The following day camps will attend the Woodcliff Lake camp fair: Blue Rill, Airmont, NY; Champion, New City; Deerkill Day Camp, Suffern; Deer Mountain Day Camp, Pomona, NY; Gate Hill Day Camp, Stony Point, NY; Gifted Child Society, Allendale; Nature Place Day Camp, Chestnut Ridge, NY; Camp Ramaquois, Pomona, NY; Camp Ramsey, Ramsey; Spring Lake Day Camp, Ringwood; Summer Explorations at Elisabeth Morrow School, Englewood; YMCA of Greater Bergen County, Bear Mountain, NY; YWCA of Bergen County, Hackensack.

Attending the East Hanover camp fair will be the following local day camps: Centercourt Athletic Club, Chatham; Future Stars, Morristown; Harbor Hills, Mt. Freedom; Camp Harmony, Warren; Hills Day Camp, Gladstone; JCC Camp Deeny Riback of the YM-YWHA, West Orange; Morristown-Beard School Day Camp, Morristown; Oasis in Madison at Drew University; Pioneer Trails Day Camp, Caldwell; Camp Riverbend, Warren; Spring Lake Day Camp, Ringwood; Seaton-Hackney County Stables, Morristown; Stonybrook Day Camp, Randolph; Summer Adventures at Oak Knoll, Summit; and Willow Lake Day Camp, Lake Hopatcong.

This year Special Needs camps such as Camp Huntington, Round Valley, part of the NJ "Y" Camps, Frost Valley, and Linden Hill Summer program are able to focus on children with autism, mental retardation, learning disabilities, ADD/HD, and kidney disease.

The American Camp Association is a community of camp professionals who, for nearly 100 years, have joined together to share their knowledge and experience and to ensure the quality of camp programs.

Men and women over the age of 18 seeking summer employment may request a staff job application and often camp directors will conduct interviews on the spot.

For a list of camps attending specific fairs and exact directions to the fairs, log on to www.acanjsummercampfairs.org.

— ANDY LAGOMARSINO, NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM