Did you know approximately 10 million kids go to camp each year? A positive summer camp experience can mean everything to a child. Sending your kids to camp is part of the American way of life. When you think of camp, you probably think of roasting marshmallows around the campfire and singing songs. But there is more to the camp experience than that!

Many people seem to considering surfing summer camps in addition to, or as alternative for, traditional summer camps. Surfing (or surf) camps offer all the important benefits that traditional camps offer, such as the opportunity to make new friends and increase self-confidence and esteem. But surf camps offer something more: incredible health benefits for kids.

Not only is surfing a total blast and easily learned with a qualified instructor, but when kids go to surf camp, they get a total body workout from cardiovascular exercise to arm and leg strength to learning how to increase their balance.

When kids paddle out on their surfboards toward the ocean to catch a wave, they are developing upper body strength (including their arms, chest and shoulders), plus they are getting a nice cardiovascular workout.

Then, when they are actually surfing, they are using their leg muscles and developing important balance skills.

There are several sites on the Internet to find surf camps for your kids. You can do a general search for “kids surf camps” on Google. Or, or you can visit a site-specific search engine like Surf Camp Search.com where you will find many available surf camps for kids and teens everywhere in the United States and abroad.

It doesn’t matter if your child is a beginning surfer or experienced and learning to pick up tips from a pro, there’s a safe and fun surf camp out there for you…plus, the health benefits can’t be denied!

How do you know if your child is ready for their first camp experience?

 

Send your kids to camp before they’re ready and you can expect a potentially disastrous result. Wait too long before sending them, and you might have the proverbial, “I wish I’d done this sooner” regret.

 

Some kids are ready for camp before others. If your child is independent, goes to school, is accustomed to being separated from you for extended periods and/or has older brothers or sisters they look up to, they may be ready for camp this year.

 

On the other hand, if the above criteria do not apply, you might want to wait another year.

 

Sit down together with your child and bring up the idea of camp. Frame the conversation in a way your son or daughter will understand. Ask questions such as, “Would you like to go to camp this summer and make new friends?” or “Do you want to play some fun games and do some new activities at camp?”

 

Many parents start their kids off with a day camp experience before sending them to overnight camp. For younger children, this is a great way to go. Day camps are a natural stepping stone to sleepaway camp.

 

Also, since day camps are generally local establishments, you can visit the camp and meet the director ahead of time. Make sure to bring your child along. If he or she is excited about what they see, this is a good indication they’re ready for camp. If their reaction is mixed, negative or indifferent, now may not be the right time.

 

Summer camp can be a powerful experience for a child in terms of making new friends, building social skills, and increasing their self-confidence and esteem. That’s why it’s so important to make sure your child’s first camp experience is positive from the start.

 

If your child doesn’t enjoy camp the first time they go, they might never want to go back.

 

But if they have a ball, there’s no telling what a fantastic positive impact the experience can have on their lives.

You’ve heard it before: Summer camps have limited space availabilty which fills up fast, so you better sign up soon or you might not get in. Sometimes this sounds like a sales pitch more than anything else.

Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. But the truth is, the more popular summer camps fill up much faster than the others, and your chances of getting in is indeed limited by the camp’s enrollment capacity.

It’s kind of like an airplane: When the last seat is gone, it’s gone for good. They can’t just add another seat on the plane to accommodate you, and the camp doesn’t have room “for just one more kid.”

Here’s something about camp enrollment that’s more relevant now than ever: Camps generally fill up even faster than usual when the economy is weak like it is now.

Maybe it sounds like an oxymoron, but summer camp enrollment often thrives in a weak economy. Here’s why.

In poor economic conditions, parents will generally cut back on everything they view as non-essential, but history shows that the absolute last items they’ll slash from the family budget are products and services for their kids.

In a weak economy, moms and dads might decide against spending $10,000 for a family vacation. But they’ll still shell out $2,500 or so to send their kids to camp.

During the recession of the early 1990’s, camp enrollment was impacted across the board. This phenomenon — higher enrollment in a weaker economy — can largely be attributed to the many families who would have otherwise taken a family vacation, but with less discretionary income stayed home, thereby increasing their childcare and summer camp needs and filling camps to the brim.

Sending your children to summer camp in any economy is often viewed by parents as an American pastime. What does this mean for consumers? Simply this: you might want to start looking for summer camps earlier than usual if you want to get in to the camp of your choice next summer, otherwise somebody else might beat you to the punch.

Most popular camps often fill up by April or May, but if you wait that long to sign up for camp next summer, by then it could be too late.

One of the best places to find a camp is at http://www.findacamp.com, the American Camp Association’s camp search web site.

You can search for camps by various criteria such as type of camp, location, price and more. Just start looking soon as possible to make sure your child gets his or her first choice!

Copyright Eric D. Naftulin and Aloha Beach Camp. All rights reserved.

Summer will be here before you know it, so sun safety should be on the minds of concerned parents everywhere — and especially if you will be sending your child to camp.

Since one of the official definitions of an organized camp is that the majority of the activities must take place outdoors, you can expect your child to be spending lots of time in the sun.

You don’t want to go overboard to the extent you nterfere with your child’s opportunities to have fun, but the facts are impossible to ignore. We hear it on the news, from our friends and family, our doctors, from everyone:

“The sun causes cancer.”

“Stay out of the sun.”

“Use sun protection.”

“Use sunscreen even when you’re just going outside as a normal part of your daily routine.”

Of particular concern is that almost 25% of your child’s lifetime sun exposure will occur before they turn 18. Since overexposure to the sun can lead to premature aging, skin cancer, and a weakened immune system, it makes sense to protect your child as much as possible and educate them at a young age about the sun’s potentially harmful effects.

Since you personally won’t be able to supervise your son or daughter at camp — that’s up to the camp counselors — you should confirm with the camp that sun safety is a significant part of its risk management plan, most notably because sunburns are injuries which can be prevented.

Here are a few strategies to help ensure you child is “sun safe” at summer camp:

Before your child even arrives at camp, contact the camp director to let them know that: 1) sun protection is EXTREMELY important to you, and 2) your child may require extra reminders to apply and reapply sunscreen several times per day, every day, and especially after swimming, sweating, towel-drying and extended sun exposure.

(By the way, you should not hesitate to make these comments or feel embarrassed about doing so in any way. Assuming you have chosen a reputable camp with informed and sensitive camp directors, you can expect them to be very agreeable to, and even appreciative of, your suggestions and concerns.)

We suggest sending your child to camp with a sunscreen composed of a minimum 30 sun protection factor (SPF). There are many decent brands on the market. We do not endorse one over another, but we have been particularly impressed with Neutrogena’s Ultra Sheer sunscreen , and more than one dermatologist has made reference to its exceptional UVA and UVB sun fighting abilities. You can purchase this sunscreen at Target Stores, in Malls and from the Neutrogena web site.

Although potential sun damage to the skin is well-documented, protecting your child’s eyes from the sun is often overlooked. We recommend that your child wears sunglasses at camp and that the lenses block out at least 98 percent of UVA and UVB rays. Since sunglasses are a relatively small item and may get lost or broken easily, we suggest sending your child to camp with an extra pair just in case.

Don’t forget to send your child to camp with a wide-brimmed hat. We recommend one that’s at least 4-inches around the head, and/or one with flaps that cover the back of the neck. (Girls’ hair is often long enough to cover the backs of their necks, however, if your son or daughter has shorter hair you please don’t overlook this tip.)

Finally, remember to send at least two long-sleeved shirts to camp, preferably cotton, since many cotton shirts have a slight degree of sun protection factor built-in. However, it is crucial to note such shirts are NOT a substitute for wearing sunscreen. In other words, remind your child to wear sunscreen at all times, even if they’re wearing a long-sleeved shirt at camp as well; the long sleeves are simply added protection.

Applying sunscreen several times a day should become a normal part of every child’s routine at camp. But when your child is having so much fun and making new friends, sunscreen’s probably the last thing they’re thinking of. That means it can be easily forgotten or overlooked. Because protecting your child’s skin and eyes from the sun is so critical, though, we highly advise you to review this information with your child before they leave for camp, and also with the camp director before your child gets there.

Here’s hoping your child has a blast at camp!

Copyright Eric D. Naftulin and Aloha Beach Camp. All rights reserved.

Are you looking for a summer camp for your child with special needs? Depending on your particular circumstances and location, you have numerous options and opportunities available for your child to enjoy a safe, fun and rewarding camp experience this year.

Let’s say you live in southern California and your child has autism, ADD, ADHD or another learning disability. How about signing them up for a beach camp or surf camp? Camp at the beach is so much fun and can help your child build self-confidence, esteem and lifelong water safety skills. Aloha Beach Camp in Los Angeles and Paskowitz Surf Camp in Orange County are two camps you might consider.

If your child has cancer, contact Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times. This program has an outstanding reputation and you can’t go wrong sending your child there. According to the camp’s website, Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times “provides cost-free, medically supported camps for children with cancer and their families” and is dedicated to helping children with cancer recapture hope, enthusiasm, and love of life in a medically and psychologically safe environment created especially for them.

What if your child has special needs other than those discussed above? According to Theresa Torrone, a camp director in Los Angeles and a volunteer for the American Camp Association (ACA), “There is certainly a camp to serve them. Children with diabetes, cystic fibrosis, spina bifida, speech impairment, hearing impairments, blood disorders and almost any other special need can find a suitable summer camp where they’ll be safe, have fun, make new friends, have a rewarding summer experience and become the proverbial “‘happy camper.’”

Torrone emphasizes that the volunteers who work for the ACA are caring, committed professionals who love sharing their knowledge and experience to help your child with special needs find the right camp for you.

She suggests visiting the ACA’s website at http://acacamps.com to conduct a free online search to find a camp to meet your needs, or calling ACA’s Indiana headquarters at 765-342-8456 for a free referral.

Last but not least, you might consider visiting a website called Very Special Camps (http://veryspecialcamps.com) for more information on special needs summer camps and programs.

Copyright Eric Naftulin and Aloha Beach Camp. All rights reserved.

Do you want to encourage your youngsters to achieve wellness and health? If you do, then why don’t you let them join a weight loss camp? This is one of the youth activities that your kid can greatly benefit from.

Lots of individuals often mistake a weight loss camp for a boot camp. The main difference is that the former is less harsh and fun. In a weight loss camp, the youth will be taught the importance of self discipline, proper nutrition, and health.

If your kid is having problems with losing weight, this is the best time to join the camp. Losing weight can put a lot of pressure to your kid but in the camp, you can remove the pressure. Your kid will surely lose weight without any pressure and in a fun way. Aside from losing weight, a youngsterwill also be taught how to improve their self-image and self-esteem. The eating habits will also be changed to a healthier one.

Kids who have an inactive lifestyle will soon be springing in action when they are in the camp. What about duration? The duration varies. There are camps that last for a week or for even 4-6 weeks. You can try out the shortest camp duration as a beginner. During school vacations, let your kid join the month long weight loss camp. But of course, there are some expenses to be paid. Weight loss camps are available in special packages and if you’re quite lucky, you can even get discounts. After the camp, your kid will learn a lot about wellness and health.

The camps are held in attractive locations and not in buildings. Don’t worry if your kid is going to stay long in the camp because it is equipped with up to date facilities. It will also be supervised by a trained staff and expert instructors. A nutritionist will be joining the camp and he or she will be in charge of preparing healthy meals for the campers. The various activities and programs during the camp can truly inspire your kid to change his or her current lifestyle as well as gaining enhanced self-worth.

Before you sign up your kid for a weight loss camp, you have to visit a doctor first. The doctor will assess if your kid is fit to join a weight loss camp. Even when your kid is already in the camp, his or her health will be monitored strictly. You see, the camp is supposed to make your kid healthier and so all the precautionary measures will be undertaken.

The activities and exercises included in the camp program will be carried out by expert instructors. You can be sure that the activities are safe and will not lead to accidents or problems. Even if the camp is far from home, your kid will not get homesick because all the important facilities are there.

So if your kids have weight problems, set an appointment with the doctor and ask if they can join youth activities like a weight loss camp. Don’t forget to prepare a budget for the youth camp because you will be spending some money.

The camp is a worthy investment because it can help your kid lose weight and improve his self confidence, self esteem, and self worth. Find a good weight loss camp now.

Approximately 10,000,000 (ten million) kids attend camp each summer. But but only a small percentage of them attend accredited camps. You wouldn’t send your child to attend an unaccredited school, so why send them to an non-accredited summer camp?

Summer camp accreditation is earned through the American Camp Assocation. By choosing an accredited camp, you can be assured the camp meets or exceeds up to 300 best-practice standards within the camp industry relative to child health and safety, food service, supervision, transportation, risk-management, facilities, staff training, program quality and more.

Does choosing a non-Accredited camp for your child mean the camp isn’t a “good” camp? Hardly. There are many wonderful summer camps that have not earned ACA accreditation.

But if you choose an accredited camp for your child, you’ll be in exclusive company. Only 25% of camps in the United States have earned ACA accreditation.

It’s important to note that accreditation is not the same as a license to operate, and accreditation does not guarantee safety. Each state and/or county may have its own licensing and regulations which all camps must comply with in order to operate. However, according to the American Camp Association, “accreditation is the best evidence for parents that a camp is committed to providing a safe and nurturing environment for their children.”

How do you know if the camp you’re considering for your kids has achieved ACA accreditation? Just ask the camp director. If they answer “yes,” you know you’re on the right track. If the camp is not accredited, then you should ask the camp director why not. And if you aren’t satisfied with the answer, perhaps it’s time to consider another camp.

By the way, asking the camp director whether his or her camp is accredited is not the only question you should ask. To ensure the most promising camp experience for your child, you should ask the director a series of questions and be satisfied with the answers. Here’s a link to the American Camp Association’s website to help you know which questions to ask: http://www.campparents.org/safetytips.php#questions

There are many wonderful summer camp opportunities available for your child. Whichever and whatever kind you choose, please make sure it’s accredited. It’s your best guarantee of a safe, fun summer!

Summer camps bring fine opportunities for teens, kids and even for girls to not only have fun, but to broaden their minds to learning new things. Some of the best examples are St. Paul Summer Camps.As most camps do a nice job, you should become conscious that no single camp is a perfect fit for every kid. So, be very practical regarding choosing a camp from the cluster of summer camps for children such as sport camps, computer camps, dance camps and more.Attending a summer camp is often becomes the first experience for children where they spend an extended period of time being away from home. Many summer camps employ high school or college kids as trainers or guides to make the children feel more comfortable.Most summer camps provide such a setting for children that they learn enduring values such as integrity and teamwork, character and leadership. Activities just like sports, leadership training outdoor adventures, and carefully selected field trips will be there.While making inquiries about summer camps, be sure to look at the available options for example computer camps, theater camps, sports camps, dance camps and many more. The camps that center around on the arts are very popular. You should also take the computer camps into consideration as they also offer a good deal.If you choose St. Paul Summer Camps, there are devoted counselors and brilliant role models available for your kids to see and interact with. Moreover, there are experienced camp organizers in charge of the event. The children who come to attend a camp are secure.

Seems like everyone carries a cell phone, iPod or other electronic device these days. Kids are no exception, but what happens when kids want to bring these items to summer camp?

Some camps allow kids to bring electronic gadgets with them to camp. One camp even includes an “optional cell phone” in its suggested packing list.

But that’s the exception, not the rule. Most camps restrict kids from bringing these items to camp completely.

Theresa Torrone, the director her own summer camp in Los Angeles, California, does not allow portable electronics at camp. “We believe iPods, Gameboys, cell phones, other portable electronic devices electronics are better left at home,” Torrone says. “Not only are these items easily lost, damaged or even stolen, they are counterproductive to the camp experience.”

Torrone says the goals at her camp include teaching kids about beach and ocean ecology, introducing them to new aquatic activities like surfing and jet skiing, and facilitating new friendships, among others. But if children are listing to iPods or talking on cell phones, “they typically do so in isolation, apart from the rest of the camp group,” argues Torrone. “We believe a large part of going to camp is sharing new experiences in a group setting. When kids are playing with their cell phones or electronics, their opportunities to learn and experience new things with their group are limited.”

According to Torrone, some parents insist on sending a cell phone to camp with their kids because they feel more comfortable knowing they can reach their child anytime just by calling.

“But a major component to the camp experience is learning to live independently. Kids can’t do that with their parents calling them all the time. So we feel that parents should resist the temptation to send their kids to camp with cell phones. If you need to reach your child in an emergency or for any other reason, just call or email the camp office. They’ll be able to contact your child right away.”

Torrone says many camps now use technology to give parents “an arms length way” to see and communicate with their kids while they’re at camp. Some camps will post pictures of the campers on the Internet while others give parents the opportunity to send one-way emails to their kids as an alternative to sending letters.

Torrone understands kids’ cravings for electronic toys and gadgets. “Many kids are even more tech-savvy than their folks,” she says. And there are some kids, Torrone says, who just “can’t get enough tech.”

In this case, Torrone suggests sending your son or daughter to a technology-based summer program. “Many camps specialize in technology-driven activities,” Torrone said. “Computer camps and video-making camps are really popular these days.”

To find camps like these, or any other type of camp, Torrone advises logging onto http://findacamp.com, the American Camp Association’s summer camp search engine which is filled with a database of approximately 2,500 accredited camps.

Torrone’s Aloha Beach Camp embraces technology and the power of the Internet to provide information to prospective camp families and customers. “But we’d rather not have their kids bringing electronic devices into the camp community.”

Does Torrone ever envision a day when electronic toys and gadgets will be accepted at camp? She pauses to think, then replies, “Well, maybe when campers can learn to ride a horse, bond with the rest of the group, roast marshmallows, do skits around the campfire and download songs to their iPods all at the same time,” she laughs.

Copyright Eric D. Naftulin and Aloha Beach Camp. All rights reserved.

Approximately 10,000,000 (ten million) kids attend camp each summer. But but only a small percentage of them attend accredited camps. You wouldn’t send your child to attend an unaccredited school, so why send them to an non-accredited summer camp?

Summer camp accreditation is earned through the American Camp Assocation. By choosing an accredited camp, you can be assured the camp meets or exceeds up to 300 best-practice standards within the camp industry relative to child health and safety, food service, supervision, transportation, risk-management, facilities, staff training, program quality and more.

Does choosing a non-Accredited camp for your child mean the camp isn’t a “good” camp? Hardly. There are many wonderful summer camps that have not earned ACA accreditation.

But if you choose an accredited camp for your child, you’ll be in exclusive company. Only 25% of camps in the United States have earned ACA accreditation.

It’s important to note that accreditation is not the same as a license to operate, and accreditation does not guarantee safety. Each state and/or county may have its own licensing and regulations which all camps must comply with in order to operate. However, according to the American Camp Association, “accreditation is the best evidence for parents that a camp is committed to providing a safe and nurturing environment for their children.”

How do you know if the camp you’re considering for your kids has achieved ACA accreditation? Just ask the camp director. If they answer “yes,” you know you’re on the right track. If the camp is not accredited, then you should ask the camp director why not. And if you aren’t satisfied with the answer, perhaps it’s time to consider another camp.

By the way, asking the camp director whether his or her camp is accredited is not the only question you should ask. To ensure the most promising camp experience for your child, you should ask the director a series of questions and be satisfied with the answers. Here’s a link to the American Camp Association’s website to help you know which questions to ask: http://www.campparents.org/safetytips.php#questions

There are many wonderful summer camp opportunities available for your child. Whichever and whatever kind you choose, please make sure it’s accredited. It’s your best guarantee of a safe, fun summer!

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