What to check before choosing your child’s summer day camp
DENVER (KDVR) — It is summer camp season, and while many parents pre-registered for placement at the beginning of the year, there are still spots open at many locations across Colorado.
Macy, 9, told FOX31 she looks forward to continuing her learning experience during her summer vacation.
“I think that just sitting at home is really boring,” she said.
Macy spent the afternoon testing a vacuum cleaner made with cardboard, wires and other components and an animal bot that stands up and sits down at Camp Galileo at the Ricks Center For Children at the University Of Denver.
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Macy will be building her own animal bot with a few alterations.
“Instead of a deer, I’m going to make it a dog,” she said.
The five-day camp for kindergarten through eighth grade still has spots open among its seven locations across the metro area that emphasize science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. The goal of the camp is to provide a fun and balanced environment that inspires learning and creativity.
“She has time with her friends, time outside, time with her counselors, like a little bit of everything. And we do that because we want to welcome as many campers as possible,” director Liz Abell said.
Parents at the camp told FOX31 they feel summer presents an amazing opportunity to tap into a child’s creativity.
“I work full-time and I need coverage during the day, and I’ve always looked for camps that provide a little more than just babysitting,” Rachel Kurtz-Phelan said.
Kurtz-Phelan told FOX31 her daughter returns home from camp with new ideas and a zeal for independent problem-solving, something important for building confidence in a time when technology can discourage some young people from thinking for themselves.
“She comes home and she doesn’t want to stare at a screen,” she said.
How to choose a summer camp for your child
Before selecting a summer camp, parents should visit the property, speak with the director and staff who will interact with their child and ask about the daily schedule, policy for communicating with family and ratio of counselor per child.
“Ours is 12 to 1 at camp. As a licensed program, a 15 to 1 is the absolute max,” Abell said.
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It is also important for parents to talk with their children about their interests to find the right match for a summer camp program.
Colorado requires camps to be licensed to ensure kids are in a safe and clean environment. The process includes background checks on staff members. Parents should always check a summer camp’s certification.
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