The Best of Summer Camp (Sponsored by Staying Ahead Carolina and Facilitated by Helen H. Kimbrough)

Blog: Summer Camp is Around the Corner by Helen H. Kimbrough (www.akclassicsllc.blogspot.com)

Why is Summer Camp Important?

Charlotte Parent quotes, “Summer camp benefits children in many ways. It provides an outlet for adventure and fun in a safe environment, helps build self-confidence and self-esteem, and is a place to build social skills and make friends.”

American Camp Association (ACA) quotes, “At camp, when children make new friends, explore the world around them, and learn that ‘I can’ is much more powerful than ‘I can’t’, magic happens. In an environment created just for them, children learn real life skills, develop self-esteem, and gain a sense of independence and community. Whether children are playing, exploring nature, conquering new heights, or becoming part of a camp family, they are creating memories that will last a lifetime.”

Questions of Interest

What are the Camp Trends and Interests Today for Tots, Tweens, and Teens? Camp Trends for residential programs include:
• high- and low-ropes courses
• climbing walls
• zip lines
• backpacking
• mountain biking
• cave exploring
• see the article, “Camp Revamped: Five Exciting Summer Camp Trends” by Jess Michaels
• see Camp Trends Fact Sheet by American Camp Association.

What are the major points of camp selection for parents?
• Safety
• Supervision
• Acceptance
• Experience

What camps are parents interested in for Tots, Tweens, and Teens?


For younger or elementary school children, most parents will choose a traditional one or two week summer camps that offer a variety of swimming, arts/crafts, archery, and beginner sports.

Camp Options for young children are:
Noah’s Art, Gymboree, My Gym,
Half-Day YMCA Programs/School Programs (ie. Lego, Science, Cooking, Scouting, and Sports)
Full-Day YMCA Programs/School Programs/Faith-Based Programs
Discovery Place
Enrichment Programs (ie. UNC Reading Program, AK Classics Enrichment Program)

For tweens and teens, most parents (and this age range) are interested in residential camps and specialty camps like sports, music, computers, fine arts, and language(s).

Camp Options for older children are:
Full-Day YMCA Program/School Programs
Academic/Enrichment Programs (ie. UNCC, Duke Tip Program, UNCG)
Language Programs (ie. The Language Academy for the Carolinas, Charlotte Christian School, Providence Day School, Alliance Francaise, etc.)
Whitewater Center
The Art Institute
School of Rock
Johnson & Wales
Residential Camps

Accredited Camps within a 60 mile radius. (Found via www.acacamps.org)
• Zip=28277
• Within 60 mile radius of Charlotte, NC
3 Matches Found (displaying 1 to 3)
Thunderbird, Lake Wylie, SC (Day and Resident Camp) --- Distance: 24 miles
Located just south of Charlotte, Camp Thunderbird celebrates 72 years of excellence. One and two week sessions ages 7-16. Nationally recognized water programs.
Camp Cherokee, Blacksburg, SC (Resident Camp) --- Distance: 38 miles
Camp Cherokee provides individuals the opportunities to reach their potential by building self-esteem, friendships and character in a safe positive environment.
Camp La Vida, Winnsboro, SC (Resident Camp) --- Distance: 48 miles
Program enables campers to learn and participate in Southern Baptist mission efforts in an outdoor setting.

How do you gather information about camps? What’s good and what’s not?
Discussion of camps within Charlotte and the surrounding areas.Gathering Data and Resources for Camp
• Input from your children regarding their interests.
• Inquire from neighbors, friends, or community organizations.
• Utilize Online Searches.
• Visit www.charlotteparent.com, www.charlotteobserver.com, www.acacamps.org, www.aca.org for detailed camp information and selections.
• *Visit www.afcharlotte.org for language programs at Alliance Francaise.
• *Visit www.carolinalanguage.com for The Language Academy of the Carolinas. (Considered Charlotte’s Premier Language Service Company, and focuses on Spanish, French, German, Sign Language, Chinese, Italian, etc.)
• Visit www.providenceday.org and www.charlotte-christian.com for language and other camp offerings.
*specified for language camps

Seven Questions To Ask About Summer Camp (in terms of Safety and Regulations) by ACA

1. How are counselors chosen? Especially at sleep-away camps, it’s worth remembering that counselors function as your surrogate 24/7. Inquire about the camp’s screening process: Does it conduct criminal background checks on prospective employees? Does it require that new counselors have experience teaching or working with children? Does it investigate employees' prior work history?
2. How is the staff trained in terms of safety? In person or by phone? How many hours? Are there safety and first-aid tests counselors need to pass? How many of the counselors are certified by the Red Cross in first aid and CPR?
3. What’s the camp’s policy vis-à-vis disciplining campers and staff? For instance, does it maintain zero tolerance for drug use or alcohol abuse among staff? Are there curfews for staff as well as campers? How has the camp dealt with past infractions? If a counselor has ever been fired, ask why and use that information to learn a little more about the camp's safety culture.
4. Have there ever been serious injuries or deaths at the camp? How did the camp respond to the event? Accidents can happen anywhere, but learning about past incidents can tell you a world about how the camp deals with mistakes and takes steps to prevent future hazards.
5. Does the camp do overnight trips or excursions, and, if so, what’s the safety protocol? Good requirements may include: at least one trip leader is qualified to respond to emergencies (or "RTE," a specialized Red Cross certification), trip leaders have a minimum age, a buddy system, an emergency plan in case of a camper getting lost, and use of cell phones or walkie-talkies.
6. Does the camp have an emergency plan? The plan should cover everything from earthquakes, hurricanes, and forest fires to hostage situations, dangerous wildlife, and verbalized threats. It should also cover health mishaps like food poisoning or water contamination, child abuse, disease outbreaks, and staff deaths.
7. Is the camp accredited by the American Camp Association? No bureaucratic process can assure safety, but a camp that has gone the extra mile to get accredited has probably thought through a lot of worst-case scenarios. The ACA standards include safety, health, as well as program and camp operations — for more information about researching a camp’s safety, visit www.acacamp.org.

What are Affordable Summer Activities (inclusive or exclusive of camping options)?
• Gardening
• Swimming
• Reading
• Drawing/Illustrating
• Grade/Age Appropriate Workbooks
• “Daycations”: Traveling to the mountain or the beach
• “Daycations”: Visiting museums, libraries, aquariums, and planetariums
• Vacation Bible School

Summer Reads
For Young Children/Elementary School

Ocean Waves & Other Tales; Play Dates & Other Tales by Helen H. Kimbrough
Hurricanes!; Tornadoes!; Snakes; Alligators and Crocodiles; Elephants of Africa by Gail Gibbons
Dance the Polka; I Like Myself; Doggone Days; I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More by Karen Beaumont
Richard Wright and the Library Card by William Miller
One Million Men & Me by Kelly Lyons
Train to Somewhere by Eve Bunting
Short Cut by Donald Crews
Come on, Rain! By Karen Hesse
Books by Dr. Seuss, Eric Carle, etc.

For Tweens & Teens
The Hunger Games; Catching Fire; The Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing; Traitor to the Nation; The Pox Party; Pals in Peril series by M. T. Anderson
I Beat the Odds from Homelessness to The Blind Side and Beyond by Michael Oher
The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore
Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

Visit www.amazon.com or www.literacyhead.com for a listing of books. Schools will furnish a listing of books for the summer months too.