Overnight Summer Camp or Summer Day Camp?
A traditional summer camp, where campers stay overnight in residential units, provides enriching experiences for children. But an overnight camp experience is not something every parent and child is ready for. Residential camps require a level of independence that not every child has yet achieved.
In cases such as this, a summer day camp bridges the camp between a traditional overnight camp and one that doesn’t involve too much parental separation.
If you feel as though your child is not quite ready for an overnight summer camp experience, but still want for them to experience the joy of summer camp, here are a few pros of sending your child to a summer day camp instead.
Summer Day Camp Eases the Summer Slide
Even though your child is not taking notes and tests during their time away from school, they are still learning! To help curb summer learning loss, summer day camp programs offer activities that engage children’s learning and problem-solving skills by making the activities engaging and interactive.
Day Camp Creates the Foundation for Longer-Term Experiences Away From Home
One of the best ways for your child to test the waters for overnight camp is to have them in a day camp setting to see how they will respond. Having your child build up their confidence at summer day camp will help them become less clingy and more excited about being away from home.
Your Child Still Gets the Summer Camp Experience
Even though your child is not attending a sleepaway camp, a summer day camp can give your child the opportunity to build their independence and autonomy away from you during the day, while still returning to the comfort of home each evening. Your child will still be able to participate in all the exciting summer camp activities overnight camps offer but get to go home at the end of the day.
You’re More Aware of the Day-to-Days
The daily return home from summer day camp allows parents to understand the growth and skill-building that takes place at summer camp. As campers recount their day at summer camp, parents get the opportunity to work through obstacles their child will face, provide solutions, and congratulate them on facing their challenges head-on.
Day Camp Allows Your Child to Build Their Peer Relationship Skills
While your child does have their school friends, summer day camp is the perfect place where your child can meet many people from all walks of life who share similar interests. If your child is shy or not quite ready for overnight camp, summer day camp gives them the opportunity to make new friends without the social pressures of school or feeling too homesick to be engaged in the camp activities. They will feel more relaxed as they make new friends, and potentially make a best friend for a lifetime.
Sign Your Child Up for Summer Day Camp at Oak Crest Day Camp
Summer is just around the corner! Sign your child up for an unforgettable summer day camp experience at Oak Crest Day Camp. We’re dedicated to helping our campers develop and foster new interests, develop problem-solving skills, and make new friends.
Learn more about our summer camp program offerings today!