Summer camp started out as a necessity for my little family of four.
Brian Tietz
Pamela Hayford
Editor of Southwest Florida Parent & Child magazine
With eight to 10 weeks off school every summer, we needed child care. The fun and educational aspects were a bonus. But later, when my husband started working from home and we no longer needed child care in summer, summer camp fulfilled a different need.
By then,we had seen the benefits of camp, how the programs further the kids' education, foster independence and allow them to explore, learn and have fun without the pressure of grades.
My son enjoyed his experiences so much that in his teen years, he volunteered as a camp counselor at some of the same day camps he attended in elementary school.
Through our experiences, we found that camps varied in what they offered and how much they cost. Some camps were affordable, while others were a luxury. To fit in a luxury or two, a common practice in our camp days was to sign up the kids for one or two weeks of their top choice (usually an expensive one) and fill the rest of summer with lower cost camps.
In the March issue of SW FL Parent & Child, our summer camp issue, available soon around Lee and Collier counties, writer Andrea Stetson explores what you get for your money.
In my family’s experience, every program my kids attended had its advantages,no matter the cost, and none disappointed.
