Parents have a lot of options to choose from when it comes to summer camp. However, it can be difficult to determine the correct age to send your child to camp.
It’s really more about their personality and maturity. I recommend trying out day camps for children younger than 9, and overnight camps for kids aged 9 and older. While there is little data to suggest that camps provide long-lasting developmental advantages for kids, there are many benefits of having a great summer camp experience. These include:
Camps try to offer a rich experience with plenty of activities. Novel activities often provide new learning opportunities.
As campers try new things, they may pick up a hobby or interest they will want to continue exploring long after they have returned home.
Many kids form friendships they’re eager to revisit year after year at camp. Some campers stay in touch after the camp has finished. Regardless, camp allows kids to practice social skills outside of their normal routine.
Summer camp isn’t always a good experience for all children. Understanding your child’s personality and maturity will help set them up for the best time possible. For most kids, it’s best to start off at a short-day camp and gradually move them toward an overnight camp. Being suddenly sent to an overnight camp can be distressing for a lot of young children.
For more information about how to approach new situations like camp, explore our parenting tips for how to support your kids and handle difficult parenting decisions.
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Dr. Daniel Huerta is Vice President of Parenting and Youth for Focus on the Family, overseeing the ministry’s initiatives that equip moms and dads with biblical principles and counsel for raising healthy, resilient children rooted in a thriving faith.
He is a psychologist, a licensed clinical social worker, and the author of 7 Traits of Effective Parenting. For many years, he has provided families with practical, biblically-based and research-based parenting advice on topics including media discernment, discipline, communication, mental health issues, conflict resolution, and healthy sexuality in the home. He is passionate about coming alongside parents as they raise contributors, instead of consumers, in a culture desperately in need of God’s kingdom.
Dr. Huerta has been interviewed by various media outlets including Fox News, Fatherly, Christianity Today, WORLD Magazine, and CBN, and he is a frequent guest on Christian radio stations across the nation. He’s also written for publications, including The Washington Post, on various topics related to marriage and parenting. He participated in the development of Focus on the Family’s Launch Into the Teen Years, a resource to help parents prepare their kids for adolescence, and he speaks regularly at retreats, conventions, and online events.
Dr. Huerta has maintained a private practice in Colorado Springs, Colorado since 2003 and has served families through Focus on the Family since 2004. He and his wife, Heather, have been married since 1997 and love being parents to their three teen children, Alex, Lexi, and Maci.
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