Choosing the Right Summer Camp

The opportunity of gaining new friends, independence, and maturity by sleeping away from home is best provided by a summer camp. Summer camps have been running in America for decades, however, they are fairly new to South Africa. There are also a variety of specialized summer camps nowadays; camps that focus solely on sports, drama, etc. This is why choosing the right summer camp is imperative. It’s best to find a camp that is traditional and allows your children to experience a little bit of everything.

Here are 5 important things to look for when choosing the right summer camp for your kids:





1. Find a camp that is technology-free 

A camp that doesn’t allow your kids to carry their mobile and gaming devices are usually the best option. These camps provide your children with a break away from technology and allow them to participate and gain the complete camp experience without any distractions.

2. Find a camp with an outdoor focus

It’s good to find a camp located in a natural environment. This will allow your children to get in touch with nature and find peacefulness from being away from the usual hustling city life. In the past, summer camps used their natural settings and encouraged children to play in an outdoor environment. However, today, this is not the case as many camps take place in restless environments such as college campuses.

3. Find a camp that offers both structural and non-structural activities
Most summer camps do not provide your child with the opportunity of selecting his/her desired activity. Neither do they allow kids to participate in non-structured activities. This isn’t a camp you should consider sending your child to. When children play on their own, they are challenged to figure it out and work together, which creates a phenomenal learning experience. As much as structured activities are great for balance and discipline, non-structured activities are great for freedom of expression and developmental growth.

4. Find a camp that practices environmental education

A camp that gets kids involved with nature in a hands-on way is exactly what you should be looking for. These camps schedule a time where nature can be explored and discovered, creating the perfect opportunity to get kids to appreciate the environment. The camp needs to practice what it preaches; they need to promote recycling and always work towards reducing their environmental footprint.

5. Find a camp that provides 3 good meals a day

It is essential that kids are provided with good, healthy meals three times a day. Often summer camps are criticized for their negligence in terms of providing healthy meals for their campers. You need to ensure the camp you choose follows a menu that is especially for the healthy growth and development of kids. Well-fed campers are happy campers. 

A technology-free camp, in a natural setting, that offers structural and non-structural activities, provides environmental education and good, healthy meals three times a day is the camp you should be looking for. A summer camp which checks all these boxes will be a camp worth investing in and provide the best camp experience for your child.

Sugar Bay is certainly a camp that checks all the boxes. Call us on 032 485 3778 to book one of the best camp experiences for your child. For more information, visit our website. You can also conveniently book online. Take a look at our facilities and what we get up to at camp by becoming a subscriber to our YouTube Channel.