Summer 2015: Rookie Days and Sleepaway Camp Tours

We are in high-gear planning and preparing for summer 2015!  We know it seems like awhile away, but if you are planning to send your child to summer camp in 2016, now is the perfect time to start your camp search with Summer 365 and planning your camp tours for summer ’15.

Why do we recommend starting a year early? You must be thinking…isn’t that a little much!! Picking a camp is a big emotional and financial investment. It’s practically like conducting a college search. So it’s important to do your research and give yourself enough time to go through the search process. It’s ideal to visit a camp while it is in session, the year before you plan to send your child. That way, you can see camp and the campers in action, tour the facilities, and speak to staff and ask questions in person. There is no better way to get a feel for the camp’s culture and philosophy and to get your child involved in the decision-making process.  If you have a child that is nervous about going, showing them the amazingly cool things going on at camp will definitely get them pumped!  Or, if you are deciding between 2 or more camps, it will be integral in helping you determine the right fit.  We truly believe that once you set foot on camp, if you get that lovey-dovey, butterflies-in-your-stomach kind of feeling, you will know that it’s the right camp for you and your child! So much of the process is about a gut feeling and following your intuition.

But rest assured, if you’re looking to send your child to a camp this summer for 2015, a call, home visit or video chat with the director or a staff member is a great alternative. Summer 365 is here for you to learn about your child’s needs and interests, what is important to you in your search, and sort out all of the options so you can make an informed decision. Additionally, speaking to references is a valuable tool to learn about other children’s firsthand experiences. Camps happily connect prospective families with current families at the camp.

There are tons of options from around the country to just upstate, so we are excited to help your start planning your tours! Camps offer tours for the whole family as well as rookie days where your camper can spend a day participating in the camp activities.  Rookie day helps make choosing the right camp a little easier by allowing your child to “taste” the camp experience, while giving parents a close-up look at the facilities, program, supervision and philosophy while camp is actually in session. Some rookie days last for just one day while others include an overnight so a prospective camper can get do a test run and a real feel for an overnight experience.

In a typical rookie day, parents start the day with their children. Then, children separate for a power-packed day of activities and fun with new friends. Parents get a complete tour of the campus as well as meet staff and speak with directors. While the rest of the day unfolds, parents are invited to spend the day at local sites for lunch or activities.

Give us a call, and we can start mapping out your summer road trip!  We can recommend routes, give you a list of camps to hit, and suggest places to stay along the way.  Bring the whole family along, you never know what budding campers will get excited about summer camp… and warning to parents, you just might get a nostalgic pang for childhood and wish you could go to camp!

Some of the unique offerings from Summer 365 include:

• Hundreds of Options: With over 500 sleepaway camps and summer programs for children ages 7 to 18, Summer 365 has parents covered whether they are looking for a traditional sleepaway camp, are on a budget or have time restraints, have a child with special needs, food allergies, special talents and interests, and everything in between.

• The Experts: The Summer 365 “Counselors” have first hand knowledge of the top sleepaway camps and programs throughout the country and around the world. We spend our summers traveling from camp to camp, meeting directors, assessing programs and inspecting facilities. We know the latest industry knowledge and trends so we can provide our clients with the greatest options. Summer 365’s approach is completely unbiased. Our only goal is to make sure your child has a fantastic summer experience by matching him or her with the right camp.

• Personal Touch: Summer 365 tailors services and insights to each family and child. Through our client consultations and ongoing communications, each Summer 365 Counselor assesses and aligns prospective candidates based on interests, budget, location, timetable, and more.

• Invaluable Advice: Summer 365 is a must-have resource to parents on topics such as what questions to ask of camp directors, packing tips, parent anxiety about homesickness and sending their child away for the first time. We will help you through the whole search process and can help schedule tours and “rookie days” so you can meet directors and visit camps while they are in session this summer.

• The Gift of Summer: Summer 365 believes that every child deserves the gift of summer. GIVE SUM is a special scholarship fund for families who would otherwise not be able to afford to send their children to camp. For every child that we help place in one of our recommended camps or programs, Summer 365 will donate a portion of each commission they receive into this fund.