Tips On Selecting The Right Summer Camp For Your Kid

STUDIO CITY (CBSLA.com) — Andy Wexler, the founder and executive director of Pali Adventures, appeared on KCAL9 News on Saturday morning to offer tips on choosing an accredited camp through the American Camping Association.

Wexler says Pali Adventures, which is located in the San Bernardino Mountains, is a unique summer camp for kids ages 9 through 16 offering 17 specialty camps.

They include: Acting Camp, Broadcast Camp, Leadership, Culinary, Dance, Club DJ, Extreme Action, Fashion, Film, Flying Trapeze, Girl Power, Hollywood Stunt, Motorsports, Movie-Make-Up, Rock Star, Secret Agent & Watersports.

The camp, which starts at $1595 per week, takes place from June through August. Scholarships are available and sign-ups are being accepted through May. For more information, visit Pali Adventures online.

Below are some of Wexler's tips on selecting the right camp for your child:

1. Look for Credentials

• Choose a camp that is an Accredited Camp through the American Camping Association (ACA).
• The ACA provides its member camps with ongoing education and a community of camp professionals to provide training and support.
• The ACA Standards provide a bench mark of rules and regulations that should be attained to provide campers the safe, caring and healthy summer camp. experience we all want for our kids. These standards must be met for a camp to maintain its ACA Accreditation.

2. Decide what you want beforehand

• Are you looking for a local day camp while you are working or are you looking for a residential sleep-away camp? You will find an incredible selection of camps from which to choose;
• Day camps, residential camps, special needs camps, sports camps, travel camps, specialty camps, and so much more. Is your family looking for an all boys camp? An all girls camp? A coed camp?

3. Determine if your child is ready

• The truth is, that most campers are ready at least a year sooner than the parents! The thought of being separated from your child is too difficult for a parent to imagine. But look at the benefits that a well-chosen camp will provide your child.
• On a daily basis, your child will have positive interaction with their peers. They will have counselors there to assist them at all times, and will participate in incredible activities that provide entertainment and skill development.

4. Ask Good Questions

• What activities does the camp provide? Are there mandatory activities? Does the program encourage the child to try new things? Learn new skills? What level of instruction is provided? What is the camp/counselor ratio? What is the cuisine like?

5. Get An Up-Close Look

• Review the prospective camps website, brochures and DVDs;
• Find out if there is an opportunity to visit the camp. Most camps have open houses in the spring.
• The ideal way to view a camp is to visit the camp the year before you are ready to send your child to camp during the summer. Ask to speak to the camp director or past campers. This can give you a good sense of the experience.

6. What to bring to the camp

• Comfortable clothes and shoes, essentials - toothbrush, sunscreen, etc.
• Toothbrush is the #1 forgotten item.
• Deck of cards, a journal.
• Don't bring: Expensive jewelry, video games, too much money