8 Tips to Help Your Child Have the Best Summer Camp Experience Ever!

Sorting out your child’s summer schedule as early as possible is essential for getting the best discounts and making sure spots don’t fill up. As a leader in After-School Education and Summer Camp Programs, and a contributor to LA Parent Magazine & The Patch, we offer you our top 8 easy to use tips:

• Ask: While you’re in the beginning stages of planning your child’s summer, ask them about their camp experience from the year before. If your child animatedly tells a story about the clay pot they made in arts and crafts, that might indicate they would enjoy a visual arts camp, such as pottery, painting, or photography. If they rave about the feeling of being on stage for the talent show, maybe they would enjoy a camp that specializes in the performing arts. Summer break is a fantastic time to explore the seeds of interest your child exhibits, and see if those seeds might grow into full-blown passions!
• Talk: In addition to your Google and Online searches, talk to the parents of your kid’s friends to get an idea of what’s great in your area. It might even give you the chance to coordinate your schedules so your kids can go to a session of camp together!
• Explore: Take advantage of living in LA and explore the wide array of camp themes. Maybe your child has never thought about learning how to be a recording artist, but after seeing all the cool pictures and projects, can’t wait to try it out! The LA-area has an astounding amount of cool stuff for kids, including Coding, Cooking, Musical Theater, Filmmaking, Soccer, Rock The Mic, Surfing, Photography…all in the name of self-discovery and fun!
• Research: Once you’ve determined your child’s interests, do some research on your own to see which camps pass your personal parent test. Don’t just research online—CALL the camp and see what the people are like. A friendly administrative staff often indicates a happy camp culture! PLUS, ask about their camp discounts that might not be advertised on their website. You never know unless you ask! ;) After talking to the camp’s admin, getting the best deal, learning about the camp’s teaching philosophy, and making sure it’s within a reasonable drive time, compile a list of your top picks to share with your child.
• Give Your Child the Best Chance: Here are a few special follow-up questions to ask as you explore each camp. Your child will get the most out of a camp tailored to their age level and development, so look for camps that have curriculums specifically designed for kids of their age. When talking to the admin, tell them about your child, and if they have any special needs or allergies. A reputable camp will have a plan in place to best serve your child’s requirements.
• Watch: To help your child choose between your picks, but also let them feel independent, pull up the different camp websites and then take a step back. Let them explore the website with you by their side. Reputable summer camps will have videos, pictures, and detailed descriptions that paint a full picture of what campers do on a day-to-day basis. The best websites include language that will appeal to kids, AND specific information for parents about what children will learn. Watch the videos, read aloud helpful descriptions, and giggle together about how fun everything looks! If your child chooses their favorite camp, they’ll be that much more committed to having a good time, than if you choose the camp for them.
• Mix & Match: Especially in a city like LA, there’s no limit to how many activities your child can do! Of course, as many taxi-driver parents know, this can be a both a blessing and a curse. Try to find a camp that has many different options, so if your daughter wants to try multiple activities, you don’t have to redraw your traffic battle plans. Choosing a camp with multiple activity options is also a major benefit if you have more than one child! That way, if your daughter is in singing camp but your son wants to learn to play the guitar, you’re not driving all over the place, and can ensure you get your own summer too.
• Prepare: As camp approaches, get your child in a positive mindset! Maybe re-watch the videos from the camp’s website, host a movie night related to the camp activity (think: Disney’s Robin Hood if they’re doing archery camp) and retell the memories that originally got your child excited about their summer. Make sure they get plenty of sleep the night before camp begins and talk about how fun camp will be as you prepare to drop them off. Just like in sports, it’s about getting psyched up!

By Cheryl Appleman

President of Performing Arts Workshops, winner of BEST SUMMER CAMP in LA Parent Magazine. Offering a variety of award-winning camps for kids ages 5-14 include: Musical Theater Camp, Actor’s Sizzle Reel, Cheer & Drill Team, Guitar, Poetry Slam, Rock The Mic, Photography, Debate Club, and LOL Stand Up Comedy!

At PAW, kids ages 5 to 14 just need a curiosity and a passion for performing, whether they are novices or seasoned thespians. Pick your favorite activity or try them all! Your child will shine on stage for the ultimate arts experience from rehearsal to performance, where each session ends with a free creative performance enjoyed by the families of our campers. This summer our Musical Theater kids can perform in children’s adaptations of HlP HOP HAMlLTON, LlTTLE MERMAlD, ENCANT0 or HlGH SCHOOL MUSlCAL. PAW teachers are nurturing, skilled instructors who are dedicated to fostering a safe, non-competitive environment, where children can use the arts as a medium with which to learn communication, compassion, collaboration, and creativity. They work together to bring out the best in each child and create a summer experience where kids will make friends and lifelong memories.

With 7 camp locations, we are local to people near: EL SEGUNDO, NORTHRIDGE, PASADENA, RANCHO PALOS VERDES, REDONDO BEACH, STUDIO CITY, and WEST LA.

Performing Arts Workshops ~ the ultimate ARTS experience.

Part Art…Part Play…ALL FUN!