Find The Right Camp That Fits Your Child’s Needs

Campers-turned-counselors share their tips for choosing the right day or overnight camp

CAMP CANADENSIS

When you’re searching for the perfect camp for your child, you can gather brochures, go on tours and ask for recommendations. But if you really want an insider’s view, why not go to the campers who loved it so much, they decided to work there? We spoke to former campers to find out what parents and kids should be looking for when they visit. Read on to learn what made camp so special for them, and how you can find a place your kid will love so much, it just might turn into future employment!

CAMP CANADENSIS

Listen to Your Child

Ben Borrok attended Camp Canadensis, an overnight camp in Canadensis, PA, from 2009-16 (ages 8-15), and became a counselor in 2017. He worked there from 2017-23, acting as a group leader from 2019-23.

“My best advice would be to listen to your child,” he says. “All those years ago, I had gone on a number of camp tours with one, in particular, as my preferred option. When I finished their Rookie Day experience, I was reeling. I no longer saw myself there and was now wondering if I belonged at sleepaway camp at all.” When Borrok toured Canadensis, he changed his mind, and luckily his parents were on board. “From the moment I saw the expansive lake through the trees open up in front of me, I just knew that this was where I was meant to be.”

AMY BURNETT

Look for Repeat Campers

Amy Burnett was a camper at Eagle’s Landing Day Camp in North Brunswick from 1986-93, and then worked there as a counselor from 1995-2003. In recent years, her own kids attended the camp!

“I always wanted to be a counselor because they were having as much fun as the campers were,” she says. “When you’re a camper, you spend your days with friends playing, creating and exploring. When you become a counselor, you see how much work goes into making a camp successful.”

When it comes to advice for parents, Burnett says to look for the legacies. “See how long campers have been there, and how many come back to become counselors. Great camps have kids and staff who come back year after year,” she says. “Meet the owners and main staff. At Eagle’s Landing, [Camp Directors] Barry [Wasserman] and Ruth Ann [Weiss] love camp as much as the kids do.”

AMY BURNETT

Find a Place You Can Trust

“I credit camp with a lot of my personal development,” says Sydney Murano, who was a camper at Eagle’s Landing Day Camp from 7th to 10th grades and then became a CIT and later, a junior counselor and then a senior counselor. “Once you become a counselor, the stakes are much higher, but it is the most rewarding job I have ever done,” she says.

When it comes to finding the right camp, think about the child you have in front of you, says Murano. “Find the place that checks their boxes but also meets the needs of you as a parent. Find a camp that’s flexible with your schedule and transportation needs, keeps allergies in mind and above all else puts the needs and well-being of your child first.” Landing on a camp you can trust is essential, she says. “Think about the things you want for your child each summer, the experiences you had as a kid, or maybe didn’t have and wish you did, and keep that in mind.”

CAMP CANADENSIS

Look for Activity Options

Zach Minion was a camper at Camp Canadensis between 4th and 10th grades and worked there for seven summers.

“I absolutely loved my time as a camper and didn’t want to leave,” he says. “A big reason I decided to return as a counselor was the relationships that I made with my counselors.”

Minion says he doesn’t believe there is one right answer or that any camp is “perfect.” “While I do think that specialty camps like sports or theater camps suit many kids, I think it is important to pick a camp with a lot of activity options,” he says. “This is especially true for families with multiple children, as you can send all of your kids to the same camp that can accommodate their interests.”

SPRING LAKE DAY CAMP

Find Your Home Away from Home

At Spring Lake Day Camp in Ringwood, Benny Gaffin found a second home. He started there when he was just 5 years old and this past summer marked his 12th summer, now as a counselor-in-training. This summer he’ll return as a counselor. Gaffin advises parents and kids to look for that special place that feels like a home away from home.

“It is my happy place,” he says of Spring Lake. “I can’t imagine doing anything else over the summer.”

— Ronnie Koenig is a freelance writer and mother of two kids. She lives in Princeton.

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