Nancy Diamond: I'm Nancy Diamond with kidscamps.

com speaking about how to select a summer camp. And right now, we're going to discuss with overall camp experience. No one knows a child better than their parent. You will know when your child is ready for camp. Are they going on play dates, sleepover dates without any issues? You know, do they separate well? Are they speaking about camp, or do they hear from other friends, that they're going in a camp and they want to go too?

Beginning the search for the summer camp, is easy with the Internet these days. You also may want to check your local newspapers for upcoming camp fairs, and also ask your friends to see if they have any references. There are many criteria to consider when choosing a camp for your child. The most basic being location, price, philosophy of the camp, readiness of your child, and your child's interest. If it will be possible, it's really a good idea to try and visit the camp, or at least schedule a phone call with the camp director.

It's important to know the director's background and philosophy, before sending your child to their camp. You also want to find out about the staff, how was the staff hired? How are they trained? Are they background checked? What is the camper counselor ratio? What kind of a medical care is available? These are just a few of the many questions, that you want to ask the camp director.

When selecting a camp, you want to really make sure that you understand the tuition that's involved. Are there are any additional costs? Are canteen fees included in the tuition? What about tipping counselors, transportations to and from the camp? So you want to make sure, you have all of the fees involved with camp or the cost to consider before you make your decision.

There has been a trend over the last few years, and the development of more and more special need summer camps, and you can search by specific category. You'll want to ask additional questions, that a camper who is going to a traditional camp might not have to ask. Most important is, how is your medical staff trained for your individual child's needs. Is the camp close proximity to a hospital? Should your child to have a situation that might require hospitalization?

Camp provides invaluable experiences and is a gift that every parent should give their child. Coming up next, we're going to be speaking about camp counselors.