The American Camp Association suggests the following 10 questions you should ask to help select the overnight camp that will best suit your child:

• What locale do I want to consider? (mountains, oceanfront, distance from home)
• Do I want a traditional camp that gives my child a wide variety of experiences, or do I want to select a specialty camp that focuses on a particular activity or set of skills?
• What size enrollment will make my child feel comfortable?
• How rustic do I want the camp to be?
• How structured do I want the program to be? Does my child like to have lots of choices in the activity schedule?
• Is my child ready to sleep away from home for an extended stay?
• What session length will appeal to my child and to our family plans for the summer?
• How can I stay in touch with my child during camp? Does the camp allow mail, phone calls, or email? Does the camp have parent visitation days?
• How will the camp meet my child's special dietary or physical needs?
• What is my budget for camp tuition? Remember, many camps offer financial aid.

Other Things to Consider

Insurance: The camp may provide camper health and accident insurance. Sometimes parents are asked to provide information on family health and accident coverage. It's always a good idea to ask if there are additional insurance charges.

Spending Money: Many camps have a canteen service and may recommend your child have a certain amount of spending money for that purpose. Because children might lose track of the money, camps sometimes collect it from each child at the beginning of camp and put it in an account. As items are purchased, the costs are deducted from the account. At the end of the session, any money remaining in the account is returned to the camper.

Additional Costs: Camp T-shirts, group photos, or special outings may be available. Usually, camps include these fees on your bill.

Transportation: Bus transportation may be included in the camp fee. At some camps, it is an added expense. Resident camps may offer bus service from centralized locations or provide pick-up service at airports or train stations.

Physical Examinations: All ACA-accredited camps require either a health history or a physical examination of campers. Schedule this exam appointment in the spring just before camp.