The first letter home:

Dear Mom and Dad,

I hate being here. The counselors expect us to cook and keep everything clean. Before dinner we have to say something about what happened that day. It's stupid. I had to hike to the top of a mountain when I didn't want to. I want to come home — now!

Your daughter

The last letter home:

Dear Mom and Dad,

This summer changed my life. Before, I always called the shots, but not here. Everyone is supportive and accepts me for the real me, not the pretend me. I can't wait to come back next summer and climb more mountains.

Your loving daughter

While the letter above is fictitious, it’s based on real events. Unlike the perceptible advantages that children gain from summer programs, the intangible advantages are harder to pin down. In conjunction with home and school, summer programs are one of the many building blocks that create an adult. And while few children realize how much they've been influenced by their summer experiences, as adults they often see how their lives were enriched and layers were added to their development.

There are many different things that children can do during the summer months. The activities range from attending golf school, summer camps, summer sports and online golf lessons. Summer camps are one of the best things that children can indulge in.

Summer camps help children to become responsible, teach them the importance of sharing and giving and also enable them to make the right decisions. They learn to build confidence, service skills, develop social skills and self respect. All these skills further teach them to develop leadership skills. A child can learn to communicate well through summer camps and their participation in various activities boosts their confidence levels. Other skills which they learn include responsibility, time management and resourcefulness. A perfect summer camp will help a child to make good friends and help in discovering new things daily. The give and take of communal living, bunk mates, counselors, and staff, all play an influential role. Kids living in cabin situations soon find out that when they don't treat one another well, there are consequences. If one person chooses not to cooperate, the whole group is affected. Furthermore, children learn to accept differences such as race and religion. This acceptance eventually make them better people in life.

Kids who have never been leaders take charge. The popular outgoing teen becomes the quiet observer. It is a wonderful experience for a child or teen to come to a place where he or she is an unknown entity and freed from his or her usual context. Trying out new things is another significant intangible benefit. At home and in school, children can dodge new experiences. At well-run camps, they can't. Of course, the primary goal of any well-run program is fun. Independence from parents also exerts a strong influence. The child who is away from home encounters new experiences independently.

Choosing a Great

Summer Program

Summer camps provide so many benefits such as physical fitness, personal growth and socialization. It enables children to learn skills such as hiking, swimming, horse riding and so on. There are many different types of summer camps available which provide different activities. Therefore, the most important thing for parents to consider is choosing the best one for their children so that their children can enjoy themselves and yet learn new things during their stay in the camp.

There are few things to consider before sending children on summer camps. The camp that the child will be going to needs to be interesting. It is important to make sure that the child is going to be interested and he is willing to do it. There are summer experiences to fit any interest, from classic camps that emphasize sports to niche programs that develop computer skills. Different camps offer different experiences and this is what parents should be familiar with. It is also really important for parents to make sure that their children are sent to the appropriate camps in regards to their age.

Though summer camps and programs can have a deep impact on a child's development, not all camps have what it takes. The maturity level and experience of the staff is a key factor. An experienced counselor can size up a child's situation and step in to help someone who is shy or shore up a child who will get picked on before the child even knows it.

Given all the factors to consider when choosing a summer program, most parents don't look beyond the location, facilities, and activities. However, those fine points add up to one of the most powerful educational experiences a human being can have. Good summer programs encourage kids to learn new things about themselves and to explore unfamiliar activities. As you begin to research programs, you should ask how a program will influence your children now and in the future. Of course, this information can be harder to dig up if you only look at brochures or videos. You have to look beneath the surface.

Talk to the people who run the camp. A friend's advice is helpful, but camp directors are always the best source. It’s perfectly acceptable to quiz counselors about anything and everything. A director should be able to communicate his or her program's underlying philosophy.

When you talk to the faculty of a program, ask: What is your program's philosophy? What are the unique features of your program? How will my child be challenged by your counselors and activities? How are children motivated to try new things? How are leadership and personal growth fostered? How does your program measure and reward success? What happens when children violate the rules? How do you deal with conflict? Parents often ask about the ratio of campers to counselors. While that's a valid question, the maturity and experience of the staff is of utmost importance.

When you speak to program directors, you should ask: What is the maturity and experience level of the staff? How long has your staff been with you? Where do most of your counselors come from? How are counselors trained? What is the ratio of counselors to children?

Ask parents of former participants: How did your child grow as a result of participation? How is your child using the experience he or she gained from the program? How did your child respond to the counselors? What didn't you like about the program?

Before you pack your child’s bags, ask yourself: Do I trust the people who staff this program? Will my child like the activities and do they fit his or her interests? Is this an environment in which my child will thrive? Will the size and location of this camp suit my child? Will the level of regimentation in this program fit my child's personality?