Alright, so let's say you have narrowed it down to one or maybe two camps.  You've watched their video, looked over their brochure, gone to their website and maybe even clicked around the links they have there.  You've given the preliminary call to see if they have openings for the age groups for your campers... and yes, they do!  But before you end the call and send off the enrollment form with the deposit, it's time to ask some questions. 

You should always ask questions.  Whether you ask them over the phone or take a tour before you decide to enroll, you want to make sure you have answers to the most important questions. 

12 MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO ASK A CAMP DIRECTOR: 

  (1)  Is your camp accredited by the American Camp Association? If not, why? (you can read more about ACA Accreditation here.)

(2)  Do you give tours of the camp during the spring? The summer? How do I schedule a tour?

(3)  Does the camp have a philosophy? What is it?

(4)  Who makes up your medical staff?

(5)  How old do your counselors have to be? Do you have junior counselors? If so, what are the differences in their responsibilities?

(6)  How are the campers supervised during activities? During free periods or "bunk time"?

(7)  At night, how many staff are "on" versus "off" and where does my child go if they need something at night?

(8)  What is supervision at the waterfront / pool like? 

(9)  How do we know our child will drink enough water throughout the day? Put on sunblock/bugspray?

(10)  Do campers get to choose their activities? If so, how do they do it?

(11)  Is my child allowed to call home if they want or need to?

(12) What's the food like? What kind of healthy options are there at each meal?

Of course, you will want to add some others.