Factors to Consider when Choosing a Specialty Program

Summer camp for kids, such as Zodiac Camps, offer specialty programs that let youand your child choose which activities to engage in for day camp. It’s a great way to add variety to your child’s summer. Specializing in a specific sport or activity also allows children to enhance their skills and continue to improve in a particular area.

Zodiac’s specialty program is designed for campers aged 5.5 to 12.5 years old. They can choose from the following: Adventure Challenge, Cheerleading, Circus Arts, Culinary Arts, Creatures, Creatures & Creativity, Dance, Extreme Biking, Fashion Arts, Gymnastics, Horseback Riding, Mega Sports, Film & Media, Performing Arts, Rocks, Ropes & Ramps, Science & Magic, Science & Rocketry, Swimming and Tennis, Trampoline Sports, Lake Sports, Snow Sports, Ramps and Science & Technology.

In general, when choosing which specialty to enroll your child in, you can consider the following:

• If it is aligned with your child’s interest – You may think you know what your child wants, but it is still best to ask him or her opinion about certain specialty programs. It is always a good idea to involve your child in the decision-making process when it comes to choosing a camp.

• Schedule –Day camps differ from overnight summer camp for kids because you need to work around a particular schedule for getting your child to camp, and picking them up at the end of the day. As such, the schedule of activities for the specialized program also needs to coincide with the schedule of the rest of the family.

• Group size – Find out how many people are enrolled in particular programs. High quality, low-ratio programs create a better opportunity for learning. Check if your child is comfortable with the number of campers in the program that he or she will need to get along with. 

• Quality of camp’s facilities – If your child is into swimming, lake sports or trampoline classes, it is best to check beforehand if your chosen day camp has the facilities for such activities.

• Equipment needed – It is important to know what kind of equipment will be needed for your child’s chosen specialty. This will work together with your family budget to ensure that the sport or chosen activity can be supported and sustained by the family even after summer. Summer camps for kids that deal with sports often have the sports equipment available at the camp, so there is no need to purchase right away. However, items like hockey masks, hockey sticks, skates or other sports equipment need to be purchased should your son or daughter decide to pursue the sport after camp.