Selecting a Summer Camp

Arts and crafts is just one
of many camp activities.

You name the activity, the condition, the pursuit, or the theme, and there's a summer camp for it: academics, athletics, broadcasting, ceramics, clowning, drama, fishing, gardening, leadership, team building, and a host of special-needs camps.

"This is a chance for your child to explore a world bigger than his or her neighborhood and a chance for you to practice letting go," says Bruce Muchnick, a licensed psychologist who often works at day and resident camps.

Muchnick says letting go is important. It develops a child's autonomy and sense of self. Camps allow kids to make new friends and learn about teamwork and responsibility. He says it's normal for kids to be anxious prior to leaving for camp. That's your cue to pump up their confidence so, when the reality of the separation sets in, they'll be able to deal with it.