Choosing the BEST Camp: Tips from Maine Camp Experience

Overnight camp is an incredible experience for kids, and there’s definitely not a “one size fits all” solution. Our Campcierge® Laurie recently served as a panelist on a webinar about finding the best overnight camp for your child. She shares, “Finding the right camp can seem overwhelming, but it’s a lot more manageable when you know the right questions to ask, what to consider, and mistakes to avoid.” With 40 premier overnight Maine Camp Experience camps, there truly is a camp for everyone. These tips will help parents get a running start: 

Questions for Parents:

• What activities does your child like and want? 
• Do you prefer a bigger camp (300+ campers), a smaller camp (around 100 campers), or somewhere in between?
• What’s your desired session length in the first year? And in years beyond? 6-7 weeks? 3-4 weeks? 2 weeks? Some families like a full season camp to maximize experiences. Some parents like half summer because of family trips or hometown/school sports team commitments. Some parents like camps with flexibility of shorter and longer options.
• Do you have a preference for coed, single gender, or brother/sister. 
• Do you prefer more simple/rustic (e.g., no electricity in the cabins, platform tents instead of cabins) or less rustic/more manicured/more state-of-the-art?
• Program/schedule – do you prefer structured, all elective, or combination of some structured and some choice. 
• Do you like campers to wear uniforms or not?

Factors to Consider:

• Directors! Meeting, knowing, and feeling confident about your camp’s director(s) is important. They are “driving the ship” when it comes to the “personality” of the camp. You want to make sure their philosophy and values align with yours as they’ll be acting in loco parentis while your children are in their care, as well as hiring and training staff who will interact and care for your children.
• Quality health centers and staff at the camp and access to nearby medical facilities should they be needed. 
• Food – learn about the food served at meals and snacks – especially if your child is a picky eater or has special dietary needs. Most of our camps can handle things like: gluten free, kosher, nut free, dairy free, vegetarian, etc., but it’s important to hear how exactly each camp handles.
• What are the camp’s special events and traditions? 
• Trips – out-of-camp trips are a very fun and memorable part of going to camp. When children go to camp in Maine, they get to experience amazing adventures. From local blueberry picking trips to rafting and canoeing on the Kennebec River to hiking Acadia Naional Park. Parents, too, enjoy incredible adventures when their kids attend camp in Maine.
• Environs – Maine Camps provide incredible natural beauty. Campers from US every state and more than 30 countries abroad get to enjoy what Maine Camps offer – huge, natural clear lakes, vast fields, and the smell of pine in the air. Campers also enjoy Maine’s temperate climate. 
• Opportunities to do things kids don’t get to do at home (as well as do more of what they know and love). Campers should get to expand their horizons when they come to camp. They have access to learn new things and enjoy what they love. Some examples are learning to waterski, sail, and paddleboard; getting to ride horses; getting great instruction in sports like tennis, soccer, and lacrosse; getting arts opportunities such as pottery, theater, music, painting, photography; and adventure activities like ropes courses, mountain biking, rock climbing, and more.
• Transportation – Each summer, more than 20,000 campers come to Maine Camps from all over, so our camps’ directors are very adept in getting campers to camp. Parents can speak with directors to learn more about buses, flights (chartered, chaperoned), and drop off/pick ups by car.

Mistake to Avoid:

• Don’t wait too long to research and enroll. Camps book up. For the best availability in age groups and session dates, enroll sooner than later.
• Don’t necessarily choose the same camp as a friend, neighbor or relative without doing your due diligence. You might think it could be comforting to go “with someone,” however, the “right” camp may be different for your child. While going “alone” may seem daunting at first, campers quickly get acclimated to their surroundings, activities, and peers. “Strangers” became lifelong friends who are like family and it’s nice to have “camp friends” that are different from home friends.

So, get ready, get set, go! Maine Camps fill quickly, so start your research and enroll today for summer 2023. Check out www.mainecampexperience.com and use tools like our Select-A-Camp tooland our Campcierge® for free, expert, personalized guidance: laurie@mainecampexperience.com.

Maine Camp Experience Resources & Tools

You can share your own Maine camps memories & expressions of gratitude on our Memories of Camp section of our website.

Looking for the perfect Maine camp for your child?  Try out our helpful tool where you can select a camp by choosing: type of camp (girls, boys or coed) and session length (1-8 weeks).  It helps to narrow down a few camps to a manageable list that includes rates.  Then you can research these camps in more depth.  

Next, be sure to  to discuss these camps as well as for free, year-round advice and assistance on choosing a great Maine summer camp for your child.