How Do I Choose the Right Camp? A Parent's Guide to Finding the Right Overnight Camp

Choosing a summer camp is a big decision. With hundreds of overnight summer camps offering different programs, traditions, locations, sizes, session lengths, and personalities, how do you know which camp is the right fit for your child and your family?

The answer is: there is no single “best” summer camp. There is the best camp for your child (and even then, there are often a couple of camps that could be a great fit).

The right camp should match your child’s personality, interests, comfort level, family values, and the kind of summer experience you want them to have. A place where they’ll want to return summer after summer, forge friendships, and grow throughout their years.

At Maine Camp Experience, we help families explore the many different types of Maine summer camps. Several camps may sound similar if you just compare activities lists, so it’s imporant to figure out: What is this camp really like? And will my child feel at home there? Here are some of the most important factors to consider when choosing an overnight summer camp.

1. What’s the Camp “Vibe”

You can learn a lot about a camp from its website, photos and videos. But some of the most important things are harder to put into words. That’s the vibe. Does the camp feel energetic and competitive? Relaxed and laid-back? Traditional and nostalgic? Creative and arts-focused? Outdoorsy and adventurous? Structured and organized? Free-spirited and independent? Two camps may offer the same activities but feel completely different. Pay attention to how campers interact with one another, how counselors talk to campers, how much enthusiasm you see, and what seems to matter most at the camp.

When you explore, ask yourself:

• Can I picture my child here?
• And even better, ask your child: Can you picture yourself here?

Sometimes a camp simply feels right. That feeling matters.

2. How Long Should the Camp Session Be?

Session length is an important consideration, and you should think about their first summer and subsquent years.

• Some camps offer shorter introductory sessions in the first year, and then it’s full summer (6-7 weeks).
• Some camps are always full summer.
• Some camps always offer a choice of half and full summer.
• Some camps offer just half summer or shorter sessions.

Some campers are ready to go for full summer from the beginning. They like that longer sessions mean more time to develop friendships, improve skills, and enjoy more trips, activities, and camp traditions, and that everyone comes and leaves on the same days.

For other campers, a shorter session in the first year is a way to dip a toe into the water, have a taste of overnight camp, and return the next year, maybe for longer. Or, their family may always only want half summer.

It’s important to think beyond the first summer. A session length that works for a younger camper may not be the same one your family wants as your child gets older.

Ask:

• Are session lengths set or flexible throughout the years?
• What percentage of campers stay for part or full summer?
• What does the progression look like from first-year camper to oldest camper?

3. What Camp Size Is Right for Your Child?

Camp size can have a significant impact on the experience. Some camps have a relatively small number of campers, creating an intimate community where everyone may know one another. Larger camps can offer a greater variety of activities, facilities, electives, teams, and social opportunities. Neither is automatically better.

Consider your child’s personality. A child who thrives in a close-knit environment may love a smaller camp. Another child may be excited by the energy and variety of a larger camp.

Ask about: the number of campers; number of cabins per age group; counselor-to-camper ratio; how the camp integrates new campers; how the camp organizes activities, dining tables, and cabin assignments; and how the camp creates community within a larger population.

4. How Rustic or Modern Should Camp Be?

Not all summer camps look or feel the same. Some camps are intentionally rustic, with a traditional camp setting and a strong connection to nature. Others have more modern facilities, specialized athletic spaces, arts facilities, waterfront amenities, or other updated infrastructure. Think about what your child will enjoy and what type of experiences and setting you’d like for your child.

Does “sleeping in a cabin, swimming in the lake and living outdoors” sound like an adventure? Or will your child feel more comfortable with modern facilities and amenities?

There is no right answer. Rustic is a feature, not a flaw, if it matches your child.

5. What Kind of Programming Do You Want for Your Child?

Most overnight camps offer a combination of sports, arts, waterfront activities, nature and outdoor adventures. But the way campers experience those activities can be very different.

• Some camps have a structured daily schedule where campers participate in specific activities, cycling through and experiencing everything camp has to offer.
• Other camps have an elective model, giving campers more freedom to choose activities based on their interests.
• And many camps combine the two.

Consider what you would like for your child:

• Having a structured schedule where they learn, try, and are exposed to many different activites in sports, arts, and nature
• Choosing their own activities where they can pick their own schedules to try what sounds good and potentially focus deeply on a favorite activity
• A combination of required activities and electives (some camps become more elective as campers get older)

The goal is to find the programming philosophy that matches your child.

6. What Activities Matter Most?

Almost every traditional overnight camp offers some combination of sports, arts and nature. But camps can have different areas of emphasis.

One camp may have an especially strong waterfront program. Another may have extensive athletic facilities, instruction, and programming with intracamp and intercamp games and tournaments. Another may place a greater emphasis on performing arts, visual arts, outdoor adventure, or creative activities.

Look beyond the activity list.

• Instead of simply asking, “Does the camp offer waterskiing?” ask: How important is waterskiing to the camp?
• Instead of asking, “Does the camp have theater?” ask: How much opportunity will my child actually have to participate in theater?

The depth and philosophy of a program can matter as much as the number of activities offered.

7. What Camp Community Is Right for Your Family?

Families have different preferences when it comes to camp community. Some camps are just for boys or girls. Others are coed. Some have sister or brother/sister camp relationships. Even “independent” single gender camps often have brother/sister days and socials.

Think about what environment will make your child most comfortable and where they are most likely to develop friendships and confidence. There is no universally better model. There is only the model that works best for your family.

8. Is There a Camp Uniform?

This may seem like a small detail, but it can tell you something about a camp’s culture. Some camps have uniforms or specific camp clothing. Others have camp T-shirts and informal dress codes. Some are completely casual. A uniform can create a sense of shared identity and tradition. A less formal approach may appeal to families looking for a more relaxed atmosphere.

Ask what campers wear during a typical day, whether there are special camp clothing traditions and how much clothing is provided or required.

9. What Traditions Are Important?

Traditions are one of the things that make summer camp feel like summer camp. Camp traditions might include:

• All-camp competitions like Color War or Olympics
• Campfires
• Carnivals
• Banquets and special dinners
• Camp shows
• Lake Swims
• Cabin traditions
• T-shirt days
• Opening and closing ceremonies
• Special trips
• Annual events

Ask about the traditions that campers look forward to every summer. These are often the moments that become the stories campers tell years later.

10. What Kind of Trips Does the Camp Offer?

Trips can be an important part of the camp experience, particularly for older campers. Some camps offer day trips nearby. Others offer multi-day adventures involving hiking, camping, canoeing, rafting, sailing or other outdoor experiences.

Think about your child’s comfort level and sense of adventure.

Does your child want to spend a night under the stars? Explore Maine’s mountains and waterways? Take a sailing trip? Go whitewater rafting? Or would they prefer shorter excursions? Ask what trips are offered at each age and how the opportunities grow as campers get older.

11. Where Is the Camp Located?

Location matters. Don’t choose a camp simply because it is closest to home. Think about whether the camp’s setting supports the experience you want for your child. Maine offers a beautiful natural setting for overnight camp, with lakes, forests, mountains and access to some of New England’s most memorable outdoor destinations. And one of the benefits of Maine summer camp is the opportunity to step away from everyday life and experience a true camp community in a beautiful natural environment.

12. Don’t Choose a Camp Just Because You Went There

Parents naturally feel nostalgic about their own camp experience. You may have loved your camp. Your best friend may have gone there. Your neighbor’s children may go there. Your child’s friends may already be enrolled.

Those can all be useful pieces of information, but they should not be the only reason you choose a camp. Your child is not you.

Attending the same camp generation after generation can be a beautiful thing. Parents, children, and sometimes grandparents may share the same traditions, experiences, and memories. It is wonderful when your “special place” is their’s too. “Your cammp” is definitely worth exploring as an option.

On the other hand, the camp that was perfect for you may not be the camp that is perfect for your child. Similarly, your child’s best friend may thrive at a particular camp while your child would be happier somewhere else.

Use recommendations as a starting point, not the final decision.

13. Look at the Whole Picture

When comparing camps, it can be tempting to create a checklist: ✓ Waterfront ✓ Tennis ✓ Theater ✓ Trips ✓ Arts ✓ Mountain biking But choosing a summer camp is about more than checking boxes.

A camp could have every activity your child says they want and still not be the right fit. Consider the bigger picture:

• What does a typical day feel like?
• How much choice will my child have?
• What kind of relationships do campers develop?
• How independent will my child become?
• What traditions define the camp?
• What does the camp value?
• And most importantly, can I picture my child being happy there?

14. Talk to the Camp and Ask Questions

Once you have narrowed down your choices, talk directly with the camp. Ask specific questions about your child rather than only asking general questions. For example:

• “Where would a child who loves art but isn’t confident about sports fit into your program?”
• “My child is social but a little nervous about sleeping away from home. How do you support first-year campers?”
• “My child loves trying everything. How much choice will they have?”
• “Their favorite activity is sailing. How much time could they realistically spend sailing?”

The answers can tell you a lot about the camp’s philosophy and whether the camp understands your child. They may also provide reference families.

15. Trust Your Child’s Reaction

Parents do much of the research, but your child should have a voice in the decision. Show them photos. Watch videos together. Visit camps when possible. Talk about what they see. And listen carefully. Sometimes a child will immediately light up when they see a particular camp. Sometimes they will say, “That doesn’t feel like me.” Pay attention.

16. Budget

Consider your budget. Look at the camp tuition and see what it includes/what is extra like trips, transportation to/from camp, and camp gear.

So, How Do You Choose the Right Summer Camp?

Start with your child, not the camp.

Think about their personality, interests, independence, comfort level and what they want from summer. Then consider the camp’s vibe, session length, size, rusticity, programming philosophy, activities, gender, traditions, trips, and overall community.

Don’t worry about finding the camp that is considered the “best.” Find the camp where your child can be their best self.

At Maine Camp Experience, we believe there is a Maine summer camp for every child. Our goal is to help families understand the differences among camps so they can make an informed decision and find the right fit.

The right camp isn’t necessarily the one with the longest list of activities or the biggest name. It’s the one that feels like the right place for your child to spend their summer.

Ready to Explore Maine Summer Camps?

Maine Camp Experience is a resource for families exploring overnight summer camps in Maine. Learn about different camp options, camp philosophies, programs and experiences, and start narrowing down which type of Maine camp may be the right fit for your family.

Because choosing camp isn’t about finding a camp. It’s about finding your child’s camp.

Maine Camp Experience Resources & Tools

Looking for the perfect Maine camp for your child? Try out our helpful Select-A-Camp 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 contact our Maine Camp Guide, Laurie to discuss these camps as well as for free, year-round advice and assistance on choosing a great Maine summer camp for your child.