Summer camps happen to be a favorite memory of many people from their childhood. Further, it has an essential role in the growth and development of children. Through camping, a child can gain self-confidence, build social skills, explore independence and become adventurous. But most importantly, camps are social places where kids can be themselves and have fun.

However, going to summer camp, especially if it’s a first-time experience for the kid can evoke anxiety. Therefore, as a parent or guardian, you need to prepare your kids before taking them camping. That said, let’s look at how to prepare your child for summer camp:

Note Their Concerns 

This being a new experience to some of them, they may have all sorts of concerns. On your part, acknowledge their concern and help them feel less anxious. Oftentimes, the feeling they might be having includes nervousness and anxiety. 

You can also remind them of the moment in life they handled such feelings well. For example, mention their pre-school experience, their first experience joining a team, and others. It helps to be creative and make them feel better and gain confidence. 

Share Your Summer Camp Experience 

Sharing your summer camp experience with your child is one way to suppress their worries and evoke excitement. Let them know what your experience was like and how it impacted you. Share every exciting moment from day one to the last day. 

Let them know about the skills you acquired, the adventures you took, and so on. Also, enlighten them on how you made friends, and don’t leave out silly moments. A bit of laughter can give the psyche to go for summer camping. 

Mingle with former campers

While sharing your childhood experience can be compelling, they also need Intel from an external source. And this time it’s not an adult, instead, you should allow them to interact with their peers. Get in touch with parents whose kids have gone camping before and organize a playdate.  By hearing summer camp stories from other kids, your kid will also want to have an experience. 

Open House Orientation

There are summer camps that offer this activity to their campers. It’s meant to help them adapt to the new change and feel less anxious. Therefore, check out if the camp you’re taking your kid to offers this service. If they do, attend it with your child and help them grasp the lessons. Also, it’s an opportunity for your kid to start developing social skills since there will be other kids attending. They’ll also have a visual idea of what they’ll be expecting during the actual camping. 

Engage them in the prep

Summer camp being their moment to experience a drastic change, you should engage them in all preparation activities. If it’s shopping, go with them. If it’s packing, let them help. 

Camp schedule review

Spare a moment and review the camp plan with your kid. It will help them prepare for this experience. Review what they will be doing, how long they’ll be out, and most importantly, the fun things they’ll do. Also, let them know about the free time they’ll have for personal staff. 

Final Take 

With these tips, your kid will feel at ease departing home for summer camp. Instead of being anxious, they’ll be excited to try it out. Lastly, are you skeptical about your first choice for summer camp? Well, you should try Camp Live Oak and your mind will be at ease. It’s the best summer camp for kids in Florida. For more details on their summer camp package, reach out.