Time to Sign up for Summer Camps

Today is the start of a lot of summer day camp signups. This is the second year I’m navigating summer day camps for my kiddo. As a full-time working parent, there’s a lot of time to fill, and I want it to be more than just child care. Luckily there are a lot of great programs in the Charlotte area, from traditional day camps to theater and cooking classes. But piecing it all together is where it gets tricky, and I don’t think I’m alone in that feeling.

You figure you have 10 weeks out of school – last day this year is June 11 and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools start back Aug. 24. To cobble together a variety of camps or choose one or two for consecutive weeks? I like my child having the opportunity to try different things, so having options is good, but consistency and seeing the same group of familiar faces for a few weeks is also a good thing. Then there are considerations for proximity to your house and work, budgeting for camp, and whether it’s a full- or half-day camp.

I started asking mommas in my neighborhood a month ago if they had plans for camp. I was curious if they had any they loved and make sure to go to each year … and can we carpool? If you’re searching for your child, check out our latest Online Camp Fair with more than 400 day camp listings and over 100 overnight camps. You can search by location and type of program to narrow down the choices that fit your child’s interests and your schedule.

In the meanwhile, talk to your mom friends. Find out where they go, what they like because we all know parent-to-parent info can be the way to get the honest details on a place. And if you can, take time to go visit the place before you sign up. Get a feel for the environment and management. Then ask questions to be sure it is the program you think it is!