How to find a summer camp guide
Summer camp guides from traditional media
Finding a local summer camp guide isn’t hard! Almost every newspaper and local magazine will have a feature section on summer camps and activities in the spring months. Some of these guides focus on day camps, while others focus on other local activities for families. There may also be competition in the residential camp market depending on where you live. Overnight camps, with a higher price point, can get advertised heavily. These summer camp guides are almost always also featured on the publisher’s website as well. Keep an eye out when you receive your local newspaper and magazines in the mail – don’t just toss them in the garbage!
Online summer camp searches
Searching online is likely to produce a mountain of results. Sifting through the listings can be daunting. First, remember that the top-listed camps are not necessarily the top-rated. Getting to the top of the search results is usually the result of investing marketing dollars or paying for advertising space. Many of the top-listed sites are likely to be directories which, again, are almost always pay-for-play. Just because a camp is listed on a nice-sounding website like “Florida’s #1 Kids Fun Directory!” doesn’t mean anything other than that the camp paid to be there. Take the time to go through four or five pages of search results, go directly to each camp’s website instead of through a third party, and read through each camp’s information to form your own opinion on the quality of the camp.
Think outside the box to find a summer camp guide
In this day and age of online and social media, most people still trust their friends and family the most to help with making important referrals. Find out where your child’s friends go to camp, or ask their teachers or your neighbors. Consider asking someone involved in youth work at your place of worship. Ask for recommendations on a site like nextdoor.com or on Facebook. There are active social media pages in many communities that have been set up for parents to share recommendations and connect with one another. Whatever your choice for summer camp this year, make sure you invest the time to ensure your kids have a great experience!
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