Special needs camps meet the needs of a wide range of children with disabilities; these camps provide an outdoor summer camp experience along with a therapeutic environment. Each summer, more than 10 million children and counselors attend day camps and overnight summer camps across the country. The variety of camps available today is almost innumerable, meaning there will be some specialized camps that may have availability left even into the summer.

Selecting the right camp that fits into your child or teen's interests, special interests, needs, special needs and abilities will be one of the first steps There are overnight summer camps that are co-ed camps, boys camps, girls camps or brother-sister camps where boys and girls may have separate venues and activities. The more artistically minded might consider arts and crafts, clowning, drama, photography, or dance to be important elements of having a well-rounded camp experience.

Camps are divided by gender - girls only, boys only, or co-ed and again by age group. An overnight summer camp is a supervised program for children and teens conducted during the summer months in most countries; children and teens, called campers, who attend camp, participate in a variety of activities, many of which are special interest. Some camps have a targeted focus like religious study, academics, and competitive sports.

Although camp counselor jobs don't usually pay very well, usually minimum wage or less, counselors receive free room and board; many take the job primarily for the camping experience. The reputation of an overnight summer camp can also be determined by asking what percentage of counselors returned from the previous year. Get to know the camp director from an in-person visit to your home if possible, phone conversations, email or other correspondence.

Camp tuition can be expensive; similar to travel insurance, there are now insurance policies for families sending their children to overnight summer camp to cover last minute cancellations, homesickness, medical emergencies and emergency evacuations. Try to determine whether the director incorporates a similar philosophy to running the camp as you do in parenting your child or children. Consider these industry-recommended guidelines - for smaller children ages 7 and 8, there should be one counselor for every six campers; by age 15, there should be one counselor for every 10 campers.

At camp would it benefit your child more if he or she interacted more with the opposite gender? Visit the camp; you can view campers and counselors in their element, witness activities as they occur, and just obtain an overall feel of the camp, something that cannot be accurately experienced when the camp is closed. Do you think, if you have more than one child, they would they benefit from attending the same summer camp together?

Some camps are often called adventure camps - having a very specific theme or interest; many of these programs emphasize skill development and personal growth through the adventures the offer. The best overnight summer sports camps do much more than just improve a camper's soccer, tennis, lacrosse, or wrestling skills - they help each child become a more skillful athlete, a more gracious competitor, a more committed team player, and a more confident person. Is there a special topic (e.g. religion, sports, educational, performing arts, arts and crafts) that you hope your child will gain ability and experience in?

Typically an overnight summer camp experience will leave a lot of wonderful memories for the child or teen camper. Homesickness is a frequent problem, but with a caring camp counselor most campers adjust easily. Care packages sent with children or teens, by their families, can help any homesickness subside. If you spend the time needed to research your options and include your child in all the decisions, he or she will most likely have a memorable experience that provides opportunities to grow while having a lot of fun and making new friends.