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. Each summer, more than 10 million children and counselors attend day camps and overnight summer camps across the country. 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.

There are popular overnight summer camps in every state in the U.S. and every province in Canada; there are camps in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and just about every country in the world. 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. Basically, if you can think of any subject of interest, there's probably a camp that specializes in it.

Camps are divided by gender - girls only, boys only, or co-ed and again by age group. The camp you choose for your child will provide a lifetime of good memories and will be truly rewarding. There are overnight summer camps with a focus on self-improvement, weight loss and grief counseling.

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. Four weeks at a good private overnight summer camp or sleepaway camp will cost anywhere from $3500 to $6500, and eight weeks will range from $4000 to $7000. Camps should have at least a 40% to 60% return staff ratio, which shows that the camp is seen as a good place to spend a summer.

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. Weight loss camps are for children and teens in order to help them learn about how to lose weight and how to keep it off while having a great overnight summer camp experience. 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?

Get to know the camp director from an in-person visit to your home if possible, phone conversations, email or other correspondence. Check the camper-counselor ratio to determine the number of campers for each counselor. Children or teens could typically explore subjects new to them like marine science, photography, creative writing, community service, drama, magic, scuba diving, video production, comic book design, crime scene forensics, cooking, yoga, rappelling, etc.

Most camp counselors are in their late teens or early twenties and are high school and college students on their summer break. Non-profit camps often range from $1200 to $3000 for four weeks and $2500 to $5000 for eight weeks. At camp would it benefit your child more if he or she interacted more with the opposite gender?

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. Overnight summer camp is often the first time that most children spend a long period of time away from home.