How to Choose a Summer Camp
Choosing a summer camp for your child or teen.
Choosing a summer camp can be so hard. There are so many choices that it can be overwhelming. The choices abound— Art Camp, Science Camp, Horse Camp, and Faith Based camp, STEM camps. So how do you choose? First, ask yourself what does your child really need — consider these questions:
Is your child or teen struggling in a particular way?
Do they have a specific skill set they want to develop?
Do they need support in academic areas?
Do they need a fun break?
Do you want them to build their faith?
Do they need to develop a hobby other than scrolling?
Do you want an Overnight Camp or Day Camp?
10 Tips for Choosing a Summer Camp for your Child
Identify a camp that matches needs and wants and look at your budget. Camp is an investment for your child. When there is a long term benefit, you are investing in your child’s future as well as giving them a fun time.
Once you have figured out what you would like your child to focus on for the summer then you can begin to narrow things down. For children with anxiety, overnight camp can be too overwhelming especially for a first time camper so a day camp could be a great start in developing their confidence.
Asking friends and family if they have any recommendation is a great start. Or if you had a camp you loved you went to then start there. If your child has special needs ask teachers or staff at the school they attend for suggestions.
Search in your area if you would like a Day Camp. You can search farther away for an Overnight Camp but consider transportation costs and time commitment for traveling to and from.
Make sure to find out how the camp is organized and run. Is the camp staffed primarily by volunteers or paid staff? It is vital to check how the camp screens for child abusers and what kind of training and supervision exists for staff.
Finding out the safety and emergency policies for all camps is important but especially for overnight camps where you are far away. Look to see if there are reviews or any issues the camp has had in the past.
If your child has special needs or a 504 at school look to see if they will have accomodations or extra help available for your child.
If you are looking for a camp that specializes in helping your child catch up after lockdowns, consider a social skills camp or academic enrichment. One struggle that has become too common for children and teens is anxiety and depression while some have gotten behind in academics.
Check out whether the Camp is faith based or more secular in orientation. Will this camp support you in developing the same values in your child?
Find out how many children is the maximum accepted at the camp and do they break campers down into smaller groups. Thinking about how your child or teen does in smaller or larger groups is important.
Recent studies show that since Covid, depression and anxiety has doubled for children and teens- especially for girls. If your child struggles with anxiety or friendships, or they miss important social cues. Our HorsePower Summer Camp is a Social Skills Camp that is not a typical summer camp. We focus on developing and practicing social or emotional skills with horses for life-changing moments all while having fun. The skills we focus on are Empathy, Boundaries, Managing Emotions, Respect, Relationship Skills and how to make good choices.
Here are the ways HorsePower Summer Camp is different than most Summer Camps.
HorsePower Summer Camp is a small group experience focused on developing emotional and social skills such as Empathy, Boundaries, Mindfulness, Respect, Relationship skills and how to make good choices.
These skills are vital to combatting the social and emotional stress our children and teens are facing. Depression and Anxiety have doubled in our children since the pandemic.
We partner children with horses to practice these skills. Horse are animals of prey and need safety and clear communication within a relationship. So they are perfect to practice valuable life and relationship skills.
All our camp counselors have Counseling Licenses and/or Equine Therapy Certification. They are DCFS screened and ready to handle difficult situations that could occur. Typical summer camps have large numbers of children and teens that volunteer as counselors. We hire only Master’s level counselors.
We have only 8 spots available so that children and teens get both group and individualized attention.They will not get lost in the group. We are skilled in handling accomodations.
This is not a one size fits all approach. We zero in on the areas your child is struggling while also emphasizing their strengths.
We teach emotional IQ skills that research shows leads to future success academically and socially.
Children and teens actually practice using the skills with horses. This helps them see immediately what works and what doesn’t in a fun environment.
We integrate mindfulness and the latest brain science so children can understand how their brain can work for them and learn how to manage emotions.
We don’t just focus on horse care or “how to’s” , we help your child learn valuable problem solving and relationship skills that directly translate to your child’s life.
Since we are working with horses, all this learning is FUN and MEMORABLE! It is not just taught but also practiced which helps children remember.
We are believe every child can improve their emotional IQ regardless of background or IQ.
We are conveniently located outside Chicago on a beautiful 20 acre Ranch right off the I-90. Our property has trails and an outdoor pavilion if you would like to wait on the property.
We work entirely on the ground, no horse experience is needed.
Our spots fill up quickly so fill out a contact form to be notified of FUTURE Summer Camp dates. We have camps for teens and children ages 7 to 18 yrs old in Hampshire, IL
Summer Camp Dates 2023
Ages 7-12 yrs old ~ June 12th to 16th 2023
Teen Camp ~ July 17th to 22nd, 2023
