The Salvation Army Shares Summer Camp Tips

Last year, more than 180,000 people attended Salvation Army summer and day camps; many were rural, underprivileged children experiencing crickets, campfires, and an escape from city streets for the first time. Most attended camp with the help of a Salvation Army camp scholarship.

“The Salvation Army has been providing summer camps for more than 100 years and really values what this experience can bring to children,” said Captain Richard Lopez, one of the many camp directors for The Salvation Army. “Summer camp opens a whole new world, but parents need to recognize that along with the excitement, children may also be anxious about departing from the familiarity of their daily lives,” he said.

In Connecticut, the Salvation Army runs Camp CONNRI on Route 74 in Ashford, where almost 1,000 children will attend weeklong residential camping sessions on the 272-acre property, starting on June 30. Scholarships are available from almost every Connecticut community to send boys and girls, ages 7 to 11, for a week of camping at CONNRI.

Camp directors prepared ten tips for parents sending their child to camp for the first time, and at the top of the list is to make sure the child has had a positive experience spending the night away from home, perhaps at a family member or friend’s house, or have a backyard sleep out. If possible, they also recommend parents discuss their own childhood camping memories with their children.

Other tips include making a list of items needed for camp, marking the calendar for the first day of camp, and being mindful not to schedule fun family activities when the child is away at camp.

Parents should also make certain the child is able to manage basic personal hygiene skills. If bed-wetting is an issue, the camp staff needs to be made aware so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

Tuck a couple of letters into the child’s luggage a day or two prior to leaving for camp. Also write a letter and send it through the mail. Be sure to pack paper, postcards, and stamps so the child can write home as well.

Finally, upon arrival at camp, make a point of meeting and connecting with the camp staff so children can see that their parents are interested in and trust the people that will be caring for them.

For more information about The Salvation Army’s and the camping program for both youth and adults visit www.salvationarmy-ct-ri.org or call 860-543-8400.