Summer Camp Registration

Summer camp registration starts as early as this week. It is difficult to plan for an entire summer at the beginning of March. There is so much to think about - grandparents, vacations, swim teams, church camps, friends, etc. Every year we go through the same planning routine. My husband has two teenage children from a previous marriage so we have to work her schedule into our overall schedule. We have two preschoolers, one of which can start attending regular day camp while the other is only eligible for half day camps. The two preschoolers will be on the swim team this year which will go from the beginning of June through the end of July. Between both families and all the activities, it is amazing that we generally end up with a schedule that works for everyone.

For this year, we started by asking the grandparents which weeks they want to have the kids. We figure the grandparents should get first choice as time with the older generations is so important in our children's lives. Then we look at the schedules for church camps and other specialty camps that the kids have attended in the past. This year a sports camp was added for one week so we had to take that into consideration. After those 4-5 weeks are scheduled, we look at what day camps are available based on the children's ages, location of camps and hours they are available. Both my husband and I, as well as the older's kid's mother all work full-time so we need camp for most days through the summer. This year, the YMCA is the best choice for day camp as they offer a program for teenagers and the cost is reasonable considering the other options.

We haven't made any decisions for the younger kids yet. They both attend a very good Montessori preschool that is open through the summer. As of now, it looks like they will both attend their camp just to keep things easy. More on this as we get closer to the summer.