What’s The Right Overnight Camp Session For Your Child?

Campus Kids

You’ve made the exciting decision to send your child to overnight camp. Among the many considerations parents have is what session length to choose. There isn’t one session length that’s better than another. You just need to think about what’s best for your child and your family’s needs.

1-2 Weeks: One or two weeks at camp will give your child the opportunity to experience independence, try new activities, and meet new people. Keep in mind that it can take campers a week or more to adjust to camp and some time to develop friendships, so by the time these things happen, it’s time to go home.

Short Session Camps (3-5 Weeks): A pure short session camp offers camp for a few weeks. Campers in the session arrive together and leave together, making it easy to form friendships. Short session camps offer a “complete” summer with a true beginning, middle, and end. Short session camps are a great option if you plan on continuing to send your child to camp for short sessions in future summers. Short session camps are great for families who would like to send their child to overnight camp but still have time in the summer for a family vacation, time at home, or other summer programs.

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Keep in mind that if you are choosing a short session camp because you are worried about sending your child to camp for a long time, you may be limiting your child in the future if the camp only offers a few weeks. Don’t test out summer camp with your child at a short session camp that doesn’t offer the option to stay for a longer period of time if your ultimate goal is to find a longer camp experience. You don’t want your child to become a part of a pure short session camp community and then have to have them change communities to add additional weeks of camp to their summer.

6 Weeks: Some camps offer the opportunity to go for six weeks which gives campers time to become part of the camp community and take part in various activities offered at camp. If the camp is not a session camp, there may be campers that go to camp for two or four weeks at the camp, which means some of your child’s friends may have left at those points while your child is staying on.

7 Weeks (Full Session): Seven weeks is considered a “full session” camp. It gives campers more time to adjust to camp, become immersed in the camp community, and connect with the camp’s traditions. It also gives children plenty of time to form deep friendships and to develop skills learned at camp. While seven weeks sounds long to many families, you have to think of future summers for your campers. As he or she gets older, he may want more time at camp. Many resident camps offer two week or four week introductory sessions for first time campers and for the youngest age groups which is a good way to get accustomed to camp life.

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Village Kids Day Camp

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px; caret-color: #222222; color: #222222; font-family: LucidaGrande;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: 'Lucida Grande';">Great mix of outdoor fun and indoor activities led by experienced, creative team. Multiple sports and enrichment options including art, chess, parkour, dance, cooking, robotics, tennis, field trips, water parks, thematic parties, and more! Open during school breaks and select holidays. The 2024 Summer program will run from July 8 to Aug 16 and is open from 9am to 5pm. Families love our flexible enrollment. No minimum required. Select 1-6 Weeks or DropIn Summer Days. Early Bird and bundle discounts available. Located in Manhattan’s historic West Village (PS 3 building). Open to ages 4-12.</span></p> <p> </p>

Mosholu Day Camp

<p dir="ltr">For over 80 years, Mosholu Day Camp has been providing affordable, quality camping to children from all over the Bronx, Manhattan, Rockland & Westchester. Our picturesque facility sits on beautiful Lake Cohasset in Harriman State Park. It offers children a place to develop, experience, and enjoy the nature around them, while taking part in unforgettable outdoor summer activities. </p> <p dir="ltr">Mosholu offers campers more, while you pay less. As a camp that focuses on traditional activities our goal is to give children unforgettable experiences and lifelong friendships. The camp has expert staff and top-notch facilities. Mosholu is a safe and nurturing environment filled with exciting activities and adventures for all ages. Director, Mike Halpern brings over 40 years of camping, teaching and childcare experiences and along with an amazing leadership team, built a program that allows campers to learn and thrive.</p> <p dir="ltr">The camp provides a nurturing environment where campers have an opportunity to enjoy activities (like music, arts, sports, and special programs), while a special focus is placed on swimming, where campers begin to develop and improve water familiarity and swimming skills take part in row boats, kayaks and an amazing waterpark. The camp has an amazing challenge and ropes course area with a number of challenges including a rock wall, zip line, tree climbing and rope swing. Campers gain independence while supervised by counselors who understand the needs of emerging tween campers.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mosholu is a “funtastic” place where campers make new friends, are creative, focus on sports and arts, and have a positive experience. Counselors are college-aged and older, and are directly supervised by adult professional child care workers who are in tune to the campers' needs. There are tons of inter-camp games and parties, as well as cookouts and a water balloon sling shot area where campers stay cool and laugh. </p> <p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;">Mosholu Day Camp offers bus service (included in the price) from all over Westchester, Upper Manhattan, The Bronx and Rockland. It is an amazing camp experience at an amazing price!  It is a place where memories are made that last a lifetime!<span id="docs-internal-guid-be08b0e8-7fff-e32f-eaed-a8310d12ec1f"></span></p>

ESF Summer Camp

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px; caret-color: #222222; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This camp season promises many exciting opportunities for children to learn new skills, form and nurture friendships and create lifelong memories.<u></u><u></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px; caret-color: #222222; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u></u> <u></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px; caret-color: #222222; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our goal for our 41<sup>st</sup> camp season, through best-in-class curriculum, is for boys and girls, ages 3-15, to grow up ESF - whether it’s sports, science, technology, the arts, or all of the above. Our experienced, all-adult staff knows that the most important role we play in our campers’ lives is to provide a safe place where they can develop the tools to become independent, confident, lifelong learners. Our 2022 program line-up includes 60+ award-winning activities, uniquely designed to encourage exploration and personal growth. <u></u><u></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px; caret-color: #222222; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0070c0;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px; caret-color: #222222; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Friends Happen at ESF! We guarantee that your camper will enjoy a summer with no-limits, where they can be themselves and try new things while their friends cheer them on. The memories they will make and the feeling of having a summer home to call their own is all part of the ESF experience. Enroll now, spots are limited.<u></u><u></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px; caret-color: #222222; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u></u> <u></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px; caret-color: #222222; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Locations: Riverdale Country School in Bronx, NY and Greenwich Catholic School in Greenwich, CT</p>