Camp that is good for a 6 year old that needs calm and structure?

[Anonymous]

I sent my son to the aftercare camp at his school but it was very chaotic and unstructured. My sensitive little guy was very overwhelmed. Anyone had good experience with a camp that is calmer and very structured?

[Anonymous]

What are his interests and where are you located?

[Anonymous]

How about the camp at Sheridan? It is small and this might help your child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How about the camp at Sheridan? It is small and this might help your child.

This was not a good camp for my dd. Too many people on the playground at once and new people (both kids and counselors) every week or two. This was for CLK for little kids; I don't know about the main camp.

[Anonymous]

Probably none of the general camps people send their kids to.

Summer camps in the area are largely run by semi- or inexperienced young college kids who really are there cause they like kids ok and really need a summer job. That means they are nice to the kids but don't have any real developed skills in behavior management.

Even camps with adults as main counselors are not much better cause at the age of 6 the ratios are fairly high - 20 to 1 - and the camp is trying to make money so they need to pay the min in staffing and take in the max number of kids.

[Anonymous]

At that age, my son did best with camps where one group of kids stayed together for several weeks, and where the adults were a little older. Camps where kids changed from counselor to counselor for different periods (e.g. Barrie) didn't work well.

However, even though he didn't like a variety of settings or a variety of adults, he also didn't want just one activity all day.

Valley Mill worked relatively well for us, the kids move from activity to activity but their counselors move with them and are right there coaching and doing things. The outdoor setting made it feel quieter, and the kids are with the same group for six weeks.

When he gets a little older, we also love TIC, but they have to have finished first grade and be pretty literate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At that age, my son did best with camps where one group of kids stayed together for several weeks, and where the adults were a little older. Camps where kids changed from counselor to counselor for different periods (e.g. Barrie) didn't work well.

However, even though he didn't like a variety of settings or a variety of adults, he also didn't want just one activity all day.

Valley Mill worked relatively well for us, the kids move from activity to activity but their counselors move with them and are right there coaching and doing things. The outdoor setting made it feel quieter, and the kids are with the same group for six weeks.

When he gets a little older, we also love TIC, but they have to have finished first grade and be pretty literate.

So glad to read this! My child does best in the same type of environment you describe for your son, and we just signed up for valley mill. I'm glad to hear others have had success with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about the camp at Sheridan? It is small and this might help your child.

This was not a good camp for my dd. Too many people on the playground at once and new people (both kids and counselors) every week or two. This was for CLK for little kids; I don't know about the main camp.

I have to agree -- and I'm a Sheridan School parent who at first sent her sensitive, introvert son to CLK.

CASA is a great, creative opportunity for many or even most kids, and it's well run. But I would avoid it if you are seeking small, calm groups for a 3.56 yr old who is easily overwhelmed. The din is pretty high and there's a ton of motion during transition times and meals.

[Anonymous]

that's "3 - 6 yr old" ^^.

[Anonymous]

Camp at the Lab School

[Anonymous]

OT camp through Leaps and Bounds in Tenleytown.

[Anonymous]

Camp Aristotle at The Auburn School has low ratios and it's run by Auburn School staff (not high school or college kid).

[Anonymous]

I actually heard that lab school camp is unstructured and run by college students; not like the actual school. Is that true?

[Anonymous]

No personal experience, but I've heard great things about Auburn School's summer camp.

[Anonymous]

We went to Lab School OT camp one year. It was run by adult OT's, with help from a few really fabulous teens. However, as I recall, all Lab's camps have a specific therapeutic focus, such as OT, academic catch-up, etc. They do have fun components, but aren't all-around fun-only day camps. So if you need a therapeutic camp, Lab is a good one to consider, but if you just want fun, check the catalog first.

We have also gone to Auburn for a couple of years, which does run a more traditional all-around camp. As PP said, it is run by trained adults, in small groups, and is very calm and quiet. We are very happy with it!