KAH camp good for rising kindergartner?

[Anonymous]

My 4 year old will be turning 5 in early August and we have the option of keeping him at his pre-school over the summer or sending him to KAH camp at Flora Singer where he will be starting as a kindergartner in the fall. We've been really happy with his pre-school and the have some camp-like activities during the summer, but we have also heard great things about KAH. I am wondering which option would be best for him. Does anyone have any experience with sending a rising kindergartner to KAH? It sounds great, but is it more targeted towards activities for older kids? Was it significantly helpful in your rising kindergartner adjust to their new school? Thank you so much!

[Anonymous]

Yes, KAH is generally well regarded.

[Anonymous]

If I could keep my rising K kid at the familiar preschool, I would. Camp located at an elementary school will be nothing like school.

[Anonymous]

I would keep at preschool. If it’s not broken...

[Anonymous]

KAH is great in general and specifically Flora Singer (Danny the director is awesome). It is especially geared towards grades K-3, DC was starting to get bored with the regular day camp by grades 4-5 (and switched to Adventure camp and traveling teens by grade 5). There will definitely be other kids from Flora Singer at camp, so it’s an opportunity to meet classmates before school starts. But you won’t go wrong staying in preschool, which is what we did in your situation and it was fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I could keep my rising K kid at the familiar preschool, I would. Camp located at an elementary school will be nothing like school.

This. I moved DS from his preschool to a camp at his elementary school the summer before K and it did not go well. He was a bit overwhelmed and counselors were not as good as regular teachers with the younger kids. We should have kept him at his preschool. i would wait until after K to start summer camp.

[Anonymous]

We’ve never done KAH, but in upper ES, my kid went to a camp that shared a facility with one. She thought it looked like tons of fun (“they had popsicles, mom! And water balloon fights!”). It seemed fairly well organized and supervised, but there were a LOT of kids, and it was frequently loud and chaotic. If your kid is used to a smaller, calmer environment, I’d stick with that for now.

At age 5, my only child would have been totally overwhelmed and overstimulated by all the action, especially having never been in a school with so many bigger, louder kids around. She’d have hated it, at least for the first week or two until she got used to it and found her niche.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:KAH is great in general and specifically Flora Singer (Danny the director is awesome). It is especially geared towards grades K-3, DC was starting to get bored with the regular day camp by grades 4-5 (and switched to Adventure camp and traveling teens by grade 5). There will definitely be other kids from Flora Singer at camp, so it’s an opportunity to meet classmates before school starts. But you won’t go wrong staying in preschool, which is what we did in your situation and it was fine.

Agree about KAH/Danny at Flora Singer - wonderfully run. But be aware that KAH is - a lot. Lots of stimulation (to their credit) and sun. My rising 1st grader was spent after a long day. In fairness, it was from 8-5:30, so if you can pick up/drop off early it might not be so intense.

If I were in your shoes, I'd stick with preschool camp. I don't really believe there is a huge socialization benefit from KAH pre-K. There will be playdates this summer for meeting other kids.

That said, highly recommend FS KAH before/after care and camps in the future.

[Anonymous]

My son did KAH at Flora Singer the year after kindergarten and it was too much for him. He generally did ok, but didn't love it because there was just a lot going on and I think it was exhausting. In hindsight, if we had shortened his day at the camp I think he would have been happier. But the staff is very good and seems to be well run overall.

[Anonymous]

I'm a huge fan of KAH and think Danny is terrific (although they sometimes move the directors around for camp--how we ended up getting to know him one summer). My kids go to KAH and my middle son did KAH as a rising K, as will my youngest this summer.

But. For a child who will not yet be five for most of the summer, and who won't have an older sibling there, I think KAH summer camp would be a bit much. It's controlled chaos and I think they do a fantastic job of controlling it, but it's unlikely to confer an advantage with the transition to K. We kept our oldest in her daycare/preschool until K started and don't regret it. I'd keep your son where he is, make sure to have some playdates with other rising K kids from Singer, and go from there. KAH camp will be there next summer