I personally didn't send my kids to summer camp with swimming until they were good swimmers. The only camp my dd attended with swimming did offered swimming lessons instead of just open swim. And I visited the camp while they were at the pool to make sure the supervision was adequate. My dd could actually swim at the time, but I wasn't extremely confident in her ability yet. As someone else posted, kids do drown at summer camp.

I think you have enough time before summer camp for your child to get up to "beginning swimmer" level.

My 5-year-old is a beginning swimmer. She can be trusted in a pool without floaties, but I wouldn't want her swimming alone with no supervision. We sent her to several camps this summer that had pools, and she did just fine. You indicate on the registration form what your child's level is, and they allocate more supervision to the beginning kids.

The camp we went to had two systems for kids. It's in NOVA, so not in your area, but maybe a useful guide as you're looking for options. Rising K and younger kids all used the kiddie pool, even if they could swim. Counselors in the water with them in addition to the lifeguards on the pool deck. Rising 1st graders and older were swim-tested, and limited to the parts of the regular pool that they could handle. Each child had a color-coded bracelet that they put on at swim time each day so counselors/lifeguards knew where they were supposed to be. Counselors also in the water with them in addition to lifeguards on the pool deck.

The camp wasn't about improving swim skills - the pool time was basically free swim. However, the camp also offered swim lessons as a separate additional afternoon activity for those who wanted to improve skills.

We didn't do the lessons at camp as we're members of a pool in the summer, and just being in that pool almost daily dramatically improved DC's skills this summer.

we went to two different camps with two different pools this summer and each of them had similar policy regarding non swimmers. this is for a five year old as well.

1. every kid must get tested. even if a parent says they can swim or the kid says he/she can swim they get tested anyway. the test was pretty hard. you have to be able to swim the length of the pool independently.

2. non-swimmers or kids that can't pass the test have to wear a special bracelet (i think at both camps it was red) at all times and either can't leave the area where the water is 3 feet high OR they have to wear a certified flotation device. at these camps they had to commit to one or the other for that particular day so no there was less chance of any confusion with kids going back and forth.

3. they have extra help during the swim times so each counselor watched three kids. that is actually much better than most swim camps which typically seem to have a ratio of 6:1. the counselors had to be in the water at all times and within arms reach of the kids if they were non-swimmers.

the lifeguards were there as well but the camp was pretty clear that the counselors had the primary responsibility for supervising the kids which comforted me.

This thread offers some great advice. I copied some of it below. I guess I was naive, but before I read this thread, I thought drowning at summer camp almost never happens.

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/46916.page


There were two very distinct types of camps. I would characterize them as lax and excellent, to be honest. The lax ones let the lifeguards watch, and spent their time chatting or yelling at the kids. The exellent ones all had the same T-shirt on, identifying them as past of the camp. They stationed themselves around the pool. They had a system to separate the non-swimmers from the big part of the pool (with the deep end) and one staff member was in the water herself, making sure young kids didn't get into the big section. They seemed competent and on the ball, and I would not have had a problem letting a 6 year old go swimming with them.

The "lax" ones, I would have had a problem with. I will say that I think te snager is greatest for the younger kids -- the 3 and 4 year olds -- with this group.

Before letting my children go swimming in a public pool with a camp, I would ask to see a copy of heir supervision policy for non-swimmers, and check out the pool to see what kind of trouble a non-swimmer could get into. For instance, if the entire pool is only 4 feet, a non-swimmer who is comfortable going under water isn't going to get into a lot of trouble, especially if the lifeguards and camp staff are provideing decent supervision as to no rough horseplay, no diving, etc.

Let the camp staff know you trust them but you want to know that they have good safety procedures in place, and find some likeminded parents who might have similar standards, take turns visiting the first few days they go to the pool if you can to verify that the procedures are being followed.

OP here. Thank you so much! All of this is very helpful. Any other comments would be great.

Anonymous wrote:I'm starting summer camp planning. My 5 y.o. can't swim (she is in lessons). When kids go to the pool during summer camp, is the supervision always adequate for a non-swimmer? Are there any summer camps that do a good job of improving swimming skills? We are in Rockville. Thanks!

Yes, but you need to look at camps where swimming is a daily activity. The 2 that come to mind in Rockville are JCC and the one at Georgetown Prep--someone on here knows the specific name. I know JCC has instructional swim and free swim daily. On top of that you can enroll in after camp swim lessons for an additional cost. I'm not sure about the number of times per week there is swimming at the Georgetown Prep camp but I believe it's pretty frequent if it's not daily.

Anonymous wrote:Each camp is different and it's a personal comfort issue. Personally I'm not ok with sending my non-swimmer 5yo to a camp with swimming. The older they get the more people assume they can swim. We are working in it but he's not there yet. So for us the answer is no.

I sent a 6 year old non-swimmer to a camp with swimming twice a week. Unfortunately they don't do swim instruction, but they do test the kids, and if a kid can't swim, regardless of age (like mine), they are limited to the baby pool. DS opted just not to go in the water at all and stayed out of the pool with the counselors. All camps should have some type of system in place to deal with kids who swim at different levels - once you find a camp you are interested in, call them and ask what they do. If you aren't satisfied with the response, don't send your child there.

Also, what we're planning to do is to take DS to one of the Kids First swim schools in the area this winter, to hopefully get him to learn the basics of swimming. We've had him in lessons several times before, but he was so reluctant to do anything that he didn't make much progress.

Make sure your child is required to wear a swim vest - even if their swimming improves by next year. Also - do they have their own swim area or do they go to the public pool. If they are at a public pool - it is much more chaotic and you need to see where and how they section off the non-swimmers. I would make sure wherever your child is assigned that he is only allowed where he can touch the grounde, ideally waist deep. It is scary - where my daughter went, they have even the stronger swimmers wear a vest and they did a great job of keeping everyone sectioned off.

I think many have the non-swimmers wear life vests at all times, and then until they are strong swimmers they wear life vests in deep water. That is the way it is at Summer at Sandy Spring, where my child has gone. It is a pond not a pool.

I know many people favor swim lessons as early as possible, but I have come to believe it's better to wait for kids to be ready. My daughter finally reached that point this summer, at age 6. (Before this summer, she loved the pool but refused to put her head under water.)

Before that, we went ahead and sent her to camps (day camps) that included swim lessons -- but I made sure to find an appropriate place on the paperwork to put it in writing that she couldn't swim.

I think there are more elementary-age non-swimmers than you think, and camps that offer swim lessons are prepared to handle them.

What? The whole point of swimming at summer camp is to get dramatic improvements. We've had great success with Burgundy Farms and Headfirst for getting five year olds to go from wall clingers to swimming independently.

Agree that each camp is different and you have to figure out what you are comfortable with. I know lots of people who have sent their kids and were satisfied with the supervision. Me, I made sure mine could swim. But I will say that summer camp improved their abilities and stamina because they lived playing in the pool with friends.

Each camp is different and it's a personal comfort issue. Personally I'm not ok with sending my non-swimmer 5yo to a camp with swimming. The older they get the more people assume they can swim. We are working in it but he's not there yet. So for us the answer is no.

I'm starting summer camp planning. My 5 y.o. can't swim (she is in lessons). When kids go to the pool during summer camp, is the supervision always adequate for a non-swimmer? Are there any summer camps that do a good job of improving swimming skills? We are in Rockville. Thanks!