Camp children learning through experience. Play gives children a wide range of skills and helps them develop physically, emotionally & intellectually. Kids learn by doing, living, and experiencing things for themselves. It’s one thing to watch life on a computer screen yet, quite another to experience real life.

The benefits of camp are worth every penny. Yet Private resident camps are expensive. When trying to determine how to save some money for summer camp, consider the following cost saving ideas.Save Money on Summer Camp

Families that in the past have sent their children to private sleep away camps, especially on the east coast, are now looking for less expensive alternatives. Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan all provide summer camp with similar activities and programs at a thirty percent savings.

For other families who still want to send their children to private camps, one way to save on summer camp is to look for alternative programs that might be similar to what you have done in the past yet less expensive. This is just a matter of shopping on the internet for price.Overnight Summer Camp

Parents can also choose a less expensive overnight camp program, such as a YMCA or a even a church program. These summer camps can save sometimes half compared to a private camp.

Don’t forget your local areas park districts. Many offer some form of day summer camp. These are usually the most cost effective, however, day camps generally do not offer the same opportunities as that of an overnight summer camp.

Summer camps do have discounts and campership programs, but seldom are these programs FREE. Each summer camp decides how to run their own discount program, so it is important to ask the camp director how to become a part of their particular program and see if it will help make camp affordable for you.

The ACA -American Camp Association recommends: * Parents should ask whether the camp participates in income-eligible subsidy programs, for instance through Title XX. * A Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account allows parents to be reimbursed on a pre-tax basis for child care or adult dependent care expenses for qualified dependents that are necessary to allow parents to work, look for work, or to attend school full time. Visit the FSA Feds Web site for more information. * In certain circumstances, day care expenses, including transportation by a care provider, may be considered dependent care services and paid with pre-tax dollars. Visit the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for more information. * Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit: The IRS allows an income tax credit of up to $6,000 of dependent care expenses if you have two or more dependents (up to $3,000 for one dependent). The amount of the credit is based on your adjusted gross income and applies only to your federal taxes. This applies to qualifying day camp expenses as well. Visit the FSA Feds Web site for more information.

All camps are not the same and cost is often reflected in quality of programs. Do your homework to ensure a quality experience for your child. Camps can cut costs by useing volunteers while others have paid staff. Generally speaking camps have more control over paid staff. Also asl about counselor-to-camper ratios to determine how many campers are sleeping in each cabin with how many children. It’s best if counselors are over 18.

Search out the total cost of the camp. This should include not only tuition, but transportation, camp store, spending money, laundry, off-site trips, and uniforms (if required). Ask about how deposits and if it is refundable. When are fees due?

Safety is the most important area of any Summer Camp. Regardless of cost, you want to ensure that your child will be safe and will return home at the end of the program. One way to make sure your selected camp is safe is to verify that the camp is an accredited member of the American Camp Association. The ACA ensures that over 300 standards are met in their accreditation process.

Lastly, It is important to try to remember the experience of being a kid. Summers are long, and the experiences at camp create a lifetime of memories. For many adults, these recollections are some of their fondest. Do what you need to to suit your needs, but don’t let this summer pass your child by without a summer camp experience

About the authors: Jeff and Lonnie Lorenz are the directors of Swift Nature Camp, a non-competitive, traditional overnight Coed Summer Camps. Boys and Girls Ages 6-15 enjoy nature, animals and science along with traditional camping activities. Mention this article and save $200 Minnesota Summer Camp