Camper Readiness Questions

How To Know if Your Child is Ready for Camp?

 In 50 years of running Roughing It, we’ve seen that camper readiness is individual to each child. We have put together this Camper Readiness Guide to help parents assess if their child is ready for camp.

We have found that children, be they hesitant at first to try new activities, quiet, super social, or high-energy – have been very successful at Roughing It. Camp is designed to help children of all ages to get out of their comfort zone, while staying in their safety zone, and see themselves in new light of all the possibilities of what they can do.

Here are questions for parents to use to access their child’s readiness for camp:

  1. Will your child be 4 years old by the time they come to camp?

  2. Is your child potty trained? The counselor has several strategically set times in their schedule during the day to take all the campers to the bathroom. Will this kind of routine work for your child?

  3. Does your child like being outdoors?

  4. Does your child like being active and playing all day outdoors?

  5. Is your child used to being in a program for six or more hours/day?

  6. Will your child enjoy eating their snack or camp with assistance from the counselor in about 20-minute time period?

  7. Does your child like to play alone, or do they enjoy playing with other kids?

  8. Can your child learn in a group setting or does your child need constant one-on-one attention?

  9. Does your child have a growth mindset and is opened to learning new things, even if hesitant to try something at first?

  10. Can your child cooperate with other children in a group setting?

  11. Is your child able to follow the camp rules, their group code of living, and directions of the counselor easily?

  12. Can you child stay with the camper group and counselor all day, and not wonder off?

  13. Is your child able to make transitions easily from one activity to another, or do they prefer to stay at one area and not want to change every 40 minutes.

  14. Can you child come to camp independently (with help and nurturing from the bus counselor), or do they have separation issues and have mostly done activities only with their parent(s)?

This tool is intended to help parents determine whether their child (young or old) is ready for summer camp. Attending a summer camp is a journey of personal growth for camper. Physical, emotional, and social development are among the many benefits of a summer spent at camp.

You certainly know your child best and we hope this information is helpful. We are happy to talk with you more about camp or any concerns you may have so we can help your child have a positive camp experience and see if Roughing It is good fit for your child this summer. Please feel free to contact us if have any questions.