How to choose the right summer camp for your child

Summer camps can be a productive and fun way to help fill the long school holidays. Clodagh O’Donoghue of Consumer Choice looks at the options, costs, and what you need to consider.

For school-age children, waking up on the first morning of the summer holidays and knowing there are two whole months of freedom stretching ahead — three, if you are a non-exam year secondary school student — is a truly great feeling. Their parents, however, may not experience the same degree of unmixed enthusiasm.

It can be challenging, not to mention expensive, to fill all those hours that a child is used to spending in the school environment. One answer to this annual problem for parents is the plethora of children’s summer camps that are on offer.

Summer camps can provide an enjoyable way of filling summer days during which children can try out new activities, discover new talents, explore their interests, and hone their skills. But, of course, these camps are generally run as a business and there is a cost involved, so as with all purchases, it is important that parents do their research to make sure that the course will be well structured and well run and, most importantly, that their child will be properly looked after.

The National Youth Council has stated that it is best practice for all staff and volunteers working with children to be Garda-vetted and that this should form part of a safe recruiting procedure that also involves face-to-face interviews and reference checks and that the organisation should have in place a robust child protection policy and supervision process. Most organisations running summer camps are keen to point out that their staff and volunteers are Garda-vetted but the Consumers’ Association of Ireland advises parents to check before signing their child up.

Some camps can be pricey, particularly if they involve specialised equipment or instruction, but there is good value for money to be obtained also. For example, a course that charges €80 for a five-day week, running from 10am to 2pm each day, costs just €4 an hour for structured activity and qualified supervision — which compares favourably with average childminding costs that tend to be around €5 an hour or more.

Camps that have a corporate sponsor are able to keep their prices low for participants, with examples including eFlow FAI soccer summer schools and Kelloggs GAA Cúl Camps. Both run nationwide in July and August, with the weeklong FAI soccer camp costing €65, including a football kit and backpack, and goalkeeper camps (three evenings or two days) costing €50. Even more reasonably priced are the Cúl Camps, where 6- to 13-year-olds can hone their skills in football, hurling, and camogie for €55 a week, including a GAA kit and backpack. Children enrolling for a second week can pay just €35 and will not receive the kit.

The nationwide Let’s Go! iPad Camps run from 9.30am to 3.30pm each day for a week cost €100, and including the provision of iPad tablets that children will work on in pairs.

* Consumer Choice is published monthly by the Consumers’ Association of Ireland.

Check list

- The level of supervision provided at a summer camp is a key consideration. The optimum child-to-staff ratio varies depending on the activity and the age of the children participating. For peace of mind, it is good to check before you book on the camp’s policy on the number of children to staff and if the children will be fully supervised during all breaks.

- Don’t forget to ask about sibling discounts — many summer camps offer slightly lower rates for second and subsequent children.

- If your chosen summer camp focuses on outdoor activities, you should check that there is a firm plan in place for rainy days or if a camp is likely to be cancelled due to inclement weather.