Gather Round, Campers – Deal of the Day

New York City, New York, USA  (2006-03-29)

IF YOU’VE GOT KIDS, now’s the time to sign them up for summer camp.

Each year, more than 11 million campers head off to a summer of fun. Fees vary widely, but you can expect to spend $200 to $400 a week for sleep-away camps, and $75 to $300 a week for day camps, according to the American Camp Association.

Signing up the kids now means you’ll have a wide range of choice when it comes to the type of camp your kids attend, as well as the time periods. Here are 10 tips:

Pick the right camp. No matter what your kid is into, chances are there’s a camp that caters to it. At Camp Can Do in Cleveland, Ga., kids can master the fine art of fencing. At Astro Camp in Idyllwild, Calif., kids study the nighttime sky. And if you’re willing to indulge such things, at Circus Smirkus in Greensboro, Vt., kids learn how to become a circus performer.

But don’t just sign your kid up for what you think sounds like fun. Talk to your child about what he or she wants, says Dr. Christopher Thurber, author of "The Secret Ingredients of Summer Camp Success," a DVD resource for new camper families. "It’s about finding the best match for your child’s interests, abilities and developmental needs," he says.

With more than 12,000 camps nationwide, narrow down the selection using databases at MySummerCamps.com, KidsCamps.com or the American Camp Association. You can search by region, activity, special needs and cultural focus.

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