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Find the Best Virginia Summer Camps!

Welcome to Virginia’s best virtual Fun Fair & Camp Expo for families and kids! We’re so excited you are here. This year’s Fun Fair & Camp Expo is the perfect camp-finder tool for your family discover the perfect Charlottesville day camp or the best Virginia summer sleep away camp. Whether you are looking for Charlottesville area day camps or residential camps in Virginia or camps all over the East Coast, our CharlottesvilleFamily Fun Fair & Camp Expo has lots of choices to fill your summer camp days with fun and learning. Everything from robotics camps to horseback riding programs and theatre camps to adventure sports at camp are on offer! We have even created interactive ways to bring our one-of-a-kind find a camp experience right into your home. You’ll have the opportunity to get to know each program and summer camp, plus you’ll find helpful tips on preparing kids for summer camp, exciting camper giveaways, fun activities for families and more sure to make this coming summer of camp the best one yet for your young family! Here is where you can find the best Virginia Summer Camps!

FUN FAIR & CAMP EXPO PROGRAM

Visit the Virginia Summer Camp Exhibit Hall to explore all the wonderful Charlottesville and Virginia camps that serve families. Discover the best summer camps in Virginia and beyond at this year’s virtual CharlottesvilleFamily Fun Fair & Camp Expo. From nature camp to camps all about art, music and  drama to sports camps and even technology camps, there are terrific fun Virginia summer camp options for every child and interest. We’re excited to help make this the best summer yet for kids looking for day camps and for kids ready for residential camps!

GO TO Summer Camp EXHIBIT HALL

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Find the Perfect Summer Camp

It’s as Easy as 1-2-3

10 Expert Questions to Ask to Choose your Child’s Summer Activity

by Claire Yezbak Fadden
 
As the daylight hours begin to stretch into early evening and the calendar pages head toward June, parents start thinking about how to best fill their child’s summer days. The process of picking the best camp experience for your child doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, by taking the time to talk with your camper and answer these few questions, it can be as easy as 1-2-3. Here are the best questions recommended by camp directors and child development experts to ask when choosing a summer camp. You can turn your child’s school vacation into weeks of camaraderie, fun and discovery and enjoy your summer as well, knowing that your child is spending part of his days learning as well as being entertained. For most young children, they’ll start with nearby Charlottesville day camps around an interest area like music camp, science camp, nature camp, history camp or sports camp. As they get older, interests become more specialized and with maturity comes the option for sleepaway camp in Virginia or a nearby state. Now, university sponsored sports camps prepare youth for competitive sports teams, or do deep dives into areas of science and technology at specialty camps. Travel camps, adventure sport camps and traditional outdoor camp experiences are plentiful in Virginia. Throughout Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia and Pennsylvania summer camps are ready to welcome your family for a summer of learning, friendships, nature and adventures.
 

1. Is my child old enough to go to camp?

What camps are best suited to his or her age? “Ask your child: Are you interested in going to camp?” says Peg L. Smith, CEO of the American Camp Association (ACA). “This is a family decision and the best way to determine if your child is ready is to learn firsthand if they want to go.” To make for the best, age-appropriate experiences, camps breakdown their programs by age groups (4-7, 8-10, 11-13 and 14-16). This helps in choosing the right camp for your child’s maturity.
 

2. How much will camp cost?

Depending on what your expectations are, sending your child to camp can be a very affordable enrichment option. According to the ACA, there is a wide range of price options are available, that depend upon the choice of camp, the facilities offered and your camper’s needs. For budgeting purposes, parents can plan on the average day camp fee is $43 per day. Remember that camp fees may be tax deductible as childcare expense. Ask your tax advisor to see if you qualify.
 

3. What are my child’s interests?

“There are traditional camp experiences that include campfires, telling camp stories and lots of free, unstructured play,” says Smith. “There’s also specialty camps that offer martial arts or swimming for example, as a way to sample a sport before making a longer commitment. Offer you child a few options to choose from as a way to find out what new interests he may have.” 
 

4. Where can I find out about all the daycamp and residential camp options?

Whether it’s traditional day camp, specialty camps or residential camps, there are lots of alternatives. At CharlottesvilleFamily we’ve been helping parents and families find their perfect camp for more than 15 years with our annual Camp Guides and Camp Expo. Follow this link to our popular annual Virtual Fun Fair & Camp Expo filled with great programs – dance camp, art camp, computer camp, lacrosse camp, soccer camp, tennis camp, horse camp, sailing camp, music camp, drama camp, basketball camp and so much more!
 

5. What’s an average day like?

The daily schedules of each weeklong day camp vary. Some run from early morning until late afternoon (with extended day care, if desired). Others offer a combination of half-day or full-day sessions. You can send your child for the entire summer or select a few weeks here and there.
 
6. Whose camping experience is it anyway? “Too often we get kids in camps that their mom or dad wanted them to attend,” says camp counselor Shawn, (camp nickname Lefty). “I can’t stress enough the importance of choosing camp activities that your child is interested in,” he adds. “If you daughter doesn’t want to play soccer, you’re better off enrolling her in a different camping experience. Everyone will be much happier by the time the end of the summer rolls around.”
 

7. Can your camper use more exercise?

With the focus on the increasing number of overweight kids, summer camp is a chance to move your child away from the video games and introduce her to a new sport, maybe one that will hold her interest throughout the year. According to Smith, 63 percent of campers who learn a new activity continue on it with after camp ends. “Campers use this opportunity to get outside, turn off all those electronic devices and reconnect with nature.” Smith adds, “It’s a chance to see if your child can develop a jump shot or learn to pirouette.”
 

8. Why is it important for the camp to be accredited?

Accredited camps have met the industry requirements in the key aspects of camp operation, program quality and the health and safety of campers and staff. These camps comply with appropriate standards and counselor/camper ratios. To find out if a camp is accredited, visit www.CampParents.org and click on Find A Camp or call 800-428-2267.
 

9. What else can my child learn at camp?

“There’s another kind of education that goes on at camp”, says Christopher Thurber, author of The Summer Camp Handbook. It’s a place for kids to “relax and learn life skill — such as making friends and playing fair — that will serve them and the people whose lives they touch.” Thurber adds, “At camp, young people bond with positive adult role models whose integrity and leadership-by-example tower over those of celebrities or sports heroes. High quality camps are places where young people not only realize their potential in athletic or artistic pursuits; they realize their potential to do good in the world.” 
 

10. Keep the focus on fun.

“Fun should rule during June, July and August,” reminds Y camp counselor Lefty. Even though parents want every experience for their children to be worthwhile and educational, its important to remember that it’s summertime, and there’s a lot of learning that happens while you’re having fun
 
 
Award-winning free-lance writer Claire Yezbak Fadden is the mother of a former camp counselor.