Photo: Dmitry Naumov (Shutterstock)
If you are like many parents, your summer childcare solution is Tetris-ing together a patchwork of day camps to keep the kids entertained and yourself employed from June to August. Yes, it’s ridiculous, but summer day camp registrations start opening up around the beginning of February. (If you send your kids to sleep-away camp, you probably registered last year as soon as they wrapped their last visit.) Though you have barely just recovered from holiday madness, now it’s time to plan summer, and camp registration is a competitive sport: Here are some tips to snag those spots early so you’re not freaking out in May.
Start researching for summer camps early (now)
Eavesdropping on other parents might be the easiest way to find out what camps are offered in your area, but be nonchalant about it. You don’t want to inadvertently create a rush on the few camp spots available.
For the most comprehensive information, Google your city + “summer camp.” Ideally, you will find news articles and blog posts that list all the main options in your area. Also look up your local parks department, YMCA, the zoo, churches, botanical gardens, kid-friendly museums, and places that kids frequently go on field trips. Those are the types of places that probably have a whole program set up to provide camp-based childcare in the summer.
Next may be the hardest step: You need to sign up for their newsletters and email announcements. I know, you’re already drowning in spam. You could even create a separate email just for kid camp stuff if you want, but it’s a necessary evil to avoid missing registration because you simply aren’t thinking about summer plans in the dead of winter.
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Decide what your priorities are for summer camp
Now you know the options, let’s narrow focus based on what your top priorities are. Consider these factors:
Price. This information will not be presented to you in a neat apples-to-apples format. You will see day rates, cost per week, cost per session, add-ons for early drop-off and late pick-up. Try to calculate the per-hour cost for each option to make comparison easier.Location. Are any of the available camps closer to your home or office? Will having to drive out of your way seriously negate the benefit of said camp?Hours of operation. Half-day, full-day, four days a week, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.—there are approximately a hundred ways camps may structure their schedule, and most of them will be inconvenient if you’re trying to work a full day around it. Subject matter. How much does your child’s interests weigh into your camp decisions? Right now is a good time to decide if you will seek their input in choosing camps. I wholeheartedly recommend against it. This is about making things easier for you, and the easiest thing will be to tell your kids in June, “Guess what, I signed you up for gardening camp! Oh you really wanted LEGO camp? They aren’t doing that this year, sorry.”Time to gear up and put your game face on
May I suggest a headband, wristbands, and your favorite hydration vessel because you are about to sweat. You will also need a Big Ass Calendar and highlighters or pens of your choice.
Pick a day in February or March and block off a few hours to knock this out. (You’ll know the best time to schedule camp registration when all those reminder announcements start rolling into your inbox. See? Homework pays off.)
Assess your back up plans
How much time can you or your partner feasibly work from home or take time off? Would a sitter service fill your summer childcare needs for a similar cost? Are there family members who would love the idea of the kids visiting? Do you hesitate to ask? Please remember, they owe you this for all the summers you spent drinking gallons of Kool-Aid in front of the TV.
(Speaking of which, drinking Kool-Aid and watching TV is a legitimate and shame-free alternative to summer camp if you do find yourself working from home without childcare. If the world wanted your kids to be screen-free and processed food-free, it would build better systems to support parents.)
Say “you’re welcome” to your summer self
Now that all those registration forms are filled out, deposits are paid, family members are committed, and your Big Ass Calendar is full from June to August, you can pat yourself on the back and take a big long break from worrying about childcare. Just kidding—spring break is in a few weeks.
