Now is the time to plan: Wide variety of camp programs available for kids

-by Kate Miller
Of the Suburban Journals
updated: 01/27/2004 04:35 PM

It seems too early to be thinking about summer activities, but if you ask Jenny Wolkowitz, a consultant with Tips on Trips and Camps, it's just the right time — popular summer programs could be booked up by the end of February.

Tips on Trips and Camps is a free consulting service for families. Although new to the St. Louis area, it was formed more than 30 years ago to help match kids to just the right spring break and summer programs. The company represents about 450 programs in America and around the world.

The camps serve children and young adults ages 7 through 19.

Wolkowitz, a mother of three and the wife of former Creve Coeur Councilman Rich Wolkowitz, attended camp programs as a child. She went on to become a camp councilor.

"I think camp is just a great experience for kids. I do (consulting work) for the love of camp," she said. "The more kids in camp, the better, I say."

Camp programs have changed since the days of mere campfires, bunks and maybe swimming lessons or horseback riding. Wolkowitz said there is a program for every child's interest — from wilderness adventures to sailing, from art and theater to creative writing and from academics to religion.

The choices are so wide-ranging that if a kid has a preference for a certain activity, a comparable program just might exist.

Wolkowitz said parents and their children should determine the kids' goals for the summer and find a program that reflects those goals. They can come in the form of simply meeting other kids like themselves, building self-esteem or focusing on special talents or skills, such as sports or the arts.

Most of the specialty camps Wolkowitz speaks of are open to older children — kids at the middle school and high school levels.

"The older the kids, the wider the options," she said, although parents should make certain their child is prepared to leave home for a little while.

Wolkowitz said parents can determine that based on whether a child expresses interest in an overnight camp. Parents can otherwise judge a kid's readiness by how he or she behaves during overnight stays with friends.

"But a little homesickness is normal, and most camps have built-in mechanisms to help a child through it," she said, adding that communications between a child and his or her parents back home will vary based on the program's policies.

Some camps allow phone calls and e-mails, while others limit communication to letter writing done the old-fashioned way. If that's the case, pack postage stamps.

Parents also should be prepared to pull out their pocketbooks.

"We offer a lot of affordable programs, and programs that offer scholarships, but we also offer programs than cost $8,000," Wolkowitz said. "For a one- to eight-week program, the prices range from about $400 to $1,000 a week."

The options are so plentiful, they can overwhelm parents. Wolkowitz said that is where a consultant can be helpful. Not only will a consultant help families find a camp within a family's budget and that meets a child's goals and interests, but consultants have inspected the camps they represent.

"Parents will look at a brochure, and it looks great on the brochure. Then you get there and the cabins are cobweb city," she said. "The programs we represent, we think are really high quality. The consultants visit them, and we maintain a relationship with those camps and programs."

Before calling a consultant, however, she said it may be worthwhile for families to do some independent research. Information is available on the Internet, as well as by word-of-mouth.

Wolkowitz also recommends that parents visit the St. Louis Summer Opportunities Fair, which will be held Jan. 31 at John Burroughs School. She will be among the attendants, she said.

Some of the more unique programs available include marine biology, farming camps, community service programs abroad and even a minstrel show that travels through Europe doing stage performances.

The bad news is that adults have to find summer entertainment elsewhere; the camps are for kids.

"We don't do programs for adults — but we keep getting calls," she said.

For a free Tips on Trips and Camps consultation, call Wolkowitz at (314) 432-8642.