When I was a youngster, sometime around Victoria Day weekend, my parents moved the family out to a cottage near the village of Chateauguay on the banks of Lac St. Louis. We were there until Labor Day. (In those days, school opened after Labor Day.) My brothers, sister, and I enjoyed swimming and sailing lessons, the occasional dance as we got older, and the usual organized summer activities. Dad worked in Montreal and came out to the cottage in the evenings. Mother stayed at home and supervised us.
When we were bringing up our daughters, it was a bit trickier. We both worked. We had to find things for them to do, both to keep them occupied and to keep them from getting into mischief. A trip, a keyboarding course, and even some tutoring helped make those long summer days in Connecticut move along at a good clip.
Nowadays, depending on where you live and the plans you have for your child's education, you have a variety of options to choose from. Let's look at some of them.
Day Camp
Basically, the idea behind a day camp is that you drop your children off in the morning and pick them up in the afternoon. The routine is similar to what you had when school was in session. The advantage to a day camp is that it is usually a local operation. If you are lucky enough to have an established day camp in your area and your children are young, it's worth considering. Make sure that the program has enough substance to it to be interesting and challenging. Ask around and make absolutely certain that the camp is well run.
Day camps can be operated by churches and private schools as well as by community groups such as YMCA and YWCA. The church camps will usually have a religious component to them. So be sure that's what you want. The cost? The American Camp Association shows a range of approximately $350 and up per week for day camps in 2026. Not including the extras.
Overnight Camps
Overnight or sleep-away camps are a more expensive option than day camps. But just like with boarding schools, your child will get everything in one convenient package: the activities, meals, the supervision, and that wonderful intangible benefit - dozens of new best friends. A commercial overnight camp will cost $1,500 and up for a session lasting several weeks in 2026.
Specialty Camps
Soccer camps, tennis camps, computer camps, music camps - the list is endless. These camps are usually residential camps. Typically, they will be located on a college or private school campus. The programs offered encompass several levels of coaching and instruction. Be sure to do your due diligence before paying your deposit. While these programs take place on a college or private school campus, they have no affiliation with the institution where their programs take place. All they are doing is renting the facilities. These camps cost $1,000 a week and up in 2026.
Summer School
Remember when you failed a subject, and you had to attend summer school to remediate that subject? Those kinds of academic sessions are still around. But the kind of summer school I have in mind is the sort of enrichment experience you can find at boarding schools all across the nation. For example, look at the extensive program that Phillips Exeter Academy offers. Literally, there is something for every inclination and taste. Also, you can live on campus or commute to school daily. There are upper and lower school programs. Summer school sessions like these are a great way to introduce your child to the idea of going away to boarding school. Cost? Residential summer sessions at Phillips Exeter Academy cost approximately $11,000 and up in 2026. Fewer day sessions. There are many variables.
If you need financial aid for a summer program, you will need to observe the special deadlines for submitting your application. Typically, those deadlines will be January through March. If you don't need financial aid, you will still have to make decisions earlier than the deadlines, especially for very popular summer programs.
Parents researching boarding school summer opportunities may also want to review common boarding school myths, explore looking for some great summer programs, and consider the 10 top reasons to go to boarding school.
Travel
Companies like Travel For Teens offered well-planned and fully chaperoned travel experiences for teens. If your teen has the self-confidence and experience gained over years of travel with you, this might be just the thing for the long summer vacation. These programs also offer language immersion and other emphases.
Legal Stuff
If you are like me, you will probably be worrying about all the things that can go wrong. That's not a bad thing. Anticipating issues before they occur is simply good parenting. Ask pointed questions. Inspect facilities. Speak to other parents. Have your attorney review any legalese before you sign. Do your due diligence. Trust your instincts. Don't be pressured into a commitment until you are comfortable with all aspects of the program you are thinking about.
Organizations such as the American Camp Association can also help parents evaluate camps by providing accreditation standards and safety guidelines.
Conclusion
Then let your child go and have the experience of a lifetime. Is that what summer is for?
Whether your child attends a local day camp, an intensive summer academic program, or a supervised travel experience, summer opportunities can foster maturity, independence, friendships, and confidence. Careful planning and thorough research will help ensure that the experience is both enriching and safe, while giving your child memories and skills that can last a lifetime.
