language immersion - Tips on Trips and Camps

Planning Summer for Tweens and Teens, Now’s the Time!

February 27, 2024 by Eve Leave a Comment

Planning summers for teens and tweens can be a challenge. It is hard to get them to focus on summer too far in advance. We have a wonderful tool to help! While we no longer offer in-person camp fairs we do offer Zoom Fairs for specific areas of summer experiences, and we are happy to share the recordings from those zooms with you. This winter we offered a month of zooms with each week devoted to a different area of teen interest: Teen Travel, Language Immersion, Adventure Trips for students, Community Service options, and Campus Study Programs. Each zoom includes 10-minute presentations given by 5 or 6 different summer programs in that category. You can review the recordings with your student or preview it before passing it on to them.

We are happy to discuss each option and help you differentiate among the programs. If none seems to suit your teen or tween’s interest or needs, let us know and we will curate a list of options that do!

Just reach out by phone or email. Let us make planning for summer 2024 easy for you! Call: 800-992-5188 or email admin@tipsontripsandcamps.com

WHAT’S NEW FOR SUMMER ’22

November 2, 2021 by Eve Leave a Comment

The Tips on Trips and Camps team just spent three days meeting with summer camp and teen program directors learning about the successes of summer 2021 and planning for summer 2022. It was wonderful to be together in person as a team and have so many directors come to present.

This is what we learned…

Following the successes of summer 2021, overnight camps for kids and teens will stay true to the values and activities that have been the mainstay of their summer programming. They successfully made adjustment for Covid protocols but reported that camp was still wonderful and more important than ever for children’s development.
Depending on the status of Covid and vaccination recommendations, most teen programs and many camps will require that campers and staff be vaccinated.
Teen travel programs will aim high with many destinations listed on their websites. We feel, and programs agree, it makes sense that families should discuss a second trip choice in case the first-choice trips are not available due to travel restrictions.
There is increased interest from teens for career focused programs and the options to dive deep with hands on experiences in medical, business, law, neuroscience, entrepreneurship, public health, engineering and more will be offered on pre-college campus programs. Some of these are available to middle schoolers as well as high school students.
Parents are enrolling their students now, and camps, pre-college enrichment, language immersion, community service and teen travel experiences are filling earlier than ever before. Many offer generous cancellation guidelines and some offer early enrollment incentives, be sure to ask about them.

To make the most of summer 2022, start your research now!

Happy to be part of the Tips Team!

June 30, 2021 by Allison Carneal Leave a Comment

Last week, long, big trucks drove up and down towns everywhere picking up massive sleepaway camp duffle bags filled with a summer’s necessities – from towels to bedding to sports equipment to bug spray – all with different camp destinations. Watching these pick-ups always fills me with emotion as I envision the happy summers the children have in store for them: long hot days filled with exciting new activities and adventures, new friendships and old ones rekindled after a long school year. There are so many opportunities for new discoveries and experiences that will happen in an arts and crafts room, on a beautiful lake or around a campfire.

I am thrilled to join the Tips on Trips and Camps Team for the New York City market as an advisor – a dream job and the perfect fit for me. Having been an avid camper myself, and mother of three campers, I have vast experiences (both good and bad!) and believe my insight will be tremendously helpful as I share summer options with families.

This winter and spring I have done a deep dive on sleepaway camps and summer programs for older children. There are so many incredible opportunities out there waiting to be explored – from academics to sailing to eco-adventures and language immersion. I have seen from personal experience with my own children, how enriching these experiences can be. Companies work all year planning itineraries and experiences and our children are the lucky ones who get to be the beneficiary of all this work!

As we move on to the summer of 2021, the Tips on Trips and Camps Team wish everyone an incredible summer. Savor all the new experiences and friendships, they’ll have a life-long impact and it’s what makes our job as summer program advisors incredibly rewarding.

Seeing our children for who they are

February 4, 2020 by Stephanie Vordick Leave a Comment

We all want what’s best for our children, but what is that? How’s a thoughtful parent to balance their concerns and priorities with their child’s individual needs? A recent New York Times article says what children need most is to feel seen and understood. The article says, “You just have to show up, allowing your kids to feel that you get them and that you’ll be there for them, no matter what.”

The process of selecting a sleepaway camp or an overnight summer program is a great way to show your child that you see them. Talking together about their interests, involving them in the selection, respecting their concerns, and appreciating their likes and dislikes are all ways of showing a child that you see them for who they are. Families can find exactly what they want and need when they work with a camp advisor. We are experts on the programming, facilities, and overall feeling of the summer experiences we represent, so if a child doesn’t play sports, then we will recommend camps where their interests are the main events. If they don’t want to stay in a tent, then we’ll suggest summer travel programs with indoor sleeping arrangements. If they don’t want to swim in a lake, we will recommend sleepaway camps with pools. If they want to improve their Spanish but aren’t interested in a homestay, then we’ll look at language immersion programs with other instruction methods. You can give your child the opportunity to grow through an independent summer experience, while at the same time seeing them for exactly who they are. Let us help you find just the right program.

Planning Ahead : Be thankful for the opportunities of Summer 2016

November 3, 2015 by Julie Morris Leave a Comment

In our 45th year, the consultants at Tips on Trips and Camps are gearing up now to help families find a diverse assortment of summer programs for your children 8-19.
We can help you connect with experiences that offer a lifetime of Thanks…

-Innovative and sustainable service projects for budding environmental conservationists, sight-seekers, and language enthusiasts
-Experiential travel that offers meaningful service and cultural/language immersion to prepare for the changing future
– A vast array of professional internships in major U.S./World Cities
-Academic and career studies at major U.S Universities and Abroad
-Student leadership programs
-Developing Sport’s Enthusiasts
-Enhancing Music, Theatre, Dance and Visual Arts
-Traditional summer camp for all ages and interests
-Gap Year Service opportunities

Contact the consultant nearest you to learn how your child can discover and be thankful for new opportunities and adventures. Opportunities include trekking through mountains and rainforests diving or sailing, safari adventure, meaningful service working hands-on with local children and families, animals, farm-to-table culinary skills…. the list goes on…
or just a blissful summer to unplug at CAMP!

Giving thanks to all our new and old TOTS families,

What should you expect from your teen’s summer experience?

February 23, 2015 by Michele Leave a Comment

Reach for your dreams

This is the time of year, that parents are finalizing their teen’s summer tours/trips. We, as parents get so wrapped up in the details, that sometimes we forget about the big picture.

For instance, if your teen is going on a community service trip, it should be more about expanding their horizons, rather than logging in their required hours. Nothing can compare to visiting new places, meeting new people and gaining a better understanding of another culture.

A language immersion program is not only good for enhancing their language skills or prepping for the upcoming school year, but it builds confidence in your teen inherently by being in an atmosphere where they have to learn as they go along.

A precollege program can look good on a teen’s resume, but they also walk away with a new sense of responsibility and maybe even more appreciation for all you do at home.

A teen tour seems like all fun and games, but along the way, they learn how to get along with all types of teens, and can sometimes be put in a position where they need to resolve conflicts and learn the art of compromise.

To summarize, you should expect your teen to have fun, accomplish a goal, but most importantly build character and come home a better version of the teen they were when they left.

CAN SUMMER PROGRAMS HELP COLLEGE ADMISSION?

April 7, 2014 by Eve Leave a Comment

Often I speak with parent’s of high schoolers who want help finding a summer experience that will “look good” on their child’s resume and translate to something positive on college applications. Which experience, they want to know, will be best for that? Community Service? Language Immersion? Classes on a college campus?

This is in interesting question and the reality is complex. What college advisors have shared with me is if a child has a passion and chooses a summer experience in the field of that passion, it can demonstrate commitment and devotion which is generally well received by schools. An example of that would be a medical internship or one in photography or cooking particularly if this in an area that the student volunteers in during the school year. A one summer stab at photography, for example, will not be as beneficial if it is not in the context of an ongoing passion.

However in my experience both with my own children and the families with whom I consult, any summer experience can offer a plethora of topics that can translate into that infamous college essay. Not the “How I Spent My Summer” type of essay but rather the slice of life events that resulted in a student having a better understanding of who they are and how their life experience fits the bigger picture. One of my son’s who was on a community service program in Costa Rica described the moment he understood a joke in Spanish and was able to participate in the retelling.

So can a summer program help in college admission? Maybe yes, maybe no, but expanding a student’s exposure to new and different experiences can certainly be broadening, and if they look it just might offer a topic for their college essay.

Camp Prepares Children for College

February 13, 2014 by Ellen Blum Leave a Comment

As a young mother, I was often given the age-old advice “Cherish every moment. They grow up so fast.” What an understatement! As I now prepare myself for the emotional task of sending my daughter to college, I am so glad that I not only cherished every moment, but that I gave her many moments that she will cherish for a lifetime.

Sending a child to college parallels sending a child to sleepaway camp for the first time. It is an emotional rollercoaster of anxiety, excitement, pride, indecision and ultimately pure joy! I find myself looking back to my daughter’s first year as a camper and remembering the changes she went through in just a few short weeks. Her strength, independence, curiosity and willingness to try new activities was astounding. Whether it was waterskiing for the first time, or climbing the rock wall or performing in the camp theatre production, she participated in new activities each year and gained incredible confidence through these opportunities.

Now I have the confidence in knowing that wherever she goes to college, she will be an independent leader and not only strive for excellence in her studies, but also take advantage of all the extracurricular opportunities that are available.

I have spoken with many parents who feel the same way. Their child may not have been to overnight camp, but perhaps went on a community service trip, a language immersion experience, a wilderness adventure or an academic enrichment program. Whatever the experience, these parents feel that some form of summer program, away from home, helped prepare their child for a successful transition to college.

My advice to young parents is to absolutely cherish every moment but to also give your children opportunities that will allow for personal growth to prepare them for college and beyond.

Is visiting a camp fair worthwhile?

January 20, 2014 by Meg Smith Leave a Comment

Over the years, I have noticed a decrease in the number of people attending camp fairs. It is understandable given our access to the Internet. After all, why would you want to spend a Saturday or Sunday afternoon dragging your kids around a camp fair? However, it can be hard to distinguish one program from another by looking at websites. We can all assume that they have hired the best website designers and videographers they can find. A camp fair is a good opportunity to meet Directors and speak with them directly about their programs and see many different options that are available.

As a parent of teenage boys, I have found it is hard to get them excited about anything. However, I do not intend to have them sit on the couch all summer playing games on their Xbox. In order for them to buy into the idea of Camp, it is very helpful to have them talk to the Directors and Camp Reps at a fair. My oldest found a great sailing and scuba program a few years ago, when I dragged him to my fair. The next year he found a wilderness/adventure program that fit him perfectly and I no longer had to drag him to my fair. The trip was a combination of white-water rafting, backpacking, and community service with the Navajo Indians out West. This year he is anxious to go to my fair to see all the options available. He will be bringing my middle schooler who has decided he has outgrown traditional summer camps. I want him to get excited about one of the teen programs available to him: perhaps language immersion or academic enrichment (he prefers air-conditioned dorm rooms to sleeping rough). The best way to inspire him is to bring him to a Camp Fair.

So if you are deciding whether to take the afternoon to go to camp fair, I say do it with your children. You will find it is a great way to get them involved in the process. Going on a trip or to a camp becomes their idea instead of something their parents are pushing on them. At Tips on Trips and Camps summer opportunities fairs there are knowledgeable camp advisors standing by to help you sort through all the choices and give you additional options if you can’t find what you are looking for. Visit our website to see a list of our fairs in various cities or contact us directly by registering at www.TipsonTripsandCamps.com. We are happy to guide you through the process to find a great summer program.

Attend a Tips on Trips Camp Fair!

January 25, 2013 by laura rumbough Leave a Comment

HOW IS YOUR CHILD SPENDING NEXT SUMMER??

How about…an Internship in Sports Management, Study on a College Campus, Language Immersion, Travel or Study Abroad, Community Service, a Traditional Camp, a Leadership Program, Marine Biology, Turtle Conservation, Sailing in the Caribbean, Creative and Performing Arts, Circus Arts, Hiking, Mountain Biking, White Water Rafting, a Cross Country Tour, a Girls’ Empowerment Program, Horseback Riding, and more!

ATTEND A TIPS ON TRIPS SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES FAIR — LEARN ABOUT QUALITY OVERNIGHT PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS, AGES 8-18.

Take advantage of our 42 years of experience and expertise in helping families find incredible overnight programming for their kids…we are a FREE service for families.

At a Tips on Trips Camp Fair you can meet program directors, collect brochures and DVD’s, and speak with a knowledgeable consultant to design a summer that is just right for your child. Can’t come? Not a problem, call your personal Tips Advisor for a free consultation.

To find a Tips on Trips Camp Fair in your area, click here: https://www.tipsontripsandcamps.com/summer-advice/local-camp-fairs/

Or, to find your personal Tips advisor click here: https://www.tipsontripsandcamps.com/summer-advice/find-an-advisor/

THINK SUMMER, AND GIVE YOUR CHILD THE GIFT OF CAMP!

Experts on Overnight Camps & Trips for Kids and Teens

A Free Advisory Service