# Summers and camp

**How should our child spend the summer?**

How summers are spent: unstructured at home, day camps, specialty camps, sleepaway camp, or academics and work for teens.

In short: Parents choose between 5 main approaches: Unstructured at home; Day camps; Specialty camps; Sleepaway camp; Academics or work for teens. Evidence: your call. No outcome evidence picks a winner. Preference, culture, money and logistics decide. Best settled: school age.

- Area: Play, activities and enrichment
- Evidence: Your call
- Best settled: School age
- First published: 2026-10-03
- Last updated: 2026-10-05
- Page: https://www.raisingyourchild.com/topics/play-activities-and-enrichment--summers-and-camp

## Summers and camp: what are the options?

1. **Unstructured at home**: The child spends the summer at home with free time.
2. **Day camps**: The child attends camps during the day and sleeps at home.
3. **Specialty camps**: The child attends camps focused on one interest, such as coding or soccer.
4. **Sleepaway camp**: The child lives at an overnight camp for a week or more.
5. **Academics or work for teens**: A teen spends the summer on courses or a job.

## Summers and camp: what does the evidence say?

**Your call.** No outcome evidence picks a winner. Preference, culture, money and logistics decide.

The main camp study is industry-commissioned

Sources:

- [American Camp Association](https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/acas-youth-impact-study)

## What else is worth knowing?

Summer leaves many weeks to fill, and working parents usually need care. Options range from free time at home to day or overnight camp. Cost and how early registration opens often drive the plan.

## Questions to ask each other

- What did we do in summers, and what do we want for our child?
- How do we feel about sleepaway camp?
- What can we afford in time and money?

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General information, not medical advice. Two parents can each answer this and compare: https://www.raisingyourchild.com/explore?cat=play-activities-and-enrichment&topic=play-activities-and-enrichment--summers-and-camp