https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 14 Jul 2026 20:01:08 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-will-you-allow-your-lo-to-go-to-camp#post-220767 Fri, 13 Jul 2012 15:02:28 +0000 birdofafeather 220767@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i think i did girl scout camp when i was 8 or 10, which was for a weekend. DH went to sleepaway camp for like 3 weeks when he was 7! i was just reading "bringing up bebe" and she said in france, they send kids at like age 5 away for a week! </p> <p>i loved camp and so did DH, so i could definitely see us sending our kids if they are interested. i always thought it was crazy that my MIL and FIL got like 6 weeks a summer totally child-free! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-will-you-allow-your-lo-to-go-to-camp#post-220752 Fri, 13 Jul 2012 14:50:49 +0000 matador84 220752@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd probably start small when they are young with day camps--sports, acting, whatever they are interested in. I never got to go to camp as a kid, but DH went to tons of camps, Boys Scouts, Church...all kinds of things and would be gone all summer. I think he started going in mid-elementary school to sleepaway. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-will-you-allow-your-lo-to-go-to-camp#post-220749 Fri, 13 Jul 2012 14:50:31 +0000 Cole 220749@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think I would let them go once they show interest and seem able to handle it, I doubt we will ever do the 8 weeks type deal, I see it being more a week here or there, maybe two... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-will-you-allow-your-lo-to-go-to-camp#post-220743 Fri, 13 Jul 2012 14:44:48 +0000 LuLu Mom 220743@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I went around age 9 but it was only for 4 days. I don't know of any that are much longer than a week around here. I always wondered about those camp movies where the kids were sent away for months, I knew they exsisted but it seems so long to be away from family and home! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-will-you-allow-your-lo-to-go-to-camp#post-220737 Fri, 13 Jul 2012 14:41:49 +0000 Mrs. Pen 220737@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would definitely send my son to day camps that are a couple weeks long pretty young - like elementary school age.</p> <p>I was 9 when I went away for camp for one week, and I did perfectly fine. So I would say around that age is good. But it also depends on the kid - I was a very independent child, very social and fearless.</p> <p>If my son is more reserved, shy, fearful of strangers/being away from home, then I would wait. I would also take into consideration whether he really wants to or not. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-will-you-allow-your-lo-to-go-to-camp#post-220585 Fri, 13 Jul 2012 13:04:14 +0000 CarrieLouWho 220585@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I did day camp from around 4 or 5 every summer and loved it. I did overnight camp starting in 4th grade. I LOVED camps though and staying overnight, and continued going until I was in High School and became camp counselor. </p> <p>On the flip side, when my brother went to my camp when he was in 4th grade (I was in 9th), he had a COMPLETE meltdown half-way through the week and wanted to go home. But he's never liked staying away from home (even to this day). </p> <p>I think it depends on the kids. But I agree that it's something fun to do in the summer and a way to make new friends for the kids! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-will-you-allow-your-lo-to-go-to-camp#post-220529 Fri, 13 Jul 2012 12:47:27 +0000 MrsTiz 220529@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I went to church camp at 13 with a bunch of my friends and was perfectly fine.<br /> A day camp, 5. An overnight sleepaway camp, 8/9 maybe? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-will-you-allow-your-lo-to-go-to-camp#post-220528 Fri, 13 Jul 2012 12:47:26 +0000 MamaMoose 220528@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Day camp as soon as they are school age. Sleep away camp will depend on the child. I would have been ready to go to sleep away camp really young because I just wasn't clingy to my parents. My brother would not have been ready until middle school. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-will-you-allow-your-lo-to-go-to-camp#post-220523 Fri, 13 Jul 2012 12:44:53 +0000 Honeybee 220523@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I went to Girl Scouts camp and church camp at a pretty young age (maybe 5? or younger?), but since my parents were the troop leaders and church volunteers, I was with them the whole time. I went to my first sleep away camp (acting camp in Montana) all by myself at 13.</p> <p>I don't think I would send the kids away by themselves until they're at least 12... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-will-you-allow-your-lo-to-go-to-camp#post-219698 Thu, 12 Jul 2012 23:04:25 +0000 runsyellowlites 219698@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We don't really have any long camps here but DS does go with the kids group at our church every year.... He started when he was 5 (well just turned). It's 5 days, 4 nights. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-will-you-allow-your-lo-to-go-to-camp#post-219685 Thu, 12 Jul 2012 22:56:56 +0000 HabesBabe 219685@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I never went to camp (unless you count band camp and ASB camp in high school), and neither did the hubs... so I don't think we'll ever send our kids off to camp. I want LO to join the Girl Scouts (if we have a girl) and I would want her to go to camp if it was part of the program... but then I would feel bad if we had a son because I wouldn't want him to be a Boy Scout. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-will-you-allow-your-lo-to-go-to-camp#post-219657 Thu, 12 Jul 2012 22:30:16 +0000 MusicaV 219657@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was 7 or 8 the first time I went to sleep-away camp for a week. I went to 1 or 2 camps pretty much ever summer - girl scout, church and later on music. As long as it was scouts or church and LO could handle it, I think 7 is fine to start.<br /> I did a lot of stuff at camp that I wouldn't have gotten to do if I hadn't gone to camp, like actual camping and canoeing down a river, horseback riding, and sailing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-will-you-allow-your-lo-to-go-to-camp#post-219636 Thu, 12 Jul 2012 21:59:24 +0000 skibobrown 219636@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Do you mean sleepover camp or day camp? I went to overnight camp at 10, but I wanted to go even younger. I think I'd let DD go at 10 if she's interested... and maybe even younger if she shows a really strong interest. Day camp I'd be happy to sign her up as young as possible. I went to day camp from age 5 or 6 onward, and I went to a summer arts program for half days when I was even younger than that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-will-you-allow-your-lo-to-go-to-camp#post-219624 Thu, 12 Jul 2012 21:52:30 +0000 Meridian 219624@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I went to many day summer camps before the age of 10, and then my first overnight camp when I was 11. I loved it! DH has never been to a summer camp and I think he missed out... So our kids will definitely go :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-will-you-allow-your-lo-to-go-to-camp#post-219448 Thu, 12 Jul 2012 20:39:58 +0000 jedeve 219448@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I went to sleep away camp for the first time at 8. I cried when my parents left, but I was fine as soon as they were gone. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-will-you-allow-your-lo-to-go-to-camp#post-219386 Thu, 12 Jul 2012 20:25:39 +0000 chopsuey 219386@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm not sure I'll send my LO to camp.. maybe church camp?<br /> I only went to camp once when I was in 6th grade. It was a school related science/nature camp! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-will-you-allow-your-lo-to-go-to-camp#post-219381 Thu, 12 Jul 2012 20:23:23 +0000 hilsy85 219381@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Early! Probably around 4 or 5 years of age. Day camp, that is....definitely not sleep away camp until they're older, if ever. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-will-you-allow-your-lo-to-go-to-camp#post-219194 Thu, 12 Jul 2012 19:21:56 +0000 Andrea 219194@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I hear camps here are so long! Like over month? It would be weird to send my kids away for that long. Not sure if I want to. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-will-you-allow-your-lo-to-go-to-camp#post-219183 Thu, 12 Jul 2012 19:18:32 +0000 Rubies 219183@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think whenever they are old enough to handle several days away from home. I think I was 9 when I was away for a week...By the end of it I was SO ready to come home. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-age-will-you-allow-your-lo-to-go-to-camp#post-219162 Thu, 12 Jul 2012 19:11:09 +0000 Mrs. Bee 219162@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I went when I was in 6th grade with my brother -- he was in 4th grade. There were kids younger than us though. It was only for 4 days (camps are not as common on the west coast).</p> <p>On the east coast, camps are much, much longer. I'm not sure what the kids will do with entire summers off (other than all the extra studying we're going to make them do), so we will probably send them to some sort of camp. </p> <p>10 and 12 seems like a good age like my brother and i were the first time we went.</p> <p>What age will you allow your LO to go to camp? Or will you allow them to go to camp at all? </p>