
DATE: Tuesday, March 25, 1997               TAG: 9703250042

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY ELIZABETH SIMPSON 

        STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:  102 lines

[SUMMER CAMPS] HELLO MUDDER HELLO FODDER HERE'S A LIST OF CAMPS TO PONDER...

REMEMBER WHEN summer camp meant making popsicle-stick picture frames while Mom and Dad got a break from making meals?

Summer camp is a little more sophisticated today.

From a kid's perspective, camp now can mean learning about the life expectancy of various zoo animals. Or how to deliver the perfect goal kick in soccer. Or how to do forward rolls in gymnastics camp, pirouettes in dance camp, how to find Internet pathways in computer camp, figure out formulas and equations in algebra camp or even check-mate in chess camp.

Just to name a few activities.

Parents look at summer camp differently too. They are more likely today to see camps as a form of child care, or as a way to give their children an educational boost during the summer. Children may have the summer off, but most parents still have to work, even after that final dismissal bell of the school year rings, so they're looking for creative activities for their children.

Because of that, the number of day camps, in particular, has increased dramatically over the past decade. Bob Schultz, director of public relations for the American Camping Association, said that while the number of overnight camps have decreased during the past 15 years, the number of day camps across the country has grown by nearly 90 percent, to more than 3,000 nationwide.

And the number of children who go to camp - both overnight and day - has been increasing by about 7 percent a year.

``Parents are often choosing summer camps over traditional day care centers,'' said Schultz. ``They're looking for an experience that will give their children a leg up.'' Besides teaching children subjects in a concentrated fashion, camps also can help children develop self-esteem, independence and teamwork.

Ten-year-old Lindsey Peard of Norfolk doesn't necessarily look at camp in the developmental sense though. Instead, she sees it from a kid's perspective: Camp is fun.

For the past few summers she's spent a week at the Virginia Zoo's Summer Safari.

``We learn about animals and you get to see what their lives are like, they let you pet them and everything,'' Lindsey said.

Lindsey's parents, who both work, say the camp livens up the usual summer at the baby sitter's for 10-year-old Lindsey and her 8-year-old brother. ``It gives them something different to do,'' said Lindsey's mother, Amy Smith Peard. ``I try to plan something different for them each month so they always have something to look forward to.''

When the Virginia Zoo began its ``Summer Safari'' camp program in 1990 it was a half-day program. By 1993 the zoo had expanded it to a full-day camp, because of so many requests for longer hours. This year, out of 21 classes, only six are half-day, and the rest full day.

``There's definitely a demand for the full-day camps,'' said Therese Weber, the education director at the zoo. ``For some parents, it's a necessity.''

Day-care centers have also responded to parents and children's desire for a summer program that's different from the rest of the year.

Children's World Learning Center, for instance, has named its summer child-care program ``CampUSA'' this year, and children can choose from activities such as jewelry making, photography, leather crafts, cooking and juggling. They also go on field trips, neighborhood cleanups and recycling projects.

Parents should remember that some camps have limited spaces, so they need to begin planning now. ``Too many people wait until the day before school is out to think about what their children are going to do for the summer, '' said Kathryn Wolf, director of child-care services for The Planning Council.

When choosing a camp, Wolf said parents should keep in mind the hobbies and interests of their children and also whether the program is age-appropriate. Also, check out the safety of the camp by asking whether it's licensed by the state, what the staff-to-child ratio is, and what kind of the training counselors and staff have gone through. MEMO: [For a list of summer camps, Bible Schools, Day Care, Special

Interest, Parks and Rec, and YMCA, see microfilm on page E6 of THE

VIRGINIAN-PILOT. ILLUSTRATION: Illustrations by JANET SHAUGHNESSY

The Virginan-Pilot

Some advice on selecting a camp

What is the educational and career background of the camp

director?

What does the director look for in hiring camp counselors?

Are most of the camp counselors at least 18 years old? What

percentage are return counselors from past years?

What is the ratio of counselors to campers? Is it a ratio that

makes sense to you, taking into consideration your child's needs?

What is the camp's program philosophy? Many camps promote