Parents, It's Time to Start Thinking About Summer Camp

It’s that time of year when the school year has kicked into its final quarter and parents all over start (or likely have already started) to wonder what their children will do over the long, hot summer. For the parents of gifted kids, this presents a unique problem. Do they want to relax since they were in an intense environment, or was their schooling experience too easy or "boring" and they are now craving stimulation and challenge? Where will they have fun and fit in?

Gifted kids generally crave and need stimulation. Some need to be encouraged to do physical activity while others love books, drawing, painting, and inventing. Some kids love math and science and want to take classes. The key is to find out what your child wants/needs as well as what experiences you think will be good for him/her that will "stretch" them a bit. Oftentimes, a good summer camp can answer this call.

A summer camp should provide fun and engaging activities where kids can be with others who are like them, and provide interaction with adults who get them.  Those are really the two main ingredients. After that, it is the programming that matters, as you have a good gauge as to what your child with likely enjoy and resonate with most.

For example, at Camp Summit, we put a lot of effort into creating and providing activities that are interesting for gifted kids. We try to cover a broad base of interests ranging from engineering (for those into Rube Goldberg and Hypermath) to Dungeons and Dragons to LARP (Live Action Role Play) to the creative arts and drama to philosophy. Then we throw some traditional camp activities in such as games of Capture the Flag, campfires, and "free time" where kids get to just hang out with their new found, and old, friends.

Summer camp seems to provide an experience for personal growth and connection. There is more room for exploration, both personally and with others, than during the school year, which tends to be more focused on learning and performance. Overnight camps offer even more opportunities for growth as kids learn that they can handle things without their parents and have space? OR time? to explore different versions of themselves. We have seen kids who were afraid to sleep away from home, stay with us for a week without issue. We have seen kids who have historically had difficulty making friends, make one or many. We have seen kids who are anxious and avoid taking risks tell a joke at the campfire in front of the entire camp. We have seen kids who had felt alone and isolated now feel like they belong.

There are camps to match every passion or academic interest. Try to choose a camp that has the best chance of providing your child with an opportunity for growth and engagement, and one that is tailored to their unique and special needs. Most importantly, try to find a camp where they get to spend time with others who are like them, and where they feel understood.

Dr. Dan Peters, Ph.D., is co-founder of the Summit Center , which provides psychological and educational assessments and counseling for children and adolescents, specializing in the gifted, creative, and twice-exceptional.

Camp Summit takes place June 16-22, 2013, in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area just north of San Francisco.