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Spring is here and that means summer is just around the corner! Yes, parents, it is time to plan for Summer Camp! This process can be overwhelming especially if you have a child with special needs. Well NPN is here to help. In this session, you will hear about summer options in the Chicago area for special needs kids.

NPN's Summer Camp Fair reopens today! Register now to find summer camps still accepting campers! Our summer camp fair custom website opens at 9:00 am on Monday, May 3rd and closes at 5:00 pm on Friday, May 28th. >> Camp options for kids age 2 - 18 years old >> Search for camps based on theme, location, before and after care, virtual or in-person >> Access each camp's registration form with one click >> Watch short and informative video presentations from each camp director You must register here for access to the custom website. Parents who registered for NPN's Summer Camp Fair in February do not need to re-register. We will send you your login credentials to the custom website on May 3rd. Members: Free Non-members: $15 Includes an NPN membership which will be activated within 4 weeks of registration date Thank you to our sponsors, Kids' Work and Bennett Day Camp

It’s hard to know what summer will look like right now, but NPN is here to help you start putting together a fun plan for your children! After all, kids will need things to do, parents will need childcare, and camps will be offering a variety of opportunities, so let’s figure this out! 
 This 4 day event is your one-stop-shop to summer fun! February 23rd, 24th, 25th: Live info sessions from each camp, 9am - 5pm: - 30-minute sessions, organized by type of camp - Time for live parent Q & A at the end - Sign-up form for sessions coming soon February 25th and 26th: Virtual exhibits loaded with info from each camp, such as: - Camp dates, fees, hours, ages, activities, virtual or in-person and more - Registration links - Contact information - Sign-ups to win free weeks of camp. You can win more than once! Later this spring Exclusive access to Covid-19 updates from each camp Check back soon for details! 

 

 Free for NPN Members. Non-member ticket fee is $20. This fee includes a FREE NPN membership (value $55). Membership will be activated within 4 weeks of purchase. 


 Please note: All registrants' email addresses will be provided to our presenting sponsors. Your RSVP/ticket payment is a non-refundable reservation and processing fee. Disclaimer: NPN and event sponsor assume no liability for any and all bodily injury at the event. 
 Summer Camps: Registration is open. Please click here. Thank you to our sponsor, Hi-Five Sports Camp.

Believe it or not, now’s the time to start thinking about summer camps. Many have already opened up registration with early-bird discounts, while others don’t offer placement till spring...only to sell out in hours. We’ve pooled advice and information from our members and staff to help get you started. [Related: Preparing for your child's first overnight summer camp] How old does my child have to be to go to camp? Most camps cater to kids aged kindergarten and up, though there are many camps for preschoolers. The majority market to elementary and middle schoolers, with some reserved for high schoolers and college prep. What kinds of camps are out there? If you can imagine it, it probably exists. From sewing to STEM, cooking to circus arts, Chicago really does have it all — and they’re all over town. When are they? Most summer camps start the week after CPS lets out — for 2020, that’s June 22. Several camps around town — including Chicago Park District’s Day Camp — have multiple sessions throughout the summer. Camps are typically offered in week-long sessions, though some offer drop-in days (or even half-days), or a full-summer commitment. How much are they? The range is wide. Chicago Park District’s famously affordable Day Camp costs as little as a few dollars per hour, while others charge thousands. We know of a handful of camps that offer sliding-scale tuition, too. On average, though, most weeklong day camps fall in the $500 range. [Related: How to tell if a summer camp is a good fit for your child] Summer Camp 2019 parent reviews NPN members on our forum discuss which camps their kids liked (or didn't). Steve & Kate’s Camp “I have no idea WTH goes on in there, but she had fun even though she didn’t know anyone.” RetroActive Sports Camp, Menomonee Club “Seems very basic and takes place in a gym all day, so I don’t really get it, but the kids are wild for it.” Dream Big Performing Arts Camp “Their ‘performances’ are really cute — if a little chaotic.” Summer at Latin, Latin School of Chicago “Kids did all 7 weeks and loved it as always.” East Bank Club Summer Camp “Daily swimming, tons of gym time and specialty classes like tennis and soccer.” Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum Summer Camp “Between the family open houses and the email communication, I actually felt like I had a good idea what was going on.” Game On! Sports 4 Girls Camp “Learned a ton of sports and gained major self-confidence.” The Laboratory Collective Summer Camps “AMAZING! I’ve never heard my daughter talk about a camp so much.” Sew Crafty Studio Summer Camp “I’m always so impressed how they can learn in such little time." Read more summer camp parent reviews on our discussion forum.

As a parent and director of an overnight summer camp, I know that at this point in the season, campers and parents begin to experience a wide range of emotions (myself included!). Hopefully, the predominant feelings are those of excitement, but it’s also natural to be apprehensive and nervous. While it may be challenging to deal with these conflicting emotions, there are several things you can do to manage these emotions and set your child up for a successful and fun summer. Do a dry run. Fear of the unknown is one of the biggest worries for children attending camp, so time spent at home “practicing” a typical day at camp may provide some reassurance and self-confidence. For example, have your child practice some of their routines without your assistance, such as getting into pajamas, brushing teeth, or picking out clothes in the morning. Practice overnights away. If your child has not slept away from home before, the best thing you can do for them is to arrange sleepovers between now and the beginning of camp. These experiences will stimulate feelings of independence and give your child confidence that they can cope with longer separations from home. Talk about your communication plan with your child. Remind them that they may not have access to phones but that they will be able to write letters and that you will be sending them mail. Help them create an address book with everyone’s contact information so that they can keep in touch with family and friends. Packing pre-addressed, stamped envelopes is a great way to ensure that letters get sent! Keep familiar faces nearby. Help your child create a little photo album of some of their favorite photos to bring with them. They will be able to show their friends and counselors and tell them all about where they are from! Be realistic. Like the rest of life, camp will have high and low moments and your child may have some down moments. Your child should not feel pressured to feel a certain way at camp. Remind them that their main goal should be to have fun, and remind them that there will always be a counselor to talk to if they do ever feel sad. Avoid the “get out” clause. DO NOT make promises that imply that you will pick them up if they are sad or want to come home. These statements set your child up for failure and send a message that the only solution to a difficult feeling is to be rescued by you. It undermines your confidence in your child’s ability to cope with adversity. As you become anxious, try not to transmit that feeling to your child. Don’t emphasize the fact that you will miss them. Support words like “we will miss you so much” with “but we are so proud of you for trying this new experience.” Kids often internalize their parents’ anxiety and if your child is worried that you will be sad when they are gone, they may not be able to fully enjoy their experience.

I'm a parent like you and I’ve had to choose a summer camp for my own kids a zillion times. With so many options available, how do you know when a summer program is the right fit for your child and family? A word-of-mouth reference about a program is a great start, and there are lots of great camp guides out there. Regardless of how you hear about the camp, make sure it's licensed as a Children’s Activities Facility. Being licensed as such means all staff who are present with your child have been through a fingerprint-based state-police background check and that the Fire and Building departments have inspected the facility for safety. Some companies that offer camp for kids are licensed differently (with a Limited Business License only) because they offer 60% or more adult programming and do not specialize in children’s programming. Not sure? You can check how a business is licensed here. More things to look for when vetting a summer camp: Is the camp site/facility secure? Is the entry and exit access-controlled by a system (for example, a self-locking door) or a person with eyes on the entrance at all times? How does the camp’s price compare to other programs in the area? Does the price reflect the value that you expect from the provider? What is the max size of the camp? What is the leader-to-camper ratio? What is the age range of the campers? How are the ages grouped or not grouped? There are pros and cons to mixing a large age range, and you will want to decide for yourself what is right for your child. In addition to licensing for safety, how many staff members are trained and certified in CPR, basic life support and first aid? Optimally, every staff member is trained so that no student needs to wait for assistance in an emergency. Any program that has its eye on managing allergen cross-contamination will be cleaning throughout the day. What kind of cleaning products are used? Are they used around the campers? This answer should resonate with the guidelines you use in your own home. How does the camp play? Do the activities, including games, support empathy and other social-emotional skills? Is the team made of seasonal employees or permanent staff? If the employees are seasonal, are they studying or working in education, child development or the camp’s specialty during the school year? Great people who enjoy doing this work, working with a team and with children are the main ingredients that makes a program amazing. Everything else is just marketing. What will the day/week be like? Even if you’ve heard great things, knowing what to expect can help you determine if the daily mix is right for your child’s needs. Look for references to both fine-motor and gross-motor activities, open time and, if applicable, instruction time, and ask about time indoors and outdoors—it’s summer! Once your child is in camp, keep assessing the following: Were you welcomed on the first day and every day? After the first day, does the staff know your child’s name? How does the staff interact with other campers? Does your child need to have a name badge to be recognized by the staff? Good programs will ask for a lot of information from you on registration forms. Is the staff using that information to contribute to your child’s safety and experience? After camp has begun, is the staff relying on forms or do they seem to know your child? If your child is learning a new skill, is he enjoying the process? Is he feeling judged or encouraged? Does he show an interest in learning or practicing more? Is your child leaving the program with a smile on her face? Did she have fun? Did she make a new friend? Kids are great reporters when asked these questions in an open-ended way (e.g., “Tell me about your favorite part of the day”).