Summer camps- do your kids go alone?

[Puddlejumps]

Just wondering if people tend to send their kids with friends to summer camps or pack them off on their own? I am new to booking camps this year and wondered whether I should book with other people or send my child to a camp where he doesn’t know anyone. He is 9 if that makes any difference. Do kids at camp makes friends easily? Would appreciate your experience but there is no need to be flippant or unkind in your comments. Thanks.

As kids we went with our siblings but we did make friends quickly. Same for mine if all of them were going.

I also worked in summer camps and you get quite a range of kids - most of them end up in some kind of group/pair.

When my son did one I did arrange it with a friend but her son is an only child so it made sense - plus for lift sharing, sleepovers, etc. being incorporated into it.

What does your son think?

My DS (8) goes alone, has done for the last few years. By day 2 every single time he has formed a group of friends. They go swimming, play different sports etc so it’s hard not to get involved and make friends. He’s starting to recognise a few more children he played with from previous camps as well as it can offer be the same children that go. It’s amazing how fast children make friends.

I’ve done both. In my experience they make friends easily, as long as your DC would like the planned activities then go with whatever is most convenient.

I’ve found it’s easier to just book things that suit my schedule rather than try and coordinate with others.

There is only 18 months between my 2 so they tend to go together

My DD goes on her own. She is very good at making friends so is happy to do this. They normally have a group leader who encourages them all to join in.
We use one which is convenient for us, it is difficult to coordinate with other people.

Thank you really appreciate that. My son said he didn’t want to go on his own, but I wondered if he would make friends as everyone is in a neutral place. Your comments have helped confirm this. 😁

I used to go alone and enjoyed it!

DD went alone at 6yo just for 2 nights. She absolutely loved it. Now she's doing the full week.

PGL has a first timers camp so they're all in the same boat and apparently many come alone.

Mine goes on his own, and this year is doing residential on his own for the first time - 3 nights at Easter and 7 nights in August. He's always made friends, and its good to meet new people and he found at high school that he knew quite a few people from holiday clubs

My eldest always went by himself when he was 5 or 6 and used to routinely spend the first 2 hours sitting by himself with eyes like saucers looking at everyone, apparently. He had a bit of one to one help for a bit but he's just one that likes to just sit and take in the scene before joining in.

Now he's 9 he'd go by himself if necessary as there's always loads of others by themselves and he will find someone to chat to over the contents of a lunch box or a smuggled in Pokemon card, but as it happens he now has his younger brother in tow at the clubs. Although often they get separated anyway into age group teams.

Do you feel like you can talk to them at drop off and ask for a bit of extra help settling in e.g. finding him someone in same boat to pair up with? Or maybe you could stay for half an hour on first morning?

BTW it's a bit of a sad statement about MN that you felt like you need to ask not to get flamed! Glad you've not been, perfectly reasonable question. No doubt someone will be along shortly to tell you (or me, or all of us) to "get a grip".

I sent my 5 year old on his own ! But is very sociable. I saw older children in tears going in so I think it's down to the childs personality.

I would personally speak to the camp and ask what they do for kids who don't know anyone - they have a duty of care to your child.

I think it depends on the child and the camp, but a decent summer camp is going to have helpers who keep an eye on the shy kids. My DS(8) is pretty outgoing and has been going to summer camps by himself since he was 6 and loves them. I would've hated going to something I didn't know anyone at when I was his age but I was the complete opposite to DS!

Thank you all. We have booked him in and I am sure he is going to love it. He is sociable, but can also be shy. We won’t know until we go for it 😊. @londonista I have been flamed before for perfectly reasonable questions and it can be upsetting. But I have really appreciated the genuine comments on this thread.

I wouldn't worry - due to different interests my 2 DS (twins) wanted different camps. They both separately made friends and there were no problems even though they didn't know anyone to start with.

My kids go together but being boy/girl they usually make different friends and go their own ways :)

Are we talking residential camps (like PGL) or holiday clubs (daily)? Seems to be a mixture of interpretations on this thread...!

@origamiwarrior for my situation I meant daily camps, but don’t think it matters. It so interesting to see views for both. Thanks

My oldest dd went to holiday Club alone from 4. She would only go a couple of days a holiday as we worked the rest around it. She never seemed to mind.

My 6 yr old daughter started going to holiday camps (day only) alone, from this year. She can be a mixture of shy and outgoing, depending on the day! No issues at all. I think any decent camp makes an effort to get kids playing together and thus supports friendship building.

I agree with what a pp said, some children make friends very easily. We are on holiday at the moment in Uk, on an estate with lodges. I was woken by my 6 year old this morning wanting to know if she could go next door and play with her "friend". The friend arrived yesterday evening! I don't think the bar is very high for friendships when they are younger, just someone to run around with really. Obviously this changes as they get older.

Hope your son enjoys the camp

I sent DD without checking if anyone else she knows is going, though she's been with brother since he was old enough - it's been fine, I've found.