🧭 The Benefits of a Camp Advisor

Every year, families start the camp search - forty browser tabs open on the laptop; every camp website has a lake, a climbing wall, and a promise that this is "the best summer of your child's life." They can't all be right. So how do you actually choose?

What I didn't know when I was deciding - there's a whole profession built around this exact problem. Camp advisors match kids to camps for a living - and at no cost to your family, because the camps pay them a placement fee, like a matchmaker. Which raises the obvious question: what does an advisor know that you and Google don't?

What Google can't tell you

Quite a lot, it turns out. Jen Cippoletti is the director of Tips on Trips and Camps, which has been matching kids with overnight camps, teen travel, and academic programs since 1971 - her advisors visit camps in person every summer and know the personality of each one. She put it to me simply: "Google or AI can tell you the size of the camp, the activities it offers, how many tennis courts it has. What it cannot tell you is anything about the vibe of the camp and whether or not it could be a good fit for YOUR kid."

So where does that vibe knowledge come from? The answer is: legwork. "As camp advisors, we get to know camp directors personally to learn their philosophy and style," Jen explains. "We visit camps in the summer to see them in action and know the kids who would do best there. And we speak to returning families to get their feedback on what worked and what didn't. We get to know each family we work with so that we can recommend camps that fit your child's personality and interests, while also meeting your family's goals."

Andrea Grinspoon of Summer 365 describes the same kind of homework. "During the summer, I'm at camps walking through bunks, watching activities, talking with directors and staff. And my favorite thing is talking to the campers! Kids will tell you so much about what a camp is really like without even realizing they're telling you."

The things that matter most about a camp live in what real people who've been there tell you. Advisors gather it over years of visits speaking with directors and campers. Using their personal knowledge along with your own background research arms you with the best possible information to make a smart decision. Ten for Two gives you the facts about the camps and parent reviews, and camp advisors give you the real world feel.

The mistake almost everyone makes

So what could go wrong when you make a decision on your own? According to Jen, it is something probably many people do - picking the camp a friend's child attends. "Everyone loves their camp (or should!)," she told me, "but every camp is not right for every kid."

Read the above paragraph again. As much as you want to send your child with a friend for comfort, make sure you do your own investigating. Your neighbor's glowing review may be real - but for HER kid. The question is never "is this a good camp?" It's "is this a good camp for mine?" The wrong-fit stories I hear almost always start with a camp somebody else's child loved.

Part of the problem, Jen says, is that the shopping itself is deceptively hard: "All camps look great on the website but understanding if it's a good fit for your kid can be tricky." That's where an advisor earns their keep - "we give you recommendations of camps we think would be right for your child, and we help you understand what questions you might want to ask directors so that you are comfortable that it's the right place."

Andrea hears the friend-trap constantly too: "The camp your best friend's child loves may not be the camp your child will love. Every camp has its own personality, culture and community, just like every child does," she explains. "Parents know their child, but they don't necessarily know the camps well enough to know which factors really matter when matching that child to a camp. You're not just looking for a great camp. You're looking for the right camp for your child and your family."

When to start (sooner than you think)

"Ideally, a camp search begins in the fall," Jen says. Starting now means time to research, talk to directors, and actually have your pick of sessions. Wait until spring, and your choices can start to narrow - you may end up choosing from what's available rather than what's the best fit.

And Jen points out a bonus for the families who start earliest: "some families do visit camps the summer before they enroll" - seeing a camp alive, mid-session, before ever committing.

If starting this soon sounds like a commitment, Andrea reassures, "Starting early doesn't mean you have to make a decision early. It means you have the time to really explore your options and figure out what feels right for your child and family." Shopping early costs you nothing - waiting is what costs.

Fall is when camps do their tours and open houses, when directors have time for your phone calls - the research season for 2027 and beyond is right now.

If your child's camp just closed

This fall, some families are starting a search they never expected to make. Families who suddenly need a new plan are hearing that some camps are filling fast. I asked Jen what she tells them.

"First and foremost, we recognize that seeing your happy place close is such a shock and so sad for everyone involved. While a new camp may not feel exactly the same, there is a camp that will welcome your child and be a wonderful experience," she says. "We want to understand what a family loved about their camp - activities, schedule, overall vibe and feel - and we can then make recommendations of camps that could be similar or completely different if they want to go in a new direction."

And if you're worried every camp is already full, Jen's answer is reassuring: "Camp enrollment season is here, and while some camps fill up right away, availability is always changing. Even camps that fill early may still have spots in a particular age group or session, and many have spots open up as families make changes to their summer plans. There are so many wonderful camps with plenty of availability - there is no reason to panic!"

Both pieces of Jen's advice fit together. Right now, in the fall, there is still plenty of room at wonderful camps - which is exactly why this is the time to start looking. Start now and you'll have the best chance of finding the perfect fit.

So: advisor, or do it yourself?

Honestly - both work, and they can work well together. An advisor brings years of knowledge and narrows the field to camps that fit your child. Ten for Two lets you see your options and compare and hear from the families who actually lived it. Tour with our free checklist, read what real parents say, and if you want a professional in your corner, now you know they exist - and what they're for.

Whichever way you go, the theme from every expert is the same: start early, and pick for YOUR kid - not your neighbor's.