But here are the questions I ask parents when they’re trying to figure it out:
What’s school like for them?
Do they navigate new situations okay?
Have they done a sleepover without calling home in tears?
How did they do at day camp or other activities away from you?
How do they do brushing their teeth or taking a shower on their own?
Do they want to make friends? (If yes, they will make friends at camp.)
These aren’t pass/fail questions.
Readiness isn’t some binary checklist. It’s what comes out when you talk about your kid.
For the most part, I can say to parents some form of:
“Kids are more ready than you think.”
“And parents are less ready than they realize.”
“The first 24 hours? Yeah, uncomfortable. That’s just what it’s like to going somewhere new.”
“But we have amazing counselors, high staff ratios, and a community built to make sure the first few days of a new place don’t feel like it.”
“Your kid might be nervous. That’s normal.”
“Nervousness isn’t the same as 'not ready.'”
Too Late?
The other question: “Did we miss our chance?”
Parents worry their kid is too old to start. Or that everyone else has been coming since they were 8. Or that their kid won’t fit in with the established groups.
And I kinda love this question. Because where camp is concerned, it’s never too late.
Kids start at 7. At 10. At 14.
Every age has its own version of “firsts.”
And most camps are specifically designed for new kids to feel welcome.
Camp culture is kind. That’s not an accident.
Most camp kids are super nice. They’re looking for connection, not cliques.
So when a new kid shows up, the community does its thing. Staff help. Returning campers help. The structure helps.
Yeah, the first 24 hours might be uncomfortable. But we’re also getting Time To Fun down to zero. And by week two, when the Hidden Curriculum kicks in? New kids have friends. By week four? They’re leading songs.
The “too late” fear is almost never true. It’s just parents projecting their own anxiety onto their kid’s timeline.
Kids are adaptable. They make friends fast. They find their people.
The right time is whenever parents are ready to say yes.
What We Tell Parents
So when is the right age to come to camp?
And is it ever too late?
The perfect answers: “There is no right age.” & “No.”
Those are simple, succinct, and don’t really acknowledge the reality of each question.
When their kid is willing to try. When the parents are ready to let them.
Camp isn’t really about a number or a window. It’s about trust.
Yeah, some kids will struggle on day one. Some will love it immediately. Some will start at 7, some at 14.
All of it’s fine. All of it leads to the same place.
The reality is that parents want crystal-clear certainty. They want to know their kid will be happy and safe. They want to make the “right” decision.
But there’s no perfect timeline. Just the one that works for their family.
Most kids won’t love camp because they were “ready.”
But because they (and their parents) were ready enough.
You got this,
Jack
PS - We’ve got two (we think) awesome things going right now.
Write From Camp Substack → 1 free post per week. 3 posts total/ week. Real strategies, stories, tips, wins (some losses) about running camp.
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(Plus the Staff Training Blueprint as a thank you).