If you haven't started already, now is the time to research and register your kids for either a privately- or publicly-run summer camp. February is the traditional registration month, but it's not too late to find great sport-specific or general sporting camps for your kids now. Wait past March, however, and you may be searching Care.com for a summer nanny!

Even if your child doesn't play organized sports during the year at school, sporting camps are a great way to get them outdoors and moving actively in the nice weather. (And, away from the video games, TV, and computer!)

Not sure where to start? Check these out:

American Camping Association
The best general website I've found for matching your child with the right camp is run by the American Camping Association. Their "Find a Camp" section features advanced search tools with all the possible selection criteria, and then returns only accredited programs. You can search by targeted focus (such as sports camps or visual & performing arts camps), specialty (such as weight loss), special needs (such as allergies or autism)—even by affiliation with trusted organizations, like the YMCA or Board of Education. You can even refine by location, cost, length of stay, single sex versus coed, day camp versus sleepover, and age of campers!

General Sporting Camps
Another great way to find general summer sports camps is by checking with your child's school, their existing coaches, local recreation departments, or with other parents in your neighborhood.

Camp All-Star, for instance, is a highly-recommended coed sleepover camp with "campuses" in Maine (at the Kent's Hill School in Augusta) and Tennessee (at the Baylor School in Chattanooga). Campers are encouraged to "major" in two sports: Maine offers ice hockey, basketball, soccer, baseball, and tennis; Tennessee offers basketball, baseball, soccer, swimming, diving, and tennis. Both campuses offer additional "minor" sports, as well, including track and field, lacrosse, flag football, and more.

Camps like All-Star are a great way for kids to experience the outdoors, make new friends, and learn from college role models while gaining independence away from their parents and siblings. But publicly-run day camps are also a fantastic option, and are usually lower-priced. Many times they allow kids to go to camp with their friends from school or their neighborhood, too, so they don't feel like they're "missing anything" back at home during summer break. Check with your local YMCA, Boys & Girls Club, or town / city hall for more information on general sporting camps in your area.

Sport-Specific Camps
For single-sport summer camps, such as football, figure skating, soccer, or basketball, for instance, there are three great ways to find the highest-quality instruction:

1. National sporting organizations. By contacting the national governing body for the sport your child is most interested in, like US Soccer or the United States Figure Skating Association (USFSA), you can usually find contact information for the most reputable camps and training programs--ones their stars may have even attended—and can sometimes get a list of all programs.

2. Professional sports teams. If you live in a major city with a pro sports team matching your child's sport of interest, contact their offices or check out their official website for a list of recommended camps. Many organizations host their own summer programs or camps, like the Sixers Camps run by the Philadelphia Sixers or The Matt Light Camp, run by the Matt Light Foundation and featuring players from the New England Patriots.

3. Universities and colleges. Many college athletic departments host their own summer sports camps, as a way for their college stars to get experience coaching and to utilize the vacant dormitories and facilities during summer break, which are usually a little lower in price than private general sporting camps. The University of Notre Dame, for instance, offers almost 20 different programs for girls and boys with both day camp and sleepover options, and Bentley College is renown for its basketball camps, featuring players from the Boston Celtics, as well as its volleyball program. Check with your local college, university, or board of education for offerings in your area.

Are sports and activities a little daunting for your child, or just not your family's cup of tea? Check out my previous blog posts from last summer on planning for summer child care or finding an academic summer camp.

Have tips and advice on finding the summer camp for your child or planning for kids' summer activities? Share it with the Care.com community by posting a comment!

Cheers,
Sheila