Navigating summer camp sign-up, schedules

WASHINGTON — Summer camp is all fun and games for the kids who get to attend, but planning for camp can be a real headache for parents – especially working parents who use camp as an answer to child care woes during the summer months.

What makes planning for “camp season” so stressful?

For starters, the sheer cost of camps – both overnight and day. The average ranges from $200 to $500 a week for day camps. Overnight camps can be in the thousands.

The second obstacle is timing. Many camps don’t last all day, and a 3 p.m. release is a nightmare for parents who work 9 to 5.

Another complication many parents experience is finding camp schedules that line up to fill all 10 weeks of summer vacation – some last two weeks; some are only be offered on certain dates and some might run mid-week, say, Wednesday to Wednesday.

And while this winter’s snow days have added some extra days to school calendars, the kids will be running amok, shouting, “No more pencils, no more books

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