Top 10 Summer Camp Registration Tips for Moms
I don’t know about you, but our first round of summer camp registrations starts in January and is more intense than booking Disney dining reservations! I’ve learned a lot over the last 3 years of summer camps, as Lady A attends summer camp 5 days a week for 8-10 weeks each summer. I have gathered my Summer Camp Registration Tips for Moms to help you navigate your camp registrations this year.
How do you find a summer camp that works for your family’s schedule, location, budget, and your child’s interests? And once you find the camp or camps of your child’s dreams, how do you ensure a spot for your child? For some of us, this is our child care for the summer and we must have camps in order to work! No worries. Plan ahead, get organized, and be confident in your summer planning with these Summer Camp Registration Tips for Moms.
Write Out Your Summer Plans
Print out a calendar and enter any vacations, last and first days of school, etc. This will help you figure out which weeks you need camps, and when you don’t. I would hate for you to sign up for a 2-week camp session only to find out you are on vacation for half of it and paying for a week of camp you won’t use.
I print my one-page summer calendar below, laminate it, and use it as a dry erase board to plan out the summer. When it comes to signing 2 kids up for 11 weeks of camp, there are so many moving pieces!
Free Printable One-Page Summer Calendar
This is a printable one-page monthly calendar for June-August that you can post in your home to keep everyone on the same page. We keep ours on the fridge so everyone knows who is where, and when.
How to Find Summer Camps
- Local Parks and Recreation website
- Local YMCA website
- Ask Mom friends
- Local Facebook Mom Groups
- Your child’s school
- Check in with the sport/activity your child already participates in to see if they offer summer camps
Choose Your Top Camps and Dates
Make sure the camp times, location, transportation, etc work for your family. If the camp has certain theme weeks that your child would really love, write the dates down and make those weeks your priority when signing up. Also, be sure your child is within the age range for the camp, and any other special requirements.
Save the Dates
Every camp’s sign-ups open at different times (and in different months) and many near us have waitlists within hours, if not minutes of opening registration. Find the camps you are interested in and add all of the sign-up dates to your calendar.
Write down cancellation dates too, just in case. Most camps have a specific window where you can cancel for a full refund and given you are likely signing up months in advance, things can change/happen so it’s good to have a note of that date.
Sign Up for Camp Emails
Some camps will allow you to sign up for their email list and be the first to know registration dates. Others give priority to their email list and you may even have extra time to sign up before dates are open to the general public. At a minimum, an additional reminder or two before registration day is always helpful!
Create Your Account in Advance
Our local Parks and Rec summer camp registration is insanely competitive and spots go fast. Makes sense, as it is a local option with amazing all-day hours, perfect for working parents. If the camp you are trying for requires an account and fills up quickly, create your account in advance. Be sure to write down your login info so you can access it that morning in the mad dash to sign up.
Registration Day
Check and double-check the date and time registration opens and put it in your calendar, with an alarm. Sign onto your computer and account early. The last thing you want is to try to hop on at 8 am just as registration opens, only to find out your computer isn’t charged, requires an update, you can’t find your password, etc.
Print/Screenshot Your Confirmations
Woohoo! You registered for the camps you wanted/needed! Be sure to save all of your confirmation emails, texts and any confirmation codes provided. This is great to have just in case.
We once had a situation where we were told we hadn’t signed up for the correct bus to camp but I had my confirmation showing that we had so they let Little A on the bus. IF I hadn’t saved that confirmation, it would have been my word against theirs and we may have had to drive her the 25 minutes each way to camp!
Save the Payment Dates
While some camps have you pay in full, others may only require a deposit and then have payment dates throughout the summer, before each session, etc. The last thing you want is to miss a payment, and jeopardize your child’s space at camp, so make a note or even better, set up auto payments if they offer that service. Be sure to write down payment dates and amounts so you aren’t caught off guard.
Plan for Next Year
Ugh I know, you just survived registration for this year, what am I thinking?! If there is a camp whose registration date you missed, your child wasn’t old enough this year or you hear about during the summer, write down the camp information for next year now.
Last July I heard about a local theater camp that I knew my daughter would love but it was too late for that summer. I went to their website to find out when registration opens, signed up for their email list, and made a note for this year. When the time came I had first dibs and got her a spot with no problem.
Summer Camp Registration Success!
I hope these tips helped empower you to approach summer camp registration with confidence and readiness. Streamlining the process has done wonders for me. As a visual person, plotting the summer out on a simple one-page calendar to keep things straight has been the most helpful tip I’ve learned. Good luck Mama! You’ve got this!
