Most camp websites are marketing. They show the best photos, the best testimonials, and the broadest description of what they offer. That's fine — it's what they're supposed to do. But it means you have to do a little digging before committing real money and real weeks of your summer.
Here are the 10 questions worth asking.
1. What does a typical day look like, hour by hour?
Not "what's the curriculum" — hour by hour. This tells you whether kids are busy or bored, how transitions are handled, and whether free time is structured or unstructured. A camp that can't answer this question in specific terms hasn't thought it through.
2. What's the staff-to-camper ratio for this specific session?
The website might say 1:8. Ask whether that applies to the specific week you're booking, or whether it's a camp-wide average that varies by program. Also ask who's counting — do counselors-in-training count toward the ratio?
3. How do you handle a kid who's struggling socially?
This is the one question that separates camps that just supervise kids from camps that actually care about them. Every camp director should have a real, practiced answer. "We take it seriously" is not an answer.
4. What happens when it rains?
Outdoor camps especially. Some have solid rain plans. Others cancel activities, move kids inside to watch a movie, and call it a day. If your kid is enrolled in a nature or sports camp, this matters a lot.
5. What's the actual registration status right now?
Don't rely on the website. Websites update slowly. Call or email directly and ask whether there are spots available for your specific dates. If there's a waitlist, ask how long it is and how often spots open up.
6. What do kids eat, and where do they eat it?
Lunch logistics matter more than most parents expect. Is lunch provided or packed? Nut-free environment? Where do they eat — cafeteria, outdoors, at their station? If your kid has allergies, this conversation needs to happen before you register, not at drop-off.
7. What's the pickup/dropoff window?
Some camps are flexible. Some are strict — 15-minute windows, fees for late pickups, no early dropoffs. If you have a job with real hours, find this out upfront.
8. Has the curriculum changed recently?
Relevant for returning campers. If your kid did this program two summers ago, is it the same material? The best camps have advancement tracks so kids who come back are doing something new. Ask specifically.
9. Who do I contact if something goes wrong during the week?
Get a name and a phone number before your kid's first day. Knowing who to call when your child is sick, upset, or injured is not something you want to figure out in the moment.
10. Can I talk to a parent whose kid attended last summer?
Most camps will offer a reference if they're confident in their program. Some won't — and that's useful information too. Online reviews help, but a five-minute conversation with another Triangle parent who's used the camp is worth more than any testimonial on a website.
You won't need all 10 of these every time. For a repeat camp your kid loves, you probably only need #5 and #7. But for a new program you're not sure about, run through the list. The goal is to feel confident — not just hopeful — before you commit.
Browse Triangle camps at The Kid Planner and filter by what matters to your family.