They all look great. While summer camps may have beautiful settings and great activities, it's the people behind those features that make the difference between a high quality program and one that's not up to par. For that reason, it's very important that you get to know the camp director, either through a personal visit or by telephone or mail. Through your conversations, your goal is to learn more about the camp's philosophy and how it is carried out through the staff.
Many camps promote competition and friendly rivalry.
Others emphasize programs that are inclusive of all campers and where performance, at most, is secondary. Ask if it would be possible to visit the camp before enrolling your child. Ask if the camp is accredited by the American Camping Association. If not, ask what led to the decision not to seek accreditation. For guidelines on acceptable standards and appropriate responses to these questions, see ACA - Questions to Ask a Camp Director .