Day Camp v. Sleepaway: The Difference Is Night and Day

Dale Grossman, who is currently works in the financial services industry, has fond memories of her summer camp days. Not only did she have both day and sleepaway experiences, but in college Grossman worked as a counselor at both types of camps.

She attended the 9-to-5 variety from Pre-K through age 8. Then, after second grade began spending her summers in a bunkhouse she shared with six other girls.

Grossman said day camp was a nice introduction to camp life.

“Looking back, my first summer at sleepaway camp, I was a little too young, but I was desperate to go because I have an older sibling who was going. So obviously, I just wanted to do the same. But I think maybe one more year of day camp would have worked better for me. Because once you’re gone, you’re gone for two months, and it’s a big adjustment at 8.”

When discussing the social dynamics, Grossman described sleepaway as “a completely different world because you’re living with people, 24/7, and there are no adults, except for a handful; your counselors are in college.”

Just as day camp was a good prep for her sleepaway years, she says sleepaway was a great prep for college. “You’re living with strangers, and you have to engage, be together all the time. You have a deeper bond; you learn how to disagree, you get on each other’s nerves, and you work through it. You’re together in your own world.” Because of that closeness, she calls her sleepaway relationships “forever friends.”

Grossman does admit that homesickness happens, but because everyone experiences it at some point, you can be honest about it “because everyone understands.”

As far as the variety of activities goes, she thinks both day and sleepaway are pretty evenhanded. “They have the same options,” but she pointed out that sleepaway has nighttime activities that, of course, day camp can’t offer. And the pacing is a bit different because at day camp, “your day is ending at a certain time” because buses back home are on a schedule.

Grossman also pointed out that she thought sleepaway was a nice diversion for her parents as well. They could go on a kid-free vacation and have date nights whenever. “You have kids and want to go out, but can’t find a babysitter. With us at camp, they didn’t have to be home by a certain time. It’s enjoyable for everybody to have a little break.”

Even so, she mentions that her parents stayed engaged because “the camp did make us write home each week” and there was, of course, an official visiting day and other opportunities for parents to go there, such as when the camp was putting on a play.

So, would recommend one experience over the other? Grossman advises, “It’s the age, really. I would 100 percent recommend [sleepaway] to everyone, at least try it once, if a kid’s 9 or 10. It doesn’t even have to be for the whole two months. You could choose two weeks. If you hate it, you don’t have to go back. But even if you don’t like it, it’s still an experience. Finding out what you don’t like in itself is a growth thing. Go to day camp instead. Absolutely, just go to camp.”

Lorraine Duffy Merkl is a frequent contributor and novelist.