Looking Ahead to 2022
As the official start of the camp season approaches, we at Camp Specialists are taking a minute to look ahead to Summer Camp 2022! We are following the data and would like to share our trend report as the weather heats up and families gear up for camp.
The Forecast – 2022 will be another hot camp season, sign up early to secure your spot.
First, A Look Back
The summer of 2020 was a lost season for most camps. In the throes of a global pandemic, most sleep away camps chose to sit the season out and wait for sunnier times. Parents who were hard hit with virtual school in the Spring had the double whammy of then becoming camp counselors for the Summer as well. We all grieved the lost s’mores, friendships, and fun away from home. A handful of camps did open though, and were extremely successful in creating a “bubble” and providing a wonderful summer for those campers. Camp tours were mostly virtual and prospective families met Camp Directors over Zoom, rather than in person.
This trend continued in the Fall, with a slow start to the camp sign-up season. July through September is typically the time when enrollment booms, but not this year. Parents who were already maxed out with various levels of homeschooling, were wary to commit to anything happening more than a month or two out. It was hard to imagine going to camp. A wait and see approach was in full-swing.
New Year, New Trend
The New Year brought hope and a vaccine, and then another vaccine. Camp Directors saw an immediate uptick in enrollment, a dim light that then grew and grew. As families saw the toll the pandemic was taking on kids socially and emotionally, camp became something that provided hope too. A hope for normalcy, a renewed hope for friendship, and time spent outdoors away from screens. And then all of a sudden, camps were filling up.
At Camp Specialists, we saw an immense jump in interest and enrollment in the late Winter and early Spring. New families were committing to camps sight-unseen, just glad to have the certainty of going to camp. They trusted in camp being safe and the best place for their kids to spend the summer. The promise of all that camp offers was even more attractive after quarantines, lockdowns, and isolation. According to Arlene Streisand, Founder and Director of Camp Specialists, 2021 became one of the strongest camp seasons on record. “Enrollment is at all-time highs, I haven’t seen anything like it in all my years.”
Outlook for 2022
The outlook for Summer 2022 is more of the same! With such strong enrollment this season, Camp Specialists expects the trend to accelerate through the Fall. You will have more campers re-enrolling, and those who put camp off this season will be joining as well. Not to mention those who get to tour in-person this summer and are now ready to commit to the following year. When you add up all of these groups, it makes for a potentially even bigger summer than 2021.
If your camper is happy, we recommend re-enrolling early to ensure that you have your spot. If you are a prospective family for 2022, we recommend touring (where possible) and making a decision by the end of the summer. If you are looking to change camps and start a new adventure, we are always here to help. The best camp for your child is out there, don’t delay and risk having fewer options to choose from. We at Camp Specialists are here to guide you through the process, every step of the way.
