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(January 2005)
At the end of our first look at Scholastic Chess Resources (see the link box in the upper right corner of this article), we promised to take an additional look at chess camps.
Although we intended to list chess camps separately, as we were gathering our links we realized that most camps are associated with an established chess school.
We decided to list camps under Scholastic Chess (see the link box again or the column to the left of every page under 'Articles & Resources'), along with a special mention for schools that have an associated camp.
A few more camps are listed under Teachers / Trainers (link box again).
Chess camps are a special type of summer camp, like music camp or computer camp, that has become popular in the last few decades.
Since chess is an indoor activity, chess camps can be held throughout the year, whenever children have time off from school.
For general advice on summer camps and on sending a child to camp, we turned to other guide sites on the About.com network (link box).
- The Guide to Camping maintains links to camp directories as well as information about residential camps and day camps.
- The Guide to Parenting of Adolescents lists similar resources for camps targeting older children and teenagers.
- The Guide to Parenting of K-6 Children offers help in 'Making the Right Choice for Your Child', with younger children in mind.
- The Guide to Pittsburgh, PA discusses 'Selecting a Summer Camp : The major factors to consider include the type of camp, cost, size, location and activities', plus tips on 'Camp Preparation and Survival'.
In addition to considerations that apply to all summer camps -- like location, sleeping arrangements, medical facilities, price, and references -- there are a few that are specific to chess camps.
- Staff : What is the ratio of campers to counselors? How experienced are the teachers, both as chess players and as chess teachers? If your child is an experienced player, his needs will not be the same as a beginner.
- Participants : How old is the typical camper? How strong a chess player? Are there minimum requirements for prospective campers? Are parents allowed or encouraged to attend?
- Chess equipment : Pay attention to the camp's checklist of things to bring : are chess sets, clocks, and scorepads provided or not?
- Other activities : Learning chess taxes the mind. Since 'all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy', what other activities are offered? How much time is allowed for them?
No one knows your children better than you do. If they really are keen on chess and you want them to develop to their full potential, consider sending them to a chess camp near you.
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