When you’re a kid, the very best time of year is the first day of summer vacation.  Nearly three months with no school, and it seems like you can never get bored swimming, eating ice cream, and playing with friends.

Of course, the reality is that most kids do get bored pretty quickly during the summer, and start bugging their parents relentlessly for things to do.  At this point, parents in the history of summer vacations usually try one of the following:  give the kids a reading list of books to finish before school starts; give them chores around the house; send them to a friend’s house; send them off to summer camp.

For some kids, summer camp is a dream, for others, a nightmare.  Some kids love getting away from their parents, spending time in the woods and doing things they don’t normally get to do.  Other kids see it as absolute torture, hating to be away from home, hating to do things they have no interest in.

So of course the solution is that if you’re sending your kids to summer camp, pick one that fits them.  There are camps that cater to a huge variety of sports and hobbies.  If you send your child to a camp that fits their interests, you may just have to drag them home.

And camp can also be educational.  Though it has an unfortunate slang name of “fat camp,” kids can go to a camp that will help them learn about a healthy lifestyle.  And as long as you don’t refer to it as “fat camp,” kids can have a great time and change their life, all in one summer.