How to Choose a Sleepaway Camp: Questions to Ask Every Director
Quick answer: Choose a sleepaway camp by checking accreditation, health care, how staff are hired and supervised, food and allergy handling, how families stay in touch, what tuition covers, and whether you can visit. Below are the questions to ask any camp director, with Camp Robin Hood's answers.
Is the camp accredited?
Look for accreditation from an independent body, and ask when it was last reviewed. Camp Robin Hood is accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA), the nationally recognized, independent benchmark for camp quality. ACA review covers hundreds of standards in health and wellness, safety, staff training and supervision, facilities and program quality. See our Dates, Rates & FAQs and our ACA camp profile.
How does the camp handle health care and medications?
Ask who staffs the health center, when it is open and how medications are given. Camp Robin Hood's Health Center is staffed with trained medical staff. Clinic hours are after breakfast, lunch and dinner. Medications are given at meals, based on the health forms families complete before camp, and are pre-packaged by PACK MY RX. The camp has a relationship with Memorial Hospital in North Conway.
Who will my child's counselors be?
Ask how counselors are hired, how many return and how they are supervised. At Camp Robin Hood, a majority of the leadership team and counselors were campers here themselves. Meet the team on our leadership page.
How are cabins and age groups organized?
Cabin groups at Camp Robin Hood are based on age, and every cabin mixes new and returning campers. About 35% of campers are new each summer, so a first-time camper shares those first days with other new and returning campers. More on our First-Time Campers page.
Is the camp coed, and how do boys and girls spend the day?
Camp Robin Hood is a brother/sister camp with a boys' camp and a girls' camp on separate campuses. Activities and sports are single gender, so most of the day is spent with friends from your child's group. Boys and girls may interact in a supervised way at Rest Hour in the Quad, and 15 and 16 year olds have supervised time together in the evenings. See Boys Camp / Girls Camp.
What is the food like, and how does the camp handle allergies?
Ask whether the camp is nut free and how it handles allergies and dietary needs. Camp Robin Hood is a nut-free camp, offers a vegetarian option at every meal and accommodates food allergies and restrictions. Campers eat three meals a day together in the dining hall, with a salad bar at lunch and dinner and fruit available all day.
How will we stay in touch with our child?
Camp Robin Hood does not have campers call home, other than a call on a camper's or parent's birthday (up to 10 minutes). Families are encouraged to write letters, and campers pick up mail daily. Packages are limited to necessary items such as clothes and books, with no food. The director and administration are available to parents by phone and email. See Dates, Rates & FAQs.
What if my child is homesick or has never been away?
Ask how the camp supports first-time campers. At Camp Robin Hood, new campers live in age-based cabins mixed with returning campers, are supported by experienced counselors, and learn to work through the ups and downs of group living. Parents can reach the director and administration with any concern during the summer. Read the First-Time Campers Q&A.
What does tuition cover, and what costs extra?
For summer 2027, tuition is $11,675 for the four-week first session and $17,000 for the seven-week full session. Tuition includes laundry, full towel service and medications regularly carried in the infirmary. It does not include transportation to and from camp, linens, horseback riding or a trip fee. Sibling discounts are 5% for a second child and 10% for a third when at least one camper is enrolled for the full session. Full details on Dates, Rates & FAQs.
Which session length and age range fit my child?
Camp Robin Hood welcomes boys and girls ages 6 to 16. The 2027 first session runs June 22 to July 18 and the full session runs June 22 to August 7.
Can we visit before we enroll?
Ask whether you can see the camp in session. Families considering Camp Robin Hood can arrange a private tour with Woody, the owner and director, while camp is in session. You see activities, walk through the bunks and meet the leadership team and counselors. Call 603-539-4500 or see Visiting Camp Robin Hood.
How long has the camp operated, and what is its culture like?
Camp Robin Hood has run on 180 acres in Freedom, New Hampshire since 1927, and summer 2027 is its 100th consecutive summer. It is a traditional, competitive camp: campers compete against other Lakes Region camps in every sport and most activities, with as much competition as a child wants. Campers come from across the US and from countries such as Spain, England and China.
Next steps
Call the camp office at 603-539-4500, request more information, or start your application. Already enrolled? Use our pre-camp checklist.
