The 30th Annual Westchester Camp Fair will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel at 66 Hale Avenue in White Plains on February 5th from noon until 3:00pm with nearly triple the number of camps represented over last year. More than 50 day camps and sleep away camps will be on hand to meet and greet parents and talk about the great benefits camping offers to children and teens. In addition to speaking with camp directors, parents will have an opportunity to participate in two seminars this year, "Selecting a Sleep Away Camp - Panel Discussion" and "How to Choose the Right Camp for Your Child."

Parents will have a broad selection of camps to review; including local American Camp Association (ACA) accredited camps, specialty groups offering activity-specific one week programs, and sleep away camps from New York, Maine, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania. The Fair offers parents a uniquely efficient way to learn about multiple camp options and the best choices for their child's specific interests.

The Camp Fair will run from noon until 3:00 pm with informational booths open the entire time. The seminars will be held as follows:

1:00 PM Selecting a Sleep away Camp - Panel Discussion by Maine Camp Experience

2:00 PM How To Choose The First Camp for Your Child—Catherine Perlman, PhD, The Family Coach

"We are excited to host the Camp Fair this year," stated David Miller, owner of NYMetroParents, which publishes several parenting magazines including Westchester Parent, Rockland Parent, Fairfield Parent, Big Apple Parent, Nassau Parent, Suffolk Parent, Brooklyn Parent, and Queens Parent.  "To assist in the complex search to find the right camp, we have also created an online tool to help parents review and select a camp for their child or children at www.westchestercampfair.com."

The Camp Fair, the oldest and largest in the tri-state area, is expected to draw over 500 parents from the tri-state area this year. There is no charge for admission but those interested can get more information or register on line at www.westchestercampfair.com . Those who register in advance will be eligible to win an iPod. For more information call (914) 397-0200.

According to the American Camp Association (ACA) more than 12,000 day and sleep away camps exist in the U.S.; about 40% of those are day camps a number which has grown by nearly 90% of the over past 20 years. Each year more than 11 million children and adults attend camp. In the past 10 years there has been an increase in the use of international staff to expose campers to different cultures.

In terms of programming 88% of ACA-accredited camps offer swimming, 48% offer horseback riding, 22% offer wilderness programs, 12% travel/tour programs, 57% teambuilding, and 21% community service. The newest program additions in recent years are challenging and adventurous activities, including high and low ropes courses, climbing walls, zip lines, backpacking, mountain biking, and cave exploring. In an ACA survey, over half of the camps reported having community service or good deed programs incorporated into their programs including community clean-ups, food drives, recycling programs, and volunteering with senior citizens and hospital patients.

According to the ACA, parents cite the following as the most important reasons for sending their children to camp: camp helps build self-confidence and self-esteem; camp is a safe environment; camp is a place to build social skills and make friends and ACA's opinion research shows that parents see fun and safety as most important to the camp experience.

A portion of the proceeds of this Camp Fair will be contributed the Elana Hadassah White Plains Chapter. The Camp Fair, hosted by NYMetroParents which is owned by Davler Media, will be held on February 5th from noon until 3, there is no charge for admission but those interested can get more information or register on line at www.westchestercampfair.com . Those who register in advance will be eligible to win an iPod. For more information call (914) 397-0200.

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