For Long Island parents, picking a summer camp is not really about activities. It is about trust. When you drop your child off on that first morning, you need to know the people watching over them are qualified, prepared, and accountable. You need to know the program has been held to a real standard, not just their own word for it.
At Camps ‘R’ Us, we have been a fixture of the Long Island community since 1993. As a family-owned, ACA-accredited private day camp, we believe parents deserve a clear picture of what “safe” means. Here is what to look for when you are evaluating any summer program.
Why Summer Camp Accreditation Matters
Not all camps are held to the same standards, and state licensing alone sets a low bar. The benchmark worth looking for is accreditation from the American Camp Association (ACA). Unlike basic licensing, ACA accreditation is voluntary and rigorous. It requires camps to meet up to 300 standards covering health, safety, staffing, and program quality, and it involves regular peer review to make sure those standards are being maintained.
Camps ‘R’ Us is proud to be ACA-accredited. Every one of our nine Long Island campus locations is reviewed on a regular basis. For our families, that accreditation is not a badge on a website. It is proof that an outside organization has looked at what we do and confirmed we are doing it right.
Staff Training: Beyond the Basics
A camp is only as good as the people running it. Many programs hire seasonal staff with minimal vetting and call it a summer. A professional day camp invests in its team before the summer starts.
At Camps ‘R’ Us, every counselor and staff member goes through rigorous background checks and screenings before they ever set foot on a campus. From there, our team participates in intensive pre-summer training that covers:
- Safety and Supervision: How to monitor campers effectively across our school campus facilities, manage group transitions, and keep activities running safely.
- First Aid and CPR: Qualified personnel are always on hand to handle everything from a scraped knee to a more serious situation.
- Professionalism: Our staff are trained educators and mentors, not just summer help. They facilitate our programs, including Explorers®, Campers, and Tiny Tots®.
Safety Standards on Campus
Because we operate through exclusive school partnerships, our campers spend their days in familiar, professionally maintained indoor and outdoor environments. Our safety protocols are built specifically for these campus settings.
- Emergency Procedures: We have established response plans for weather events, medical situations, and other emergencies. Staff are trained to act decisively and calmly.
- Health Protocols: We maintain strict hygiene and sanitation standards throughout the summer, including structured handwashing routines and monitoring for signs of illness.
- Strict Supervision: Our staff-to-camper ratios are kept low so that no child is ever left without direct adult supervision during any activity.
One more thing worth knowing: Camps ‘R’ Us is a dedicated day camp. We do not provide transportation. Families drop off and pick up their children directly, which means your child is in your hands at the start and end of every single day.
Parent Checklist: Questions to Ask Any Camp
When you visit a program or speak with a director, bring these questions with you:
- Are you ACA-accredited? If not, ask why. Accreditation is voluntary, and a serious program pursues it.
- What is your staff-to-camper ratio? Lower is better. Ask how that ratio holds across different activities and parts of the day.
- How do you vet your staff? Ask specifically about background checks and what pre-summer training looks like.
- How do you handle medical emergencies? A well-run camp has a clear, practiced answer to this. Vagueness is a red flag.
- Is this a licensed camp? Camps ‘R’ Us is fully licensed by New York State. Every program operating in New York should be able to confirm the same.
Red flag: Be cautious of any program that cannot clearly describe its emergency procedures or that lacks a structured, professional environment. A fun summer and a safe summer are not competing priorities. The right camp delivers both.
Choose Long Island’s Most Affordable Accredited Private Day Camp
Choosing a camp should not feel like a gamble. With a 30-plus-year track record, ACA accreditation, and nine Nassau and Suffolk county locations, Camps ‘R’ Us gives Long Island families a summer they can feel good about before the first day even begins.
Questions? We would love to talk. Call us at 516-935-2267 or visit us online to learn more about our programs and locations.