Summer Camp abroad
Summer camp in Puerto Vallarta
I had a dream of wanting my kids to attend summer camp in a Spanish-speaking country so that they would speak more Spanish, and my husband and I could rest and relax while on vacation with our 2 young kids (3 and 5). We spent 2 weeks in Puerto Vallarta this past summer because there are convenient flights there and places with beach and pool access. We also wanted our kids to learn how to swim and wanted easy access to kid-friendly activities. We decided to stay in a condo (Icon Vallarta) because this way the kids would not only be exposed to other vacationing Mexican families and not just English-speaking tourists, we also got the benefit of a concierge to help with the camp-finding mission. It was indeed a mission, but we got there in the end!
Why to send kids to summer camp in a Spanish-speaking country while on vacation
The more pure immersion environment improves their language skills - both understanding and speaking - for older kids this could include literacy as well
Especially since the other kids don’t speak English, this will motivate the kids to try to communicate with them in Spanish (even if it is a challenge)
Summer camp gives you as the adults a chance to relax and enjoy your vacation while still giving you plenty of time with your kids
Some tips for making it happen
Having someone local to help you find opportunities is very important/helpful (the concierge at the condo we rented helped us find 2 of the 3 options we eventually found after many weeks/hours of research)
At least in Mexico more information is available on Facebook and Whatsapp than websites
It’s best to find a camp that’s close to where you’re staying - check the map carefully!
Some challenges to consider
It can be more mentally and emotionally taxing for the kids to attend camp in an unfamiliar place in a language they’re not as comfortable with (this can be mitigated some with a stronger base in the language going into it, having some familiarity with the camp itself and the location, having a more risk taking/outgoing temperament etc.)
It can be stressful not knowing much about the camp or having a chance to tour beforehand (we weren’t able to see the location because the staff were on vacation the week before camp started which was when we were in town and could have visited)
It can be stressful leaving your kids crying in an unfamiliar place
The dates of the camps are often not published as far in advance as necessary for booking trips (information slowly trickled out starting in the Spring, but final dates and information weren’t confirmed until late June - we traveled mid/late July-early Aug. So we didn’t have anything set until rather close to our departure date)
The dates of the camps don’t always align well with your own school schedule (ex. the camps we found in PV were all available from July 31-Aug 25. Our kids’ schools started mid-Aug and we wanted to get back with enough time to adjust back to being home before starting, so they only had 4 days of camp in the end)
If your kid still naps this can be an issue (one of ours naps and the other doesn’t, so the one that wasn’t getting his nap struggled a lot in the afternoons, so much so that we took them out at lunch time the last day so he could come back and nap!)