Why the Best Camp for YOU Might Not Be the Best One for ME

Perhaps the most common way parents and kids find summer camps these days by searching online. And one of the most common search phrases they type into Google is, "Best Los Angeles Summer Camps" or some variation.

We're not surprised, and we certainly understand. There's no question every parent in the world wants only the best for their kids. The question, however, is this: Is there really an absolute BEST camp here in L.A.? Is there an absolute "best camp" anywhere?

The answer is both yes and no.

Why there's no single "BEST" L.A. Summer Camp

It would almost be impossible to say one camp is better than all the rest. Nobody could ever agree on that because there's so much subjective criteria involved. You might think one camp's the best because they have the lowest prices.  But your friend might think a different camp's better because they offer transportation.  There's just too many different elements to consider, and each one carries varying levels of importance to each person.  So saying this camp is better than that camp can't really ever be accurate  -- the elements that determine what makes a camp good or bad are just too personal from family to family.

Why there's DEFINITELY a "BEST" Camp for You

Now just because we can't make a blanket statement as to which camp is the best, here's the good news: There's certainly a potential "best camp" (or group of camps) for your child within the specific context of what you're looking for.  Here's what we mean.

Prior to beginning your camp search, you probably identified a specific list of features that are important to you in an L.A. summer program.  For your particular purposes, camps that meets that specific criteria would qualify as being among the best.

Here's an example. Let's say you're looking for an overnight camp in Pasadena. Once you locate this type of program in your camp search, suddenly you've found what could be the "best camp" for you. 

Comparatively, however, the family next door (for whatever reason) might be adamantly against sending their kids to a Pasadena overnight camp.  So they'd automatically rule that program out; that program would never come close to being the best camp for them, even though it could be the best one for you.

Everyone Has their Own Opinion About Which Camp is the Best

If you've read this far, hopefully you agree finding the best summer camp is purely a subjective process.  If I think mushrooms are the best tasting food in the world, but you personally hate mushrooms, there's really nothing in the world I could do to change your mind.  It's entirely personal preference.

So next time your friend says, "Hey, I just found L.A.'s best summer camp, let's sign up for it," you might want to check it out yourself. It might not be the best camp for you... but then again, maybe it could...