Parent-Approved Camp 2026

The seal Virginia families trust

earned through honest reviews from real camp parents

Virginia Summer Camp Parent-Approved Seal

what it is

Parent-Approved Camp is a free recognition program

When a camp builds a strong record of reviews from verified parents, it earns the Parent-Approved Camp seal: a badge you can add to your website, social media, brochures, and emails to show families you're among the most-loved camps in Virginia. There are no fees and no application to fill out. You earn the trust of the parents you already serve, and you let their words speak for you.

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HOW THE PROGRAM RUNS EACH YEAR

Parents can leave a review any time of year. Once a year, though, we recognize a new class of camps together. Each summer and into early fall, we open a review window and invite families to weigh in. After it closes, we tally the results and announce the year's Parent-Approved Camps. It's a public reveal, with a badge for every camp that makes the list and a press announcement they're welcome to share. Making the list means your camp is one of Virginia's most-loved as families head into enrollment season. And if you miss the window, you haven't missed your chance. Camps can qualify all year long, so any camp that reaches the standard later simply joins the next class at the following reveal.

Key dates for the [2026] class:

- Review window opens: August 1

- Review window closes: September 15

- Class announced: November 12

HOW CAMPS EARN THE SEAL

There are four steps:

1. Get listed. Claim your free listing on VirginiaSummerCamp.com, or create one if you're not on the site yet.

2. Invite your families. Send your camp parents a link and ask them to leave a star rating and a sentence or two about their experience.

3. Reach the standard. Once your listing has at least 10 verified parent reviews and an average of 4.8★ or higher, you've earned the seal.

4. Display it. Add your badge to your site and your channels, and link it back to your camp's profile. 

That's all there is to it. Most camps reach the standard in a single season simply by asking the families who already love them.

WHAT YOU GET

When your camp makes the list, you'll receive the official Parent-Approved Camp 2026 seal in both web and print-ready formats, along with a featured spot on our public [Parent-Approved Camps list], where families come to decide where to send their kids. We also give you a copy-and-paste embed code, so the badge goes live on your site within minutes. Because the seal comes from parents rather than from us, it carries real weight in your emails, flyers, and social posts. And it renews each year: keep your reviews current, and you carry the seal into the next season.

For Parents:

Loved Your Camp? Tell Other Families.

Choosing a summer camp is one of the biggest decisions we make as parents, and nothing
helps more than hearing from a family who's been there. If your child had a wonderful summer, please take a minute to leave a review. Your honest words help the next family find the right fit, and they help wonderful camps get the recognition they've earned.

Leave a Review

Invite Your Families

You don't have to find the words. Here are a few to make it easy. Just add your details and send. The best time to ask is a week or two after a session wraps up, while the summer is still fresh in everyone's mind, and one friendly reminder a week later usually doubles your responses.

Email to parents

Subject: Two minutes to share your camper's summer?
Hi [First Name], we loved having [Camper Name] at [Camp Name] this summer, and we'd be so
grateful for your help. Would you take two minutes to share your experience in a quick review?
Your words help other families find the right camp for their kids, and they help us earn the
Parent-Approved Camp seal from VirginiaSummerCamp.com. [Leave a review: your link]. Thank
you for a wonderful summer, The [Camp Name] Team

Social post

Parents, did your camper have a great summer with us? We'd love to hear about it! A quick
review takes about two minutes and helps other families discover [Camp Name], plus it helps us
earn our Parent-Approved Camp seal from VirginiaSummerCamp.com. Link in bio. Thank you!

Text message

Hi [First Name]! Hope [Camper Name] had a blast at [Camp Name] this summer. Would you
leave us a quick review? It means a lot and takes two minutes: [your link]

Friendly reminder, about a week later

Just a gentle nudge in case you missed it. If you have a moment, we'd still love your review of
[Camper Name]'s summer at [Camp Name]. Thank you! [your link]

Faq's

Camps in Virginia

Yes, completely. Earning and displaying the Parent-Approved Camp seal costs nothing.

That depends on how quickly your families respond. Many camps reach 10 reviews within weeks of sending the invite link to their parent list.

Yes. We count reviews from real, verified parents, so the seal stays meaningful for the families who rely on it.

The seal is tied to the 2026 season. To carry it forward, keep collecting reviews so your profile stays current from one year to the next.

Reviews are accepted year-round, but to count toward a given year's class, they need to arrive before that year's review window closes. See the key dates above.

Once a year, after the review window closes. See the key dates above. Camps that qualify after the announcement are added to the next class.

We reserve the right to remove the seal from any camp whose reviews are found to be fraudulent or whose verified rating falls below the program standard.

Absolutely. Claim or create your free listing first, then start gathering reviews.

A young camper smiling with parents in background

Claim your camp, invite your parents, and earn your Parent-Approved Camp seal this season.

Claim Your Camp