You tip restaurant wait staff, the hotel concierge, your hairdresser, but is it really necessary to tip your kid’s summer camp counselor? Unfortunately, the answer isn’t a simple yes or no. And with summer’s end quickly approaching, you might be scrambling to figure out what amount — if any — you should be passing along to your child’s counselor. Here’s the lowdown on knowing when to tip, and when a handwritten thank-you note might be the best gift of all.

Review the Camp's Policies

“Each camp sets up their own guidelines on tipping,” says Peter Surgenor, president of the American Camp Association (ACA), which offers accreditation to camps across the country. “The ACA does not have a policy on tipping.”

If your child’s summer camp encourages gratuities, chances are you’ll find suggested amounts in the information about camp policies. And remember, tipping isn’t just for your child’s counselors, but also might be appropriate for other camp personnel like lifeguards, camp directors and nurses, to name a few.

Ask Other Parents

If your camp does have a set policy for tipping counselors, there may be some unwritten guidelines you might discover by talking to other parents. In general, you can expect that the more expensive the camp, the more you should tip.

“It’s not any different than if you’re dining at a fine restaurant,” says Jill Tipograph, the author of Your Everything Summer Guide & Planner. “You pay a gratuity based on the price of the food. The more expensive the food, the greater the tip.” She explains that tips can start at around $15-20 and up per staff member. The costs can add up quickly. For next year, Tipograph advises that parents look into tipping policies before they sign their child up for a camp to avoid surprise costs at the end of the summer.

Talk to the Camp Director

The quickest and easiest way to figure out whether to tip is to pick up the phone and call the camp’s director, explains Surgenor. “If the director says, ‘Yes,’ I would also encourage parents to ask about the philosophy behind tipping.” Surgenor, who’s been working at summer camps for over 30 years, currently works at a not-for-profit camp that has a strict no-tipping policy. “Our camp staff works hard to treat each child the same and to make that child feel welcome, not because we expect a gratuity, but because we care about a child’s development while in our care.”

Make the Amount Fit the Experience

“Even if there are tipping parameters suggested by the camp, a parent should adjust these based on how happy their kids were and if they really liked the counselor(s),” says Tipograph, whose two children have both spent time as camp counselors.

Tipping Indirectly

For camps that discourage gratuities, there are others ways to show your appreciation to your child’s counselor. Have your child write a thank-you note to the staffer. Along with his note, write a letter to the camp director expressing your thanks for the counselor’s good work. Those letters can help the counselor land a job at the camp next year. If you still feel the need to show your gratitude with cash, donate to the camp’s equipment, charitable or party funds.