Summer camp is a long-term fixture in the American childhood. If you grew up going to summer camp, you are probably excited at the thought of all that your child is about to experience at summer camp. If you didn’t, you might be wondering if it’s really worth the expense and the fear of homesickness. Well, we’ve brought you our five top reasons why your child should go to summer camp this summer.

Summer camp fosters self-growth

At school and even at home, children can be given labels which define and restrict their personality. But at camp children begin with a clean slate. Far away from the ‘box’ that teachers and schoolmates have put them into, summer camp gives children the opportunity to discover themselves.

Simply spending time in nature is calming and encourages introspection, while being unplugged from tech grants children the mental space to think more deeply about themselves and their role in life. Summer camp is an unpressured environment where children are free to uncover new talents and learn new skills. At summer camp, children can risk trying something new without fearing the consequences of failure, strengthening their self-confidence and self-advocacy.

Summer Camp Builds Life Skills

Children go to school to learn the core curriculum, but they go to camp to learn life lessons. Away from their parents children can become more independent with the safety net of support from counselors. Summer camp encourages conflict resolution skills, as children have to learn how to get along with one another in a small space without parents to step in and fix things. Teamwork and leadership skills are learned through the campfires and lanyard-making and swim time of camp. When campers try, try and try again to master a new dance move or learn a new song, they are learning far bigger skills of perseverance and that all-important quality of resilience.

Summer Camp Builds Lifelong Friendships

 

The best friends are made in bunks. Ask any former camper and they’ll tell you that some of their closest friends are from camp. Sharing a bunk forces children to develop a tolerance for difference. Often the fellow camper who most annoyed them at the beginning becomes your child’s closest friend. They have no choice but to work out their differences and accept each other’s quirks. As one of our own campers said “Without technology, you have to look each other in the eye and talk about what’s bothering you”. In a cramped bunk, children have to learn to respect each other’s possessions and personal space. The social and interpersonal skills which are so important for success in later life are fostered at summer camp.

Summer Camp Makes Children Move

21st century children are mostly sedentary. They sit through their lessons, they are driven to and from school by parents or on a school bus, and when they get home they slump over their phones or in front of the computer. In camp, though, that all changes. Activities like swimming, canoeing or rope parks make kids excited to get moving. Even just crossing the large, open spaces of the camp grounds gives kids exercise that they don’t get all year round. Getting more exercise makes our children healthier mentally and emotionally as well as physically, while the fresh air adds to their mental well-being.

At Summer Camp, Kids Have Fun

Not everything needs a deeper reason. Our children spend most of their lives in a structured framework, from school to extra-curricular enrichment. They need time when they can just have fun. Not every activity has to be educational. Summer camp is a time when kids don’t have to worry about grades, competition or moving on to the next level. Free from the pressure to succeed, summer camp lets our children just be children.

There are many more reasons to send your child to summer camp. What matters is to choose the camp that’s the best fit for your child. At Camps Airy & Louise we have a tradition of excellence that’s nearly 100 years old. We offer our experience to new parents trying to make a first-time camp decision for their child. Contact us at 1-410-466-9010 or via this email form and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.

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