The Advantages of Going to a Summer Camp
Attending children’s summer camp is among the most popular ways for kids to spend their summer vacation. This is unsurprising since traditional summer camp activities have been favorites since time immemorial. Below is a list of some of the advantages of going to a summer camp, and we will address possible disadvantages as well.
Chief of all advantages might be the valuable life skills that are there to be learned at camp. There are some things that cannot be taught in schools but still need to be learned to ensure one’s capability to navigate through life. These life skills, such as making the right decisions and discovering and relying on one’s abilities are more fully learned by children at camp. The rewards of good decisions are plentiful, and the consequences of mistakes are less painful and lasting in a camp environment.
Known talents are developed and new ones are discovered. Children’s summer camps offer various activities designed to develop one’s talents and reveal new ones that might have remained untapped in school. From ways to live in direct connection with nature to creative arts and crafts, going to camp ensures the development and discovery of one’s innate gifts through experience a camper cannot have anywhere else.
Lifelong friendships are made. There’s no better way to make new friends and foster lifelong bonds other than going to a summer camp and spending a few weeks with other people. Common challenges successfully met and sheer good fun make for lasting friendships and memories.
Social skills improve at summer camp because camp offers such pure social opportunity. Spending weeks away from home – outside one’s circle of family and friends in a nonthreatening environment – encourages a camper to interact with and rely on others, thereby improving one’s social skills.
Something new is learned. No matter how many after-school and weekend activities a child is involved in, there will always be something new to learn when going to summer camp, such as a new skill, a new craft, new songs or even a new sport that one has not had the opportunity to play before.
Physical fitness is promoted in camp. Obesity in children is an alarming health-related issue for Americans today. Whether or not a camper has a problem with weight, going to a sleep away camp or an overnight summer camp is a good thing because of the opportunity they provide for healthy lifelong habits involving eating and exercise. Summer camps generally include quite a number of physical activities that make exercise a pleasure, from team and individual sports to “adventure” activities like hiking and canoeing. Camp activities are not only fun to do but they provide a camper with a good physical workout that he or she will just think of as having fun.
Separation anxiety may arise. This possibility may be thought of as a disadvantage. Kids may find it difficult to be away from their family at first and homesick campers are not uncommon, especially for first time campers. Parents need to make sure that a prospective camp has a well trained, camper oriented staff with an understanding of the techniques for helping a new camper overcome this temporary challenge. Some camps have special programs for first time campers created with this purpose in mind.
Peace of mind for parents is a something a good summer camp strives to earn and deserve. Accredited camps must comply with and abide by a lengthy list of safety standards. No matter how safe a camp is, parents will still be concerned about the welfare of their children. Unlikely accidents may still occur, and harassment can happen wherever kids congregate even with the best preventative measures in place. Parents need take the time and care to talk with the camp directors and staff members about how these issues are addressed. Directors and staff members who take the time to discuss these areas thoughtfully are likely to respond to every situation just as thoughtfully on behalf of every camper.
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