Are you considering sending your child to a summer camp? Here are 10 reasons to support a decision to do so this summer!!

INDEPENDENCE & SELF-CONFIDENCE

Sending your child to an overnight summer camp allows for great opportunity for growth in independence. Most often, a summer camp is the first time many children are away from their parents for any extended period of time. This, in turn, allows for many other “firsts” for a child….being on a plane, making decisions about what to eat and what to participate in as well as who to choose to start friendships with. Once children make independent decisions and then find success in those decisions, they also gain more self-confidence!

NEW FRIENDS

Summer camp is a really unique environment where most children come from all different parts of the country and world as well as different cultures and parts of society. This has children broadening their world view and their friend groups in whole new ways. The fact that kids come to camp independent of their “school friend groups” has them open to cultivating new friendships faster. The close nature of camp activities has kids bond with camp friends quickly. This leads to larger friend groups that has kids coming back to camp year after year to see each other.

STRENGTHEN BONDS

Because camp encourages friendships that span across the country and kids bond in such a unique way, they also form great bonds with others that can last a lifetime. Camp friendships don’t get muttled down in the day to day drama that you may see with your child and their school friends. Because camp friends bond in such a positive environment, they have those memories and also excitement toward seeing each other year after year. They often  keep in touch across the miles in a unique way too and celebrate each other’s accomplishment helping your child to feel supported by more than their immediate friends and family members.

RESILIENCE & PROBLEM SOLVING

Going away to camp for the first time can be kind of scary for some kids. It does produce a lot of opportunity for kids to GROW from not knowing what to do, to making a decision, right or wrong, and then learning from those decisions. This leads to great problem solving and resiliency in ways that might not happen at home. Because they don’t have a parent at their decision making disposal, they are forced to think for themselves and that is so great!

GRIT

Many parents worry about their child being home sick if they go to camp. As a camp owner, I have seen many kids over the years at camp overcome the hurdle of being away from home for the first time. They ALWAYS feel proud and it shows in a way that you can tell they will take into their lives once back home. The grit that most develop or strengthen is undeniable.

SUPPORTS A UNIQUE INTEREST OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL YEAR

The school year is full of so many activities and deadlines. Things like homework, big projects, after school groups, sports, family activities and trips make it so that there is so little time to really DIVE into an interest for children these days. Summer camps give kids the opportunity to really dive into a specific area of interest that they may have when there is not enough time in the year to do so. Throughout your school year, pay attention to things they say about things they wish they could do more of to search out great summer camp options. They will thank you for listening when you bring them meaningful camp options as opposed to what you might choose for them otherwise.

NEW SKILLS - SAFE STRUCTURED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Once that camp is chosen, your child can focus on really learning something new about their unique interest because of the focused environment. Your camp should have a welcoming, encouraging environment that allows children to grow by tackling a problem with a skill that they haven’t been able to master or by learning new skills in the camp setting. Because they have more time and freedom during a camp, they can grow at a faster pace typically too.

MENTAL STIMULATION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

So many parents that I talk to (including myself) worry about their kids being unproductive and bored during the summer months. Summer camp provides children with engaging activities where they are meeting new people, experiencing how to communicate and interact with those people all while participating in physical activity to get their bodies moving away from “screens”. Summer camp can solve the concerns of parents just like me who worry about their children and what they will do in those long summer months!

WE GIVE PARENTS A BREAK!

Overnight camps allow parents to enjoy some time as adults while knowing that their children are being taken care of while having the time of their lives! 

When was the last time you had a break?

FUN & ENTERTAINING

Last, but certainly not least, summer camps can be FUN! Camp has so many benefits and finding the right one for your child will help you to know that your child can grow and benefit in so many ways! BUT, your child will LOVE camp if they are having fun so that should be your highest priority when searching for the right one. Have your child look at the information, the website of the camp and at the schedule of activities so they can be part of the decision process. It will be MORE FUN if they were the person who chose the camp. They will start to feel the sense of empowerment at the first point of contact with their chosen camp!