With the brief months of summer approaching fast, many parents find they are now faced with a new task: keeping their kids responsibly looked after and entertained. While many turn to babysitters for parental supervision, summer camps are another popular choice, due to the wide variety of options available, including traditional camp, surf camp, basketball camp, and even film camp. Here are seven reasons summer camps seem to trump other childcare options.
1. The Environment is Welcoming.
Camps, even the non-traditional ones, are very supportive. They encourage kids to be who they are and to know who they are not. For instance, basketball camp isn’t for everyone, but even players with very little skill are still welcomed. Camps teach kids to acknowledge their weaknesses and to work to be better, not to be the best.
2. Try a new thing.
Camps encourage kids to venture out of their comfort zones and have new experiences. However, they also teach them how to persevere through activities they know they do not care for with good spirits. It’s important for kids to discover new habits and to respect ones that others like, even if they themselves don’t.
3. Learn independence.
Camp counselors are really good at giving kids the right amount of rein. Should a traditional route be taken, this newfound independence might be first discovered on a canoe ride. With no one else to row, the kids hold the paddles themselves and decide which end of the lake to explore.
4. Leadership skills
There are born leaders and born followers. The right influence separates leaders from dictators, and prevents followers from having submissive attitudes. Camp is a great place to learn how to be in charge and carry the group, not just yourself.
5. Stay Active and Interactive.
With so much technology available, kids can be guilty of staying cooped up inside, choosing only to play video games and text their friends. Camps show kids how to have fun outside without technology, and how to spend quality face time with friends.
6. Make Great Friends Outside of your Normal Circles.
It’s easy to fall into social cliques at school, excluding certain kids from your group. However, at camp, there are kids from all walks of life that are forced to be on teams together, to bunk together, and to eat together. It’s much more difficult to exclude people at camp, forcing kids to make lifelong friends outside of their normal circles.
7. Teamwork
Camp is commonly a competition. There are lots of games and teams. Camp counselors face off, and kids collaborate to win these games. Whether it’s editing a video, scoring a goal, or racing canoes, kids are practicing teamwork to accomplish those tasks.
Maybe it’s the connection between the counselors and the campers, the close friends, or the games they play, or maybe it’s none of that. Either way, camps seem to build character and strong moral principles in children, offering parental influence in a fun and enjoyable way. It’s no wonder parents and children everywhere opt for camp when summer rolls around.
