The American Camp Association (ACA) has listed three crucial components of a true camping experience:
- Intimacy with nature
- Authentic human connection
- Human-powered activities
The ACA said day camps that follow these three traditional camping pillars are “important” and provides this description of a quality summer day camp for kids: “a beautiful natural site where caring counselors help children create new connections and reach outside of their comfort zones to try new things. Laughter bubbles as jokes are shared and new friendships are built. Campers unplug from technology to commune with nature, realizing their roles in stewardship of the land. Skills develop throughout camp, both in physical things like swimming, horseback riding, and art and social/emotional things like teamwork, creativity, and self-confidence. Then, at the end of each day, a fleet of buses rolls out of camp, returning campers to their families.”
More benefits of day camp include these emerging skills:
- Making new friends outside of the school setting
- Being responsible for his or her belongings
- Trying activities that are new to him or her
- Taking risks in a secure environment
Camp staff can support your child as he or she expands horizons, forming a key building block to eventual and complete independence. They can gently encourage your child to step out of his or her comfort zones to take positive risks and the staff can partner with parents in this growth experience. For example, with day camp, the child has the opportunity to share accomplishments and obstacles with parents each night, giving the parents a chance to make suggestions for solutions. Together, day camp staff and parents can encourage the qualities of respect and responsibility.
“Camp parents,” the ACA article said, “are often pleasantly surprised with their child’s growth during an experience at camp, and a nightly look at the positive changes camp has given one’s child is rewarding for any parent. One camp mother says she was impressed by how camp ‘motivated [her children] to be empathetic and helpful toward others,’ and another shared that her child’s experience as a counselor-in-training ‘encourages selflessness and patience.’”
Here are more benefits of summer day camp. Children can:
- Learn how to interact with others
- Gain problem-solving skills
- Develop their gifts
- Think and act beyond self
- Give back to others
- Develop leadership skills and public speaking skills
Plus, let’s face it: They’re fun!
Day camp also provides advantages to parents. They are an affordable alternative to overnight camps and, because you can sign up early for summer camp 2018 at Horizon Education Centers, you can have the peace of mind of knowing that your children will have quality care during the upcoming summer.
Early Registration for Summer Camp 2018
Watch for more news about summer camp 2018 in our emails and blog posts, including the many ways we provide opportunities for your children to enjoy the beauty of nature. There are many advantages to signing up early to get your child into a summer day camp program with benefits that can last a lifetime.
