At summer camp, kids learn teamwork, according to an article in HuffingtonPost.com, with the me-me-me focus turned outward, towards something bigger. Children learn how relationships benefit when they invest time into working together.
And, that’s only one of the ways that children benefit from summer camp. The article shares how camp also fosters resilience and builds confidence, helping children to develop good decision-making skills, overcome obstacles, find the courage to try new things, step out of comfort zones and to grow up and mature, overall.
Metro.Us shares even more benefits of sending your kid to summer camp, including a break from technology. In today’s world, one where “children are constantly consumed by their digital devices,” camp provides a much-needed break. Instead of texting, they’re making eye contact and communicating with one another, face to face. Some camps, of course, do allow some screen time, especially if they have a focus on photography or coding, but many do not.
Children gain life skills, because teamwork and cooperation are in increasing demand in the workplace. Plus, as the article points out, employers don’t want people who can simply take standardized tests. Instead, they want people with grit and determination, characteristics that are developed at camp.
Finally, summer camp is fun! During the school year, children often don’t get enough time to simply play. Kids, the article says, “are supposed to be getting their hands dirty, trying to climb that rock wall or learn that new game . . . camp gives children this really valuable thing that we don’t value so much anymore . . . which is simply, ‘Let kids just be kids.’”
Point/Counterpoint
In the New York Times, there is an interesting, thoughtful debate that was published, with the topic being whether or not to send kids to camp. Author Bruce Feiler is firmly on the pro-camp side, saying summer camp gives his children time away from home where he is “an unabashed, full-throttle, fully engaged dad.” He applauds the opportunity for his children to test boundaries while learning new skills. He appreciates the instruction they’ll receive, the traditions they’ll become part of, including “Campfires, songs, ghost stories” and more that they won’t get at home. They will make “friends outside their school friends.”
Author KJ Dell’Antonio provides the counterpoint—but what she’s saying is that she doesn’t want to send her children away to camp for weeks on end. Instead, she arranges for them to spend time at day camps, and her youngest son just asked to spend more time in day camp because he likes having things to do.
Summer Camp at Horizon Education Centers
If you’re looking for a summer camp program in Northeast Ohio, one that offers educational programs and field trips that are fun and enriching—and that help to prevent summer learning loss, here is information about our summer camp.
This program is available for students in kindergarten through the sixth grade, and our camp provides children a safe and fun place to be while parents work or go to school. Register for Summer Camp 2018 today!
