To Camp? Or not to Camp?: 10 Benefits of Summer Camp
It occupies our minds, interrupts our days, and takes over our summer: what to do with the kids during summer and school breaks?!? It's that time of the year when we, as parents, are tasked with the responsibility of deciding how the kids are going to spend their freetime during the summer. Some parents see summer as a time to play, have fun, and be active. Others believe it is time for kids to hone their studies and learn new skills. Kidnasium says IT'S TIME FOR BOTH! With Camp Kidnasium, your child can play, have fun, and learn new skills and activities. Don't just take our word for it though, according to studies and research completed by multiple child and youth experts, there are some real and lasting benefits that come with registering your child in summer camp.
1. Building Friendship and Social Skills - Campers get the chance to meet other children and form exciting new friendships. They are forced out of their comfort zone and are forced to create new and sometimes lifelong bonds with other children.
2. Developing Resilience and Confidence - At camp, children are faced with so many options and possibilities for achievement .. and in their new found sense of accomplishment grows self-esteem and confidence. With accomplishment also comes setbacks and challenges. Camp provides children with the opportunity to face those new setbacks and challenges and overcome them. It teaches children the value of effort and helps kids believe in themselves as they overcome challenges with determination, patience and a drive to succeed. Thus, further boosting their confidence and developing resiliency - a skill that can be carried with them and utilized for a lifetime. New hobbies can also provide positive outlets for coping with challenges and struggles they will inevitably face in life.
3. Maintaining Physical Fitness and Mental Stimulation - As we are all too aware, kids (and adults) are spending way too much time in front of screens, and with most of us working from home, it comes without saying that a lot of the kids' "entertainment" and "activities" this summer will most likely come from a screen. Camp provides a high energy outlet for physical activity and healthy living free from screens. Campers at Camp Kidnasium have an opportunity to participate in all kinds of fun physical activity no matter their skill level or which camp they choose. Camp also keeps children intellectually engaged to prevent that sluggish feeling that comes without the intellectual stimulation of school.
4. Learning the Value of Leadership - Camp promotes confidence, self-awareness, creativity, decision making skills, conflict resolution, teamwork and countless other life skills that will help grow strong, independent adults and future leaders. Many times, we see the leadership develop during camp. Right before our eyes we will watch as the quiet, shy little camper turns into the child all the other kids in the group turn to for help and advice.
5. Teaching Teamwork - In a school environment, most of the work is completed dependently (especially right now with the pandemic). Camp offers children the opportunity to solve problems and meet challenges as a group, creating a sense of accomplishment both personally and as a team and building teamwork skills that they will be able to use for a lifetime.
6. Continuing Education Outside of the Classroom - Learning to learn from life is an important skill. At camp, children are surrounded by activities, experiences, and challenges that teach them to learn from the world around them. Outside of the classroom, kids are able to embrace the lessons that are taught by nature, by taking on new adventures, and by life itself. Not to mention the whole host of life skills that campers acquire that simply cannot be taught in the traditional classroom.
7. Helping Build Unique Interests - Camp allows for choices, possibilities, and the freedom to explore. It provides an opportunity for children to discover new and exciting interests and to embrace their current ones. At camp, children participate in activities that help them develop their own unique individuality. Think of your child completely immersed in specific skill building activities of a new sport or interest. The kind of focused and in-depth opportunities that exist at camp are tough to find anywhere else.
8. Fostering Creativity - Camp allows children to express their individuality, to embrace their passions and interests, and to express their creativity and uniqueness. At Camp there isn't really failure, just the chance to try new things. Without the fear of a failing grade, judgement, or peer pressure often found in the traditional school environment, kids are free to truly be themselves and their creativity will flourish.
9. Continuing a Feeling of Purposefulness Throughout the Summer - The routine of waking in the morning and having something to get ready for and look forward to provides kids with a continued sense of purposefulness (much like adults get from getting up and going to their job) that is often lost during a summer without camp. Plus, with the small groups in camps, kids can develop a sense of being relied on by their peers which will further boost confidence and self-esteem.
10. Providing Engaging Fun & Entertainment - Camp provides a relaxed, but engaging environment for free and spontaneous play. Although still structured, camp, unlike school, allows for decisions and options and choices that give children the freedom to have fun, while expressing their own uniqueness and individuality, creating stronger and happier kids. There are countless other benefits to unstructured play - conflict resolution, building decision making and negotiating skills, learning stress relief and coping mechanisms, and so much more!
With all of those amazing benefits, we’re sure we have made the decision 'to camp or not to camp' so much easier. We bet by the end of the summer, you'll be wondering how it was ever a question in the first place :D
Camp Kidnasium is running backyard and in-facility camps beginning June 14th until September 3rd. Take a look at kidnasium.ca/camps and join us this summer!