| Why Send a Child to Camp?
Children love going to camp! They come back with stories of friends and fun, of canoeing and campfires, of swimming and singing, of art class and archery, of crafts and cook-outs and crazy games . . . and on and on.
However, parents share in the camping experiences of their children. A recent national study indicated that 90% of parents who attended camp as children have sent their own children to camp, whether it be to a day camp or to a residential camp for a weekend, a week, or a month. The same study highlighted reasons for sending children to camp, such as:
good learning experience
meet new friends
keep kids active during the summer
develop social skills
learn outdoor skills.
Camp provides good learning experiences - both learning new skills, and learning how to be part of a non-family group. Parents need to be aware of whether the child is ready to leave home - has the child experienced other trips away from home and family? Does the child need special consideration because of any physical condition? The best camp programs in the world will have little benefit for a child who is not prepared to participate. However, the child who is really ready for camp will revel in the learning opportunities in both work and play activities.
Camp provides an opportunity to meet new friends - in the cabin or tent group, at mealtimes in the dining hall, in discussion/study groups, in out-trips and adventures. Camp friendships continue long after everyone has left the campsite, and with the camp stories that are brought home are also the campers' plans to return next year.
Camp keeps kids active during the summer. They are involved in sports and games and new experiences - and also in learning how to get along with others, in accepting responsibility, in learning lifetime skills such as self-reliance and decision-making.
Camp develops social skills through the variety of activities offered in a setting different from the home environment. Campers may return home with a better sense of security in new abilities. They have learned to
lead a song, not just sing it;
participate in a drama group, not just watch;
teach a game, not just play it;
tell a story or joke, not just laugh at it;
and in the process, they may get along better with friends and family.
Camp provides opportunity to learn outdoor skills - in boating lessons, hiking, horseback riding, ropes courses, climbing walls, building fires for campfire programs or cook-outs, and wilderness camping. Campers gain a special sense of satisfaction in outdoor accomplishments, and for some children, camp is the only opportunity to participate in outdoor skills.
Why send a child to camp? - for the camper to enjoy the fun of camp activities, to have different and adventurous things to do, to be accepted by others as an important part of a group, and to meet new friends in fellow campers and camp staff.
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