What is the Importance for Kids to Go to Summer Camp?

Types

• A variety of types of summer camps exist, ranging from day camps, where children attend only during daytime hours and then return home to sleep, to overnight camps that can last for days or weeks. Specialized camps can also be found, including religious camps, art and music camps, sports camps, and camps for special needs children with physical, mental or emotional problems.

Physical Benefits

• Important physical benefits are experienced by children attending summer camp, such as an increased level of exercise and physical activity. Through this increase in physical activity, children can learn to enjoy being active, which may be a welcome change for them. Children also have the opportunity to experience new activities and develop new or advanced skills in activities such as swimming, hiking or other nature-related activities, depending on the type of camp.

Psychological Benefits

• Children also reap significant psychological benefits through attending summer camp, such as an increased sense of independence, which can create a boost in a child's self confidence. Kids also have the opportunity to develop their social interaction skills and form friendships with the other children at camp. Learning about cooperation and teamwork is another significant benefit of summer camp.

  Attending summer camp can also assist in halting the "summer learning slide," described in an article titled "Learning Benefits of Summer Camp" at the Our Kids website. The article asserts that kids can forget up to 2.6 months of material learned in the previous school year. Summer camp can help to mitigate this loss of knowledge through keeping kids' brains active and engaged.

Considerations

• In evaluating the benefits a child would receive from attending summer camp, a parent can consider what kinds of activities the child enjoys and what areas the parent might like for him to work on at camp. The child's physical and emotional needs, such as how comfortable she is with being away from home, should also be considered. This can be a significant factor in deciding if a child is ready for either day or overnight camp. Also important is ensuring that the camp will be a safe and nurturing environment for the child, which can be achieved through speaking with camp staff members such as the camp director or visiting the camp prior to enrolling a child.

Expert Insight

• Experts concur that summer camp offers important benefits to children. In the article "Learning Benefits of Summer Camp," Professor Linda Cameron of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education states that summer camp helps children "learn to socialize and navigate their interactions with others and to problem solve." Further, Professor Troy Glover of the University of Waterloo asserts that, "Summer camp is a very effective teaching environment because it makes learning enjoyable."