Many parents send their kids off to camp over school breaks. That’s what kids do, after all. But how many parents know the benefits of giving their children the summer camp experience? Here are three huge reasons why you should send your kids to camp during school breaks.
1. Camp Activities Keep Kids Learning Over Break
While breaks are meant for children to relax from the everyday stress of school, too much idol time can do more harm than good for kids.
An article from the Los Angeles Times points out that by the fifth grade, students that aren’t engaged in learning activities during the break can be behind their peers by 2½ to three years.
Camps help fight the “summer slide” by providing fun activities that challenge and stimulate their mind. In the same way that learning new skills promotes mental growth in adults, engaging in skill-building activities at camp is perfect a child’s brain development.
Educational activities can range from learning to swim, playing interactive games, etc., so there’s plenty of options to enrich and educate your child through fun!
2. Campers Experience Become More Confident
Another benefit of learning new skills at camp is a newly gained level of confidence for your child. School is full of competition, from educational, to athletic, and even social. Camps offer children a chance to work on life skills, such as goal-setting, without social pressure from classmates.
“With its non-competitive activities and diverse opportunities to succeed, camp life is a real boost for young people,” Rockbrook Camp for Girls explains.
Many summer camps will offer several chances to learn a variety of topics, including lifesaving skills like swimming, so when your little one goes back to school, they’ll be more confident in their abilities in the classroom as well!
3. Campers Build Strong Friendships During School Break Camps
As the American Camp Association put it, “The immediate connection and feeling of absolute familiarity take over, transcending time, geographic limitations, and the busy pace of our lives.” Campers spend a lot of time with each other, in many different situations. Those interactions allow kids early opportunities to decide what type of personalities he or she wants to associate with in the future! The camp experience speeds up the bonding process, and what better place to form friends than in an educational, safe environment!
Camps are a great way for kids to make friends and learn skills, while having fun during their breaks from school! What other benefits have you seen from signing your kid up for camp? Check out Richmond Mom and Completely Kids to see some camps in your area!
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