9 Benefits of Camps for Kids
Convincing parents to send kids to summer camps often isn’t challenging because it helps keep their children occupied and gives them some downtime from planning activities during the holidays. From improving physical fitness to character building, there are many benefits of camp.
What is the purpose of a camp if not to provide kids with a unique, fun-filled learning experience? Below are some great reasons to send your kid to camps like Mission Grit in Charlotte.
1. New Friendship
Studies by the American Camp Association found 90% of kids who attend camps make new friends and get to know others who are different from themselves. Forming relationships is a fundamental step in a child’s social development that increases a sense of belonging, develops empathy, and improves communication skills.
Through socializing, kids learn how to set boundaries, problem solve, share, and work with others. One of the benefits of summer camps, especially for introverted children, is that socializing naturally occurs alongside activities, alleviating the pressure to interact with others, which is sometimes present in other more formal social settings.
2. Personal Growth and Skills Development
Personal growth, skills acquisition, and adventure are the core benefits of sending a kid to camp. When you send a kid to camp, they learn transferable skills. Children good at solving puzzles, for example, can apply the same logic and creativity to teamwork activities. At Mission Grit, we empower kids to apply skills to every aspect of their lives.
Honing interpersonal skills, learning how to negotiate, making decisions, and taking responsibility for them are vital for success in adult life. In a safe camp environment, kids expand their resilience, self-control, and communication capacity. While your child is having fun, they’re also being educated and challenged.
3. Less Screen Time
A study by The Kaiser Family Foundation revealed kids aged 8-18-years-old spend an average of 7.5 hours in front of a screen every day, and that’s just for entertainment. There is growing concern among parents on how to allow their children to engage with technology without forming unhealthy habits. Sending kids to summer camp limits their screen time and moves them back to the basics, moving them away from depending on technology for knowledge and entertainment.
There’s no doubt that anxiety in young people is rising, and it’s largely due to prolonged screen time. Because they’re entertained and having fun, kids don’t feel the need to be near a screen when they’re at camp. And, none of the other kids have their phones there’s no real need for them.
4. Encourages Teamwork
In a world that prizes individualism, learning to be a part of a team is an invaluable skill and another one of the benefits of sending your child to summer camp. Team building incorporates dimensions of positive development like competence, connection, caring, and belonging. It is a process, outcome, and camp benefit.
Mutual support, effort, and cohesion are soft critical skills everyone needs.
Although autonomy and self-determination are essential qualities that kids also learn at camp, opportunities for teamwork aid collaborations, communication, a balance of contributions, and problem-solving with others.\
5. Learn Independence and Self Confidence
When you send a child to camp, they learn to be their best selves. Camp experiences offer the unique opportunity for kids to see how much they’re capable of without their parents hovering close by. They cultivate independence because they have to take responsibility for themselves and their belongings and make their own decisions.
Children explore their interests through numerous structured activities and learn to become more self-reliant instead of depending on their parents or teachers. Camps imbue kids with a sense of accomplishment. Every completed task makes them more confident to tackle the next challenge.
6. Focus on Non-Academic Achievements
The importance of summer camp is that it removes kids from the academic pressure and general competition that dominates school life and social media profiles. A sense of healthy competition is good; however, too much can discourage participation in activities that aren’t rewarded for individual success. At Mission Grit, for instance, we encourage kids to learn and play by working towards positive progress without fear of failure along the way.
Moreover, we view failure as a positive learning curve that should be embraced for its invaluable lessons. Most summer camps offer rigorous programs where kids learn in a more subjective environment. Because the activities can’t be graded, campers can experience tasks and activities with little risk.
7. Leadership Growth
Children who attend summer camp learn several leadership skills like conflict resolution, problem-solving, and teamwork. They are taught how to cooperate effectively, share duties, and delegate when needed. You should send a kid to a camp program if you want to situate them in an environment where they can routinely shine.
One of the best benefits of camps for kids is that they are a small microcosm of the real world. Children are placed in circumstances that test dynamics and reveal natural strengths and weaknesses. Enrolling them in a quality camp ensures they learn constructive ways to lead others through positive examples and adapt to new situations instead of just managing people.
8. Build Physical Strength
Parents often ask, “Should I send my kid to a summer camp?” And we always answer yes.
Regular physical activity helps children improve cardiorespiratory fitness, builds strong bones and muscles, controls weight, and reduces stress and anxiety.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends roughly 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity a day.
Summer camp is good for kids because it nurtures the three pillars of fitness; endurance, strength, and flexibility. And, it solves the sedentary problem caused by too much screen time. Unlike school sports, camp activities are fun yet rigorous, and often kids don’t even realize they’re working out.
9. Making Memories
Summer camp benefits give kids the opportunity to create unique memories. These memories aren’t common school memories or even family ones. In fact, they actually facilitate memory-making because children aren’t reliant on screens or technology to build friendships and learn life’s lessons.
The American Psychological Association found people who have fond memories of childhood tend to have better health, less depression, and fewer chronic illnesses as older adults. Having adventures and experiencing new things has immense psychological and physical benefits on kids of all ages.
10. Exposure to Diversity
So, why send kids to summer camp? With the abovementioned benefits, it’s challenging to find a reason not to. At camp, children get to see the world differently. They’re away from their comfort zones and familiar habits, which gives them a broader perspective because they realize the world extends beyond them.
Moreover, kids meet other children from different backgrounds with diverse interests. They can befriend someone they may not have otherwise had the chance to. Children in diverse environments benefit socially and emotionally as they learn to question biases and stereotypes. Exposing kids to diversity at a young age prepares them for greater success in future dynamic environments.
Conclusion
The benefits of sending kids to summer camp provide them with valuable skill development in a short burst of time. Not only do your kids learn, but they have fun while doing so, making active memories of accomplishments and adventure that they can be proud of.
At Mission Grit, we run camps throughout the year to help kids explore their potential. Adventure courses, fitness, engineering activities, and self-defense concepts are just some of the fun aspects of our extensive programs. Contact us and find out more about our exciting camp programs in Charlotte today!
