Life skills and summer camps? Well .. to the average person tends to believe that summer camps for kids is nothing more than fun and games .. not that there’s anything wrong with fun and games! But, there’s definitely a lot more to the whole camp experience. A study conducted by the Canadian Summer Camp Research Project in 2010 supports what camp directors have been saying for decades: Camp is a setting for positive youth development where invaluable life skills are picked up and built upon.
“The major changes in [campers’] growth speaks tremendously of the summer camp experience,” says Troy Glover, director of the University of Waterloo’s Healthy Communities Research Network.
What the results showed from this intensive research was that for the modern day youth who have been over-programmed and over-protected, camp provides a safe environment to freely learn, grow and develop their capabilities. It’s a place where they can take healthy risks, and makes mistakes. Summer camp, according to the study, fosters emotional intelligence (or EQ), self-confidence, independence, healthy living, environmental awareness, leadership and other skills that prove beneficial long into adulthood.
Check out the five how to critical life skills that get a huge boost at summer camp:
1. How to get along with others.
Have a chat with any past camper and you’ll likely hear how some of their most meaningful friendships and lessons on how to get along with others came from an international camp. “One of the major benefits of camp is the social skills that develop, especially around interacting with other people in a positive way,” says Glover.
2. How to overcome challenges.
Overprotection of children is a common occurance these days, with parents constantly hovering over their child’s lives from dusk till dawn. Even though Glover says statistically it’s safer now than it was when he was a child, parents are not as willing to let their kids out of their sight. This is where summer camp proves to be extremely beneficial. At an international camp, children are encouraged to go outside their comfort zone through activities such as high ropes courses, rafting and wilderness camping.
By allowing children to have fun doing outdoor activities by taking risks and facing challenges, camp helps children build their independence, resiliency and self-esteem in a safe, supervised and supportive environment, the study found.
3. How to get fit.
A recent study in America found that less than 24% per cent of youth aged six to 19 got the recommended hour a day of exercise they need. These days a young person’s attention is completely capitvated by video games, social media and smartphones, and it’s going to be a hard cycle to break. Enter summer camp, where physical activity is well disguised in the form of fun and games, allowing youth to adopt a healthy lifestyle, often without realizing it.
Along with banning the use of electronics, camp provides a daily routine that involves waking up early, getting lots of physical activity, eating regular meals and spending extended periods of time doing outdoor activities in nature.
4. How to appreciate nature.
Do you remember your afternoons as a child a generation ago? Riding bike rides around the neighborhood, skipping rope and outdoor games ‘til sunset were a big part of your childhood. These days children tend to spend more time in on their phones, than outside in nature.
“Children need nature for the healthy development of their senses, and, therefore, for learning and creativity,” writes Richard Louv in his book Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder.
According to findings from the Canadian Summer Camp Research Project, camp teaches youth how to live more environmentally-conscious lives.
“We found that familiarity with and appreciation of nature promotes environmentally-friendly habits in kids,” says Glover.
5. How to be a leader.
Developing strong leaders seems to be the , summer camp provides both implicit and explicit training, says Glover. Whether they’re on a canoe trip, playing capture the flag or living together in a cabin environment, campers are learning how to be a leader implicity through play and their everyday experiences, a form of experiential education.
“Kids don’t go to summer camp wanting to be better leaders or more self-aware – they go because it’s fun and the positive outcomes happen as a result,” says Glover.
According to the Canadian Summer Camp Research Project, most campers demonstrated an increase in emotional intelligence and self-confidence, both characteristics attributed to good leaders.
Whether it’s by cleaning their rooms without being asked, helping other campers navigate their day, or supporting their team through a game, youth of all ages learn to take initiative at camp.
Learning how to take the lead essentially teaches youth how to be good citizens – a skill that has become increasingly valuable in the 21st century, says Glover. “They learn that we all have a role to play to contribute to a better society, and nothing happens if you sit back and wait for someone else to act.”
Check out more about Camper Development and see why Explorer Camps is the best place for your child to drow this coming summer.
