School is out, bags are being packed, and travel plans are being made or fulfilled. Summer time is a time of fun for children! I have some of my fondest memories from my summer breaks. Little did I know that these breaks were often times stressful and worry-filled for my parents. Before I was of an age to stay at home by myself, the main concern that my parents had was safe, sound, and affordable supervision.
It was relatively easy to find some sort of program for me to attend during the day because I was an athlete. Basketball and football camps are prevalent and in demand during the summer months and obviously beneficial. However, what options are available to the parents of children who are not athletically inclined? I have one answer: SUMMER CAMP!
Some children and parents have abstentions with summer camp. It can be scary. It can be costly. It can be inconvenient, especially if the location is far from mom and/or dad’s job or the home.
So to put parents at ease about summer camp, below are 3 benefits of children and teens attending summer camp:
- Supervision! This is the most obvious reason. Children and teens are in constant need of guidance, supervision, and boundaries. These, among academic excellence and intellectual stimulation, are primarily the central responsibilities of school. However, the research is clear that children/teens need consistency and summer camp can be a fun and less rigorous extension of school.
- Teaches interpersonal skills. Summer camp is usually a grouping of children from varied backgrounds and upbringings. If this is not the case, make it a point to place your children in an ethnically diverse environment. The world is not a silo and interacting with their peers in camp will let children gain experience and much need exposure to different cultures and mindsets.
Important Note: Although all summer camps should promote teamwork, acceptance, and tolerance, a diverse camp can teach campers how to communicate effectively in unfamiliar environments and situations.
Often times there are language barriers, intellectual differences, economic barriers and the like that would otherwise limit communication. However, in a group environment such as camp, these limits can become opportunities for growth! Skills such as these are an integral part of the maturation process to adulthood!
- Enrichment activities: Summer camps provide a host of academic and social activities that are designed to keep children’s development on par with their appropriate grade levels. Often times, what makes camp more enjoyable are the exposure to other activities that aren’t explored as much during the school year. For example, fine arts are being pushed further and further out of public school and summer camp is a way to supplement that deficiency. In fact there are camps that are built around fine arts and other activities such as dance, culture, language, sports, art, singing, etc.
Now this all sounds good right? Of course it does! But there may be some hesitation to enroll your child if the price of camps are problematic, which is understandable. So here are some tips that may help subsidize the costs and allow your young ones to grow and explore in new ways.
1. Save throughout the year. Create a budget that will allow you to put back money every pay period to pay for summer camp.
- Research child subsidy programs in your city/county/state/country that will assist in paying for summer camp or child care. Contact governmental agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services and Administration for Children and Families.
- Seek out camps with scholarship opportunities. Many times church camps and non-profit organizations receive grant money that will pay for the entire program or give scholarships to families in need.
Whatever method you decide, it’s a great investment and beautiful experience for lifelong memories! Simply put, summer camp is AMAZING!!!
