The summer camp experience gives kids of different age groups to engage in adventure-filled activities and form new friendships.
If you are sending your child to summer camp in Switzerland for the first time, you may be worried and wondering; is my son ready for camp? How will he fare on? There is no need to worry because your child will meet other campers from various parts of the world. They will also love engaging in exciting outdoor activities in the company of their peers. Further, camp supervisors understand how to handle first-time campers and make them feel at home. This article will help you know some of the key benefits of a summer camp program.
1. Helps Children Maintain a Fun Schedule
The day-to-day schedule that summer camps provide helps keep camper’s bodies and minds engaged with various fun activities. Kids will hardly get bored while in summer camp. When the kids get used to keeping up with the schedule, they will easily transition back to the structured school program.
2. Provides an Opportunity for Kids to Play
Summer camp is ideal for children to engage in physical activity and play. Unlike in the school year, where kids are occupied with their studies and extracurricular activities, the summer camp schedule allows children to engage in lots of play.
Some facilities offer specialized sports camps where your child can participate in their favourite sporting activities. According to experts, play is crucial in helping kids reach critical milestones in social, cognitive, and emotional development. Summer camps allow children sufficient time to play, promoting healthy emotional and social development.
3. Encourages an Electronic Device-Free Environment
In today’s digital world, kids spend a big chunk of their time on electronic gadgets, denying them sufficient time to play. It’s not surprising to see toddlers using their tablets or their parent’s smartphones.
Middle and high school students spend hours on their smart gadgets playing video games or on social media. Doing so limits crucial socialization activities they should acquire as children. Many summer camps restrict electronic devices such as tablets, smartphones, and personal computers within the camping zone.
Such restrictions ensure children experience stimulating activities on a daily basis with no screen time. They are also encouraged to communicate face to face with their peers and supervisors, developing their communication skills.
4. Promotes Independence
When kids stay away from their parents, they get a chance to be independent. Campers should learn how to be self-reliant and trust their peers and other adults at camp. Many summer camps offer children an opportunity to select their favorite camp activities.
With their parents away, the kids will feel the need to take risks and make their own decisions. For many kids, overnight camps give them the first chance to experience the summer months away from home. Campers develop independence skills while taking on responsibility. They also develop excellent problem-solving and social skills within a caring environment where their choices will be praised.
5. Develops Self-Confidence
Kids uncover a priceless sense of self-reliance and pride when they try new activities out of their comfort zone or even counter homesickness. The camp environment is non-competitive and offers kids numerous opportunities, boosting their confidence and self-esteem. How can parents instill a love for camps in their children?
Consider enrolling your child in a day camp where they can check-in and check out the same day. Even if your child is shy, attending day camps will expose them to various situations where they can open up and interact with their peers.
6. Teaches Social Skills
Going summer camping is a fun social experience. While it may appear scary initially, it helps campers meet new people, which is critical for developing social skills. Being in a summer camp allows children to join a community where they can engage in team-building activities while respecting each other’s needs.
Worth mentioning is that disagreements are bound to occur. However, with the help of the camp directors and supervisors, kids will learn how to resolve their disputes through sincere communication. The camp environment helps kids build teamwork while enabling them to develop trust for one another.
7. Camp Eliminates and Recreates Categories
Often, students attend school with the same peers throughout the year, giving them a specific perception and exposing them to labelling. For example, some children will be referred to as quiet or withdrawn when they can be energetic in a different setting. Kids who attend sleepaway camps encounter new people within a new environment. Campers often break away from their alleged categorization when allowed to do so.
8. An Opportunity to Interact with Positive Role Models
Summer camp allows your kids to meet and interact with positive-minded role models. Many camp counselors are young adults passionate about volunteering or working part-time through the summer break. They are energetic, and children view them as more relatable than their parents. Interacting with young counselors in kids camp can significantly impact your children’s lives.
Often, it helps children envision their future lives, especially if the young counselors are of excellent character and integrity. Kids are also likely to emulate their counselors. The development of role model relationships helps kids acquire the skills, self-esteem, and confidence required to succeed in school and life. Developing healthy and positive adult relationships during summer camp enables kids to thrive in all aspects beyond summer camp.
9. Exposes Kids to a Leadership Experience
Even at their young age, campers are tasked with leadership roles in one way or another. For example, they can play the role of a game leader or a camp counsellor. Kids can acquire leadership skills in various ways within a positive and supportive summer camp environment.
Learning how to become a good leader teaches kids how to be great citizens. They discover they have a role to play in improving the community. Pre-teenage campers get significant opportunities to develop and nurture their leadership skills.
Many summer camps in Switzerland offer counselors in training programs, teaching campers how to be excellent communicators, plan activities and programs, and take care of younger campers.
