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So Much to Do
What Summer Camp Can Offer Your Child
By Christine Tarlecki
for PARENTS EXPRESS
Spring is here and summer is on its way. What do you have planned for the kids for summer vacation? Camp is a great option! And depending on your child's age and likes, there are camps out there for every child's taste.
Most camps offer the traditional camp fare — swimming lessons, arts and crafts, hiking, nature walks, adventure courses, boating, fishing and horseback riding. But in addition to the physical skills these planned activities help develop, many agree that camp — either sleep-away or day — offer children the chance to learn things about themselves they might not otherwise.
"Independence is one of the best skills a child can learn, especially at a camp that allows a child to stay for the whole summer," says Kelly Lind, a counselor from Camp Lakota, in the Catskills region of New York. "They really do learn to adapt to not having their parents right there. I think it helps them mature more quickly. Camp provides a fun, safe environment to spend their summer and an alternative to wasting that time in between [school years]. They get to be outdoors and swim and hike and sing in a safe environment, unlike some neighborhoods where a summer at home might mean a summer hiding indoors," she says. "Or situations where if they weren't at camp they'd spend the whole summer in front of a television. At camp, kids get plenty of exercise and still learn things."
Lind feels camp is just as important to the parents as it is to the children. "If parents work a lot during the summer, it's important that the parents know their children are in a safe place and having an enjoyable summer," she says. And camp taught Lind a few things as well. "I got a chance to share something I love with kids, who could learn from me."
While Lind's camp was a typical summer home-away-from home for many of her campers, other camps are more specialized. The American Camp Association Web site (www.acacamps.org) points out that camps are designed in a variety of styles and formats and provide activities that vary to meet many interests. Most camps offer a general program of outdoor activities, hiking, swimming, sports and games, arts and crafts, and nature awareness, while some have special emphasis on programs such as horseback riding, water sports, music or adventure challenge activities. Other camps provide services to special groups, such as seniors, families, campers with cancer, gifted and talented children, youth at risk, diabetics, asthmatics or persons with disabilities. The ACA says there are over 12,000 American camps, with 7,000 being sleep-away or overnight camps, and 5,000 day camps.
For four years, Sarah Devorak worked as a camp counselor at Camp Phoenix in Phoenixville, Pa. "In addition to the activities our day camp would provide, we'd teach singing, dancing and acting, and perform in a mini-musical at the end of the session." While Devorak no longer works at the camp, Camp Phoenix continues to grow its programs each year.
So how do you find the right camp for your child? Lind suggests looking to their everyday life. "There are camps for persons with disabilities, and [those that] offer certain skills. If your child is into basketball, a sports day camp may be best. If your child is active and likes spending time with her friends, a sleep-away camp with many activities [such as] campfires and song-circles ... may be the best bet," says Lind. "It also helps to factor in your child's age and if he or she does well staying overnight at a friend's house. If he or she gets homesick easily, a day camp could be the best option."
Dr. Matthew Gibbs, a onetime counselor at the Ockanickon Scout Reservation, suggests discussing what your child expects from camp before picking one. "Call the camps that you are considering. Find out their mission statement and if they are accredited," he says.
Variety is on your side, says Gibbs, a chiropractor from Newtown, Pa. who currently lives in Bridgeport, Conn. "The best thing about summer camp is that there is so much to choose from. There are so many valuable skills that can be learned at camp if the child is interested," he says. "We taught classes in everything from basket weaving to outdoor survival."
At Ockanickon, Gibbs was a counselor at the rifle range. "On the rifle/archery/BB gun ranges, we taught safe handling (first and foremost), how to shoot, how to maintain the guns/bows, etcetera. We also taught the merit badge classes for those skills for the boy scouts. On the rifle range we also ran the national marksmanship program for those scouts who wanted to do so outside of the normal merit badge or fun shooting," he says. They also had exchange scouts from Britain on staff. "This shows that camping is important all over the world," says Gibbs.
"If I was to pick a specific skill learned in all these activities, it would probably be self reliance," says Gibbs. "Camping was a big part of my growing up. I learned so many things that I don't think that I would have otherwise. Camp is a place where you learn skills, talents and meet people that aren't necessarily available in normal life. I think this applies to camping on a whole as well."
Christine Tarlecki is a freelance writer from Mont Clare, Pa.
Last Updated: 1/18/2008 4:39:11 PM EST
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