10 Lifelong Benefits of Overnight Summer Camp for Kids by Maine Camp Experience
PORTLAND, Maine (PRWEB) July 24, 2018 -- Overnight summer camp may be the most beneficial investment that parents and grandparents can make in their children. It’s a gift of fun and acquired life skills that carry into college, careers and beyond. Maine Camp Experience, the community of 36 overnight premier camps in Maine and a comprehensive camp planning resource, shares 10 reasons why camp is so beneficial.
“The benefits to overnight camp are undeniable,” said Laurie Kaiden, Director and Campcierge™ of Maine Camp Experience. “Unplugging from tech devices, connecting with peers, and learning 21st century skills are just a few of the incredible reasons why camp is key.”
Top 10 benefits of overnight summer camp for kids:
1. Unplug from technology. Camps’ tech-free policies mean that kids aren’t glued to their phones and gaming devices. They’re living in the moment, connecting with peers, and focusing on experiences in the here and now. It’s also a nice relief from the pressures of social media.
2. Connect with nature. According to research in Japan, the smell of pine needles strengthens our immune systems (and Maine is the Pine Tree State!). Being outside exposes us to more Vitamin D, which is important for eyesight and for bone growth. Being outside also fosters friendships, and spurs creativity. Being outside can lower anxiety, lower blood pressure, lower stress hormones, and help us sleep better.
3. It’s fun! – Camp is a happy place where kids can be kids. It’s a nice break from school and schedules at home. Campers participate in activities throughout the day, including: land and water sports, arts, nature, and outdoor adventures. They get to enjoy camp traditions, which can involve silly costumes and games, campfire songs and S’mores, friendly competitions and more. And every night in their cabins, campers get a sleepover with 10 or so of their friends and counselors.
4. Make lifelong friendships. Strangers become “sisters” and “brothers” as kids from different places come together at camp and grow year after year. It’s so refreshing and wonderful to have a network separate from their school friends. Camp friends turn to each other for fun times, advice, and support. They learn from each other. Friendships made at camp often continue into life at college, in business, in relationships and beyond.
5. Try new things. Campers get to explore new interests and have new experiences they might not try at home. They learn to sail, horseback ride, waterski, play lacrosse, do gymnastics, paint, take digital photography, learn to play guitar, and much more. They expand their horizons in other ways too! For instance, in the dining room, campers may sample foods they wouldn’t have which at home when they see other campers eating them.
6. Obtain life skills. Kids learn to do things for themselves at camp that they might not have to do at home. Campers make their own beds, pick out their own outfits, keep their clothing neat in cubbies, are responsible for their hygiene (teeth brushing, showering, nail clipping), and work as a team to keep their cabins clean with rotating jobs on the work wheel like sweeping and wiping the sinks.
7. Gain 21st century skills. At camp, kids learn collaboration and teamwork. They enhance their creativity and imagination. They develop their critical thinking and problem solving. They become resilient and empathetic, and gain confidence and independence. They learn to advocate for themselves and navigate situations.
8. Become part of a community greater than yourself. Most camps are decades or even 100+ years old. It’s nice to be a part of generations that have come before you and traditions that will carry on. Knowing that past generations sang the same songs, climbed the same mountains and canoed the same rivers are special feelings shared by scores of children who have forged lasting memories.
9. Participate in social action initiatives. Maine camps engage campers in programs that teach them to give back and help others. Campers have worked on programs including helping the elderly, supporting food pantries, and working with environmental conservation groups, and with great organizations including Camp Sunshine, World of Change, and MaxCure Foundation Dunk Your Kicks.
10. Take incredible trips. Campers at Maine camps experience memorable out-of-camp trips ranging from blueberry picking to make pies, to touring pretty coastal towns like Boothbay Harbor, to active adventures like hiking Cadillac Mountain at Acadia National Park or rafting on the Kennebec River. Memories that last a lifetime.
Families interested in sending their kids or grandkids to camp can visit http://www.mainecampexperience.com where they can learn about child readiness, read about the different camps, learn how to choose including getting free, expert guidance from the Campcierge™, plan trips to Maine, and more.
Maine has the greatest number of the oldest, most established camps in the country. Each summer more than 20,000 kids from every US state and more than 30 countries abroad spend time at summer camps in Maine. Maine Camp Experience is a community of premier camps and a comprehensive camp-planning resource. Maine Camp Experience camps are for children ages 7-17 with sessions from 1-8 weeks in length. Camps typically run from end of June through mid-August. Some Maine camps offer family camp or camp rentals after the traditional camper season.
Contact: Laurie, Maine Camp Experience: laurie(at)mainecampexperience(dot)com
Facebook: Facebook.com/MaineCampExperience
Twitter: Twitter.com/MaineCamps
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Instagram: Instagram.com/MaineCamps
Laurie Kaiden, Maine Camp Experience, http://www.mainecampexperience.com, 9175932982, [email protected]
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