Though the weather is just starting to turn cold, you may have already started planning (and saving!) for your children’s summer plans. It won’t be long now, before sleep-away camps start advertising their Open House nights, each hoping to enchant you with promises of picturesque lakes, serene surroundings, bonding over bonfires, and lifelong friendships formed.
If you already have kids that have attended overnight camp, chances are they’re already counting down until next summer. And if you’re just entering into this next stage of summer fun, there’s no denying the benefits. Here are just a few:
Camp Makes Learning Fun: Sitting in a classroom learning about the solar system may leave your child staring off into space. But put that same child in the woods on a crisp starry night at camp, and all of a sudden, pointing out constellations becomes amazingly cool. Camp provides a unique setting for learning – whether that’s math, science, music or art – by offering experiences where skills often taught in school are given context in a whole new way.
Camp Builds Confidence, Self-Esteem and Social Skills: Maybe it’s because they’re away from the daily social pressures of school, or maybe it’s because there simply isn’t an opportunity to showcase hidden talents at home like there are at camp. Whether it’s a lip synching contest, a play, or strutting their stuff on a camp catwalk, overnight camp challenges kids to get outside of their comfort zones and have fun doing it!
Camp Takes it Outside: With the country facing a crisis with inactivity, childhood obesity and nature-deficit disorder, camps are becoming an integral part of summer vacation as parents realize the importance of an active lifestyle, outdoor activities and independent living for their children. Whether they’re canoeing, playing a rousing game of Capture The Flag, or climbing to the highest peak in the camp’s surrounding wilderness, camp is what makes the great outdoors really, well, great.
For many parents, their own fond memories of summer camp make the decision to send their kids to one a no-brainer. But for every kid getting on that bus without a care in the world, there are also kids who aren’t able to experience the benefits of attending overnight camp.
There are now a number of camps offering bursaries, tax breaks, charitable enrollments and other affiliated financial assistance resources to help ensure the camp experiences can be enjoyed by kids of all kinds.
Events such as Campfires and Cocktails, taking place November 15th in Toronto, an initiative of the Muskoka Woods Youth Foundation that raises funds to send economically disadvantaged children to summer camp at Muskoka Woods now take place yearly, allowing these youth to create their own camp memories for one week each summer.
If you’re in need of support in order to allow your child the opportunity to attend overnight camp, there is help out there for you, through your local religious organization or one of the various charitable initiatives such as Muskoka Woods Youth Foundations’. And, if you’re in a position to help those in need by making their child’s camp dreams a reality, think back to the treasured memories in your own heart created at camp and support them in their quest – your old camp counsellor would be proud.
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