Happy Camper

Who doesn’t want to pass on a childhood filled with love, security, excitement and a true sense of belonging? Parents spend so much of their time devoted to ensuring a well-rounded life experience for their darling daughters and sons, because they know from their own lives how critical those memories are. What is even more significant is the battle for our children’s attention. Technology is altering experiences paramount to everything generations past had relied upon and are now known to be integral to well-rounded development.

But are the days of imagination gone? 

The simple answer is no. That’s up to the family. According to a study listed on the American Camp Association’s website, “To become happy, successful adults, children need certain social skills to develop positive relationships with others (Crosnoe, 2000).” While at school, we can be fairly certain our children will harvest social connections, be required to learn about subjects that open their young minds and join in activities that mold their emotional and physical health, but what about the off time?

What about summer?

Who isn’t familiar with the term “happy camper”? There’s a reason that phrase is so well acknowledged. If positive social experiences are a marker for overall well being then sending your children to a real summer camp, a place of consistent positivity and social growth is a no brainer. Which begs the question?

What summer camp is right for my children?

Every single family has starkly differing needs. Some may desire a way to increase skills necessary for those competitive college applications but most want to blend activity with a familiar and safe environment that hones in on those key markers of well being. In essence, they desire an experiential real camp environment, much like the camps of generations past. Where crafts, sports and camp counselor “good-mornings” feel like a warm summer hug. And most importantly it’s the consistency that creates what the ACA referred to as, “…traditions — singing, dancing, telling stories and jokes, and playing outdoors — increase positive emotions, which lead campers to feel what they describe as happiness." (ACA) Real camp, real relationships, real memories… isn’t that what camp is all about.

What will you be doing this summer?