The Magic of Camp: 3 Reasons Why it Happens

With summer planning in full swing, do your child a favor – send them to camp! He or she will come back taller, stronger, more independent and with that magic in their eyes.. Still thinking about?

Here are three reasons why (infographic):

Here are three more reasons why:

1. Kids make and keep friends

Camp is an environment where kids have to live together, work together and experience things, together. As a result they learn when to be a leader and when to make compromises. Kids learn how to listen to each other, how to empathize and how to have fun together. These skills not only help them be a better friend – they are also skills described by HBR (Harvard Business Review) as those that predict successful leaders of large companies.

2. Learning new things

At camp, kids can choose activities to try... may be even those you never thought were of interest to your child. That's how children learn what they are good at; and as importantly, they learn to make their own decisions.

3. Unplugging

Learning to put down the devices and face other people, nature and new experiences is priceless and gives kids the much needed time to recharge in between the school years.

Here is what kids say about it:

“The people I met in camp – they will always be there for me. Even when they are far away.”

“My favorite part of camp was bunk time... we laughed all the time. It was probably the happiest I've been.”

Think of your best childhood memories - scoring a goal... that time you swam across the lake for the first time... talking to a friend, and in the process, discovering something really important about yourself. Most of these experiences are not taught by adults but happen "on their own". That is the magic of childhood – and that is the magic of camp!