It’s no secret kids love summer because they don’t have to go to school. But did you know that summer camp stealthily teaches children some valuable skills. Shhhh! Just don’t tell them they’re still learning! Here are just a few of the reasons why children in New Jersey reap lifetime rewards from spending their summers at camp.
- Self-Reliance. Without their parents around, children at summer camp rely increasingly on other mentors and their peers for support and approval. However, children at summer camp learn something even more valuable: self-reliance. Summer camp teaches children valuable emotional lessons about trusting their instincts, and they become more adept at learning from their mistakes.
- Teamwork. Whether they have five siblings or none, children at summer camp have more opportunities than ever before to work together with other children their own age. The majority of summer camp activities are done in groups, allowing children to develop the special skills in cooperation and communication that are essential for the cognitive, emotional, and social development.
- Conflict Resolution. By mitigating conflict skillfully, camp counselors help children to resolve conflicts in a constructive and healthy way. Children at summer camp learn that they cannot always get what they want, but that everything works out in the end.
- Decision Making. Children at summer camp pick their own elective activities. During their activities at summer camp in New Jersey, children are also learning the value of decisiveness. Because the camp environment is all about fun, children are not pressured to make “right” choices, but to make choices based on available information. This prepares them for mature decision making in the future.
- Trying new things. Summer camp has everything from archery to art, allowing kids to expose themselves to new activities they might not otherwise get the chance to try. Even if they don’t love it, they’ll learn just from trying.