Important Life Skills That Summer Camp Teaches Kids

Summer sleepaway camp is mostly known for being just plain fun with friends in the great outdoors.

However, along with all the swimming, canoeing, crafts and campfires, a lot of valuable life lessons are learned at camp ...

... and kids will use these skills long after the end-of-camp song has been sung.

PERSISTENCE

Campers at overnight summer camp learn that even the seemingly impossible, can be achieved with persistence.

Whether they’ve set a goal of swimming across the lake, making it across the suspended bridge on the high ropes course or designing and building the perfect mini Ping Pong table ...

... kids get the right combination of help and support at camp to meet their goal - or at least come close!

SAFE RISKS

Kids get the chance to take risks in a safe, supportive environment.

Maybe a youngster has always wanted to try acting, singing a solo or learning to wield a hammer in carpentry.

Sure, there’s always a chance of failure, but it’s important throughout life to learn from your mistakes and keep trying.

PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT

The joy of personal achievement is a big gift of overnight summer camp. While away from parents, kids face challenges and beat them all on their own, savoring the joy of independence and personal victories.

Maybe a child is a little afraid of the water and doesn’t really like swimming classes or canoe trips, but they do it anyway, on their own or with help from friends and counselors.

For kids who struggle with a tough mountain hike, dare to try out for the camp musical or overcome a bad bout of homesickness, that independent victory is sweet.

LIVING COOPERATIVELY

Summer camp kids get used to living in a different community. For a lot of kids, camp is the first time ...

... they’ve had to share sleeping quarters, take care of their own things or even do their own laundry.

So, they loads of get valuable life lessons in organization, respect for other’s property and maybe even laundry!

THE VALUE OF TEAMWORK

Kids at sleepaway camp learn to interact as a team rather than just individually.

Everyone works together for the common good, whether pitching a tent at a camp-out, participating in a relay race or working to put on a campfire skit.

With the increased emphasis on teamwork in the workplace, kids in summer camp are getting an early start on a skill that will serve them well throughout their lives.

LOVE OF NATURE

For many kids, summer camp is the start of a lifelong journey for the love of nature.

Particularly for campers who hail from the city, the world of the woods and the lake are like a foreign land, full of fascinating sights and intriguing nighttime noises.

This connection to the natural world can lead to a lifelong respect for nature and interest in environmental protection.

LEADERSHIP

At school, the same kids may seem to be class leaders year after year, but at camp every kids gets to try on the leadership hat and many who never knew ...

... they had the chops, find they do a great job at directing the camp skit, navigating a hike in the woods or organizing the completion of a special project.

Camp gives everyone a chance to try on new roles, and some kids are delightfully surprised at what they can do when given a chance.

THE VALUE OF PERSEVERANCE

Many parents give kids a little slack on getting a job done, settling for less than a best effort.

At camp, however, counselors will encourage youngsters to try harder, and make that final attempt that leads to success and find the inner exhilaration of completing a difficult task.

If you're considering sending your child to an overnight summer camp, be sure to visit our site to learn about Camp Walt Whitman.

Located in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Camp Walt Whitman offers a safe, nurturing environment in a beautiful mountain setting.

Our camp is a coed sleepaway camp, with separate areas for boys and girls. The kids have a blast, and make friendships that can last a lifetime.

Co-ed

www.campwalt.com

1000 Cape Moonshine RdPiermont, NH 03779

603-764-5521cww@campwalt.com