Hold on to Your Paddle! It's Summer Camp Season

Jen Zwicky |

CAMP MANITOU, NEW AUBURN
CAMP MANITOU, NEW AUBURN

With summer quickly approaching, some kids might be excited to relax and take time away from school, but others might be excited for an entirely different reason: It’s camp season.

Typically, there are two different types of camps offered in the summer: day camp and sleepaway camp. Day camp is, fittingly, when kids attend camp for just the day and return home to sleep in the comfort of their own home each night. Sleepaway camp, or residential camp, allows kids to physically leave their homes for about a week, typically sleeping in cabins and being immersed in different activities offered by the camp.

"Although summer might be a time where kids want to turn off their brains, sleep all day, and forget about learning, studies have shown that attending camp – sleepaway or day – benefits kids in more ways than one." – Jen Zwicky, marketing and youth development director, Eau Claire YMCA. 

For those who want to experience all that camp has to offer, but are hesitant to take the leap straight into residential camp, day camp provides a healthy and enriching alternative.

The American Camp Association states that day camp has a unique set of benefits for each camper. For younger campers who are anxious about a weeklong stay away from their parents, day camp can still give them a camp experience they’ve been looking for, but gives them the comfort of returning home each night.

In turn, this provides a foundation for kids to be successful if they choose to attend residential camp. Even though each type of camp is suited for different types of children, the benefits that they reap are the same.

“Camp is one of the few institutions where young people can experience and satisfy their need for physical activity, creative expression and true participation in a community environment,” said Dr. Peter Scales at the Search Institute in Minneapolis.

The American Camp Association also says that camp offers a chance for kids to leave behind distractions from home and build up life skills such as self-esteem, self-reliance, and pro-social behaviors.

Briana Goldbeck, assistant camp director at the Eau Claire YMCA, said that by the end of each session, she notices general trends among a majority of the campers at the Eau Claire YMCA’s resident camp, Camp Manitou.

“When the kids are away for a week, they gain a sense of independence and self-confidence,” Goldbeck said. “Parents will often come to pick up their children and say to them, ‘You’re a new person.’ ”

Exiting the Comfort Zone

These skills of independence and self-confidence allow campers to go outside of their comfort zone to make friends with everyone in their cabin, as well as explore hobbies and activities to do throughout their stay.

In addition to growing outside of their comfort levels, Goldbeck said she’s noticed that by the end of each session, campers lessen their dependency on their cell phones, thanks to a technology-free policy Camp Manitou offers.

“After day one, you’re active and involved in the energetic environment,” Goldbeck said. “Kids don’t really miss the technology and are able to handle it for the week.”

Campers aren’t the only ones who go through change during a weeklong stay at Camp Manitou. Goldbeck said she’s found parents are also apprehensive to let their children go away for a week.

“Their kids are their pride and joy,” she said. “Parents want to know what’s going on … but we reassure them that we have a trained staff and there are rules for everyone’s safety.”

Even with the apprehension that comes with going to camp or sending a child to camp, the benefits that come from their week away stays with them beyond summertime. Increased confidence levels and independence by the campers are only a sliver of the benefits they reap from one week outside of their comfort zone.