Learn how to help your child carry camp lessons into the school year.
It is often said that summer camp helps children make memories to last a lifetime. But camp does more than build memories — it builds strong, resilient and connected adults.
Summer camp is a transformational experience for children. It gives them the chance to make new friends and engage in physical, social and educational activities that endows them with life skills such as working as a team, leadership, picking up on social cues and self-awareness.
When parents reinforce the skills and sense of community children develop in camp throughout the year, they help move precious summer camp experiences out of the sepia tones of memory to color everyday life.
Encouraging social gatherings (as opposed to social media), giving children opportunities to develop their decision-making skills and helping them to stay physically active, parents may not be able to make summer last forever, but they can make the lessons of summer camp endure into adulthood.
Make New Friends — And Keep Them!
Doctors and researchers tell us that strong social connections are key to good mental and physical health in adulthood. Young children need a variety of social interactions to develop healthy social skills. Summer camp can provide a new opportunity for children to forge new friendships in a new setting that is not school or the neighborhood. These experiences enhance communication, emotional development, self-esteem and problem-solving skills, fostering well-rounded social growth.
Help them to maintain those camp connections through play dates and meet-ups throughout the year. Building on skills they may have developed a taste for at camp (such as hiking, cooking or robotics), encourage your child to plan or help plan activities that bring their fellow campers together to make the kind of memories that turn new friends into old ones.
Reinforce Their Independence
Camp helps children develop independence by allowing them more freedom to make choices for themselves than they might find at home or in their classrooms. This helps them grow confidence and the good decision-making skills they will need to successfully navigate adulthood.
At camp, children continuously set goals — and achieve them. This deepens their understanding of their personal limits, boosts their confidence and helps them discover new skills. As a parent, you can help encourage your child reinforce their independence by signing them up for after-school activities that stretch their horizons, advising them to join new clubs at school or asking them to help with a task at home that builds their life skills (walking the dog, making a meal, doing the laundry).
Stay Active
Sports, games and running around are fun and alleviate stress — valuable tools children can come back to again and again as they get older. Many of the YMCA of OC’s day camps offer a well-rounded experience for children with a wide variety of programming — giving them an opportunity to pack their days with laughter, sports and games.
Help children carry the value of staying physically and mentally active into their school year through after-school activities that challenge them and keep them moving. The YMCA of Orange County provides daily physical and educational enrichment programs after school to help children learn, grow and thrive as they make their way from kindergarten through eighth grade.
Summer camps build memories. They also build the knowledge, skills and confidence to help children grow into happy, successful adults. By encouraging children to maintain their friendships, stay connected to their community, foster their critical thinking skills and stay physically active, parents can help keep a bit of that summer magic going all year long.
If you are looking for summer camps for your children, The YMCA of OC can be a resource for you. Visit ymcaoc.org/orange-county-camps for more information.
Dorain Cassell is the director of operations, Child & Youth Development at YMCA of Orange County.
Leave a Reply