Camp is more than just fun and games… camp is a life campus
Summer camp! The defining Canadian growing-up experience. So much fun, but more than that … so much learned.
At first glance, camp is a place for kids to learn to swim, sing or speak Spanish. But look closer.
The seven-year-old day campers catching tadpoles by the creek are engaged in a first-hand biology lesson. A troupe of tweens, some too shy to raise a hand in school, bow to applause, having found confidence and their voice in a summer drama production.
The group of 14-year-olds calculating cargo weight and distribution and charting the course for a three-day canoe trip are putting math and physics classes into action. At each day’s end, they are reporters describing challenges met in stories and memories that fill personal journals. Teenagers gazing at constellations, shooting stars and dancing Northern Lights contemplate the wow and how of the universe and turn philosophical, considering their place in it.
Look closer still and you’ll see children learning through choices made, chores divvied up, friendships forged … learning self-sufficiency, self-confidence and leadership.
You want the best for your kids. If a good education is top of the list, think of school- plus-camp as the winning combination.
Camp Builds Skills for Life
| Concrete Skill Development | Soft Skill Development |
| School, work and life skills problem solving, self-discipline, perseverance, goal setting and time management and team building | Gaining confidence and self-esteem |
| Leadership and personal growth learning to inspire and to work as part of a team, achievements at camp build self-esteem and confidence | Becoming more independent |
| Igniting future career interests an actor, an astronaut, an athlete, an astronomer | Internalizing morals and values |
| Specialty training mastering sailing, horseback riding, hockey, swimming, computer skills or debate transfer back to classroom work | Gaining better self-awareness |
| Learning to try new things. Kids discover and explore new sports, crafts and challenges like high ropes or an adventure trek | Improving interpersonal and social skills |
| Learning through success and failure. There are no grades at camp. Kids are encouraged in a supportive environment to test and master new skills and try again and again if they fail | Becoming a good community member and good citizen |
| Physical activity and increased strength kids are up and active and using their bodies as well as their minds | Taking responsibility for self and others |
“She learned to make new friends and became more social. She gained confidence. Knowing how to get along with people and being flexible are very important for future success.” — Parent Reflection
Reprinted with permission from OurKids.net.
