The days are long; the air is heavy. Summer’s here, and it’s time we celebrate the importance of summer camp on our children’s development.

Last week, I dropped off my three-year old at a mornings-only camp just west of Boston.

When the bill for her participation came soon after, I felt myself questioning her admittance.

What could a preschooler possibly gain from such an expensive experience?

I’m an overworked mother of two in desperate need of a break: Is shipping her off to camp for her benefit, or for mine?

But then I recalled my own camp experience, colored beautifully by the passage of time: Shaving cream fights + talent shows. Spontaneous singing in the mess hall; late-night gatherings by the campfire.

It was at summer camp where my senses heightened – where for the first time I felt truly alive – and it’s no surprise that here, amidst the mountainous backdrop of rural Connecticut, some of the happiest moments of my childhood occurred.

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As an adult, I’m able to look back and see my experience for what it was (+ what it wasn’t):

– Camp was never about sneaking out after curfew;  it certainly wasn’t about winning the end-of-session field day games, either.

– It was about being part of a special tribe + realizing my own uniqueness as a result.

– It was about appreciating my strengths and understanding my weaknesses; it was about accepting the lasting gift of self-confidence + carrying it into adulthood.

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In a world where principals cut recess in favor of increased academic instruction, camp is a limitless playground.

At a time where politicians on Capitol Hill constantly rigidify learning standards, camp is a haven from unnecessary pressures.

Summer camp encourages positive social interaction through novel experiences;  it does so without technology or gadgets or gimmicks.

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Summer camp is a success story in simplicity.

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As a former teacher, I understand first-hand the stresses placed on today’s children: There’s Common Core academic standards + state-specific ones.

There’s incessant, nagging competition – somehow simultaneously real + imagined – to be the best.

To get the highest grade.

To wear the coolest clothes.

To own the latest gadget.

But there’s none of any of that at camp, because campers make due with the contents of their duffel bags.

And instead of sitting home in front of the television or on their smartphones, kids are performing skits + mastering high ropes courses.

Summer camp encourages children to turn off everything in today’s always-on world.

It’s a deliberate press of the RESET button:

Campers tune out the noise so that they can fully live: It’s only in such living can they acknowledge what technology has taken away.

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“In a world where principals cut recess in favor of increased academic instruction, the importance of camp is this: Camp is a limitless playground.”

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What psychologists say: The importance of summer camp

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The camp experience is about exploration + challenges + risks + successes and – sometimes – failure.

It’s about appreciating a bucolic existence; most importantly, it’s about feeling part of something simple but special as a means of realizing one’s own self-worth.

Developmental psychologists agree: The camp experience fosters self-confidence, resourcefulness + self-definition, to name a few.

Other benefits include:

– An appreciation of nature

– Personal accountability

– Positive social interactions

– Opportunities for new experiences

– Physical activity

– Creative self-expression

– Self-reliance

Dr. Michael J. Under studies childhood resilience  + argues for placing children in a minimalist environment:

“Camps … make kids … put away the makeup, stash the iPods, get a little dirty and even a little frustrated while having fun and making new friends,” Unger says in Psychology Today. “[These] are the kinds of camps that offer children the best of what they need.”

 

A 2012 study reached similar conclusions. Dr. MaryBeth Merryman + colleagues studied the importance of summer camp on at-risk youth; at the end of a five-week day camp, campers reported positive growth in social skills. More importantly, campers reported positive growth in the belief of the possibility of a good future.

My daughter, animated from her first day at camp, returned home with grass stains at the knees + flushed cheeks streaked with dirt.

“Momma, guess what I did? I put my head under the water! And I blew bubbles. In the lake.”

I pulled her in close. “And what else?”

“I found an ant. I named him Broccoli. Then me + my friends made pancakes in the mud!”

On her second day, more of the same:

“Momma,” she said, beaming, “today I went in the Kids Car Wash!”

“Kids Car Wash?”

“It’s a tent with sprinklers on the ceiling. At first I was scared because I didn’t want water in my eyes.”

She paused, bit her lip, then brightened again.

“But I DID it!”

As long as my daughter wants to attend summer camp, I’ll continue sending her.

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