Top 5 Reasons to Send Your Child to Day Camp

With spring approaching, many parents are starting the journey to find the right camp for their child. As the American Camp Association proclaims, “Camp gives kids a world of good.” Children at summer camp have an incredible opportunity to learn, grow, build confidence, interact with others and have fun. Day camps are a great option for many children to have that opportunity without staying overnight.

Here are 5 Reasons to Send Your Child to a Day Camp:

1. One of the most important gifts a child can be given is a sense of confidence in himself or herself; the knowledge that he or she will be able to meet a new challenge. Camp is a key place for children to succeed and acquire this fundamental skill!

2. Even at a camp without academic instruction, campers are learning and growing every day. Of course children learn a lot at school, but in school children are constantly graded and evaluated in many ways. At camp, however, children can try a host of new things, without having to worry if they “make the grade.” This freedom, to experiment in a safe environment, is a major building block of confidence.

The ropes course at Camp Riverbend in Warren NJ.

3. With a range of activities available at camp, kids have many opportunities to explore. Campers are taught the skills to meet physical challenges, like climbing to the top of the high ropes tower or being able to pass our Deep Water Test. They are given opportunities to explore their creativity while decorating a clay pot or playing rhythm games in performance. Campers can cook an unfamiliar dish and learn to appreciate new tastes and flavors. And even when changing for swim, campers are learning how to take care of their possessions and clean up after themselves–surely a very useful skill, parents will agree!

4. One of the most important ways to build confidence is by meeting new peers and making new friends. Camp is a great place for children to expand their social circles in a relaxed way, as they spend days together swimming, playing and having fun.

5. Camp counselors are great mentors and a crucial force in helping campers succeed. Counselors can directly teach campers new skills (like how to make a bounce pass in basketball) but there are other important skills that they are teaching indirectly through their encouragement and support. As counselors encourage campers to keep trying, children learn persistence. As counselors cheer on a camper’s achievements, children learn to trust themselves.

Ok, so we agree that camp is a great experience for children. So why choose Day Camp?

Written by Miriam Peretsman of Camp Riverbend

Spend a Day at Camp…in the January!