Explore Camp In the Wild

OUTDOOR CAMPS ARE POPULAR AND THEY PROVIDE BENEFITS TO KIDS TO LEARN ABOUT NATURE AND ITS INHABITANTS.

By Ginny McCabe

Especially since Covid, but even before the pandemic, there was an enormous push for camps.

“The sun shines in Northeast Ohio in the summer. As a community and people that live here, we have come to value and treasure those sunny, warm days. So, this is a great opportu- nity for kids who have been stuck in school, in front of computer screens all-year around, to get outside, but it really highlights amazing things we have to offer here in terms of nature and outdoor experiences in Northeast Ohio,” says Mary Rouse, director of outdoor experiences at Cleveland Metroparks.

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Dave Devey, owner and director of Falcon Camp says getting out in nature and experiencing adventures is essential for learning and development.

At Falcon Camp, kids gain confidence, improve critical thinking and problem-solving skills, learn valuable self discovery and increase curiosity of adventure and exploration – all while spending time outdoors.

“There is an important sense of sharing the environment with nature, and understanding the layers of how the environment works, in order for everything to flow smoothly,” Devey says. “We need trees, plants and animals, and we need bees to pollinate. There has to be a healthy respect for the environment that we live in and camp is a great place to help teach some of that respect and it gives kids a greater understanding.”

Many camps offer opportunities for kids to not just get outside, but learn about nature. From conservation and hands-on animal encounters to nature fun — there are endless ways kids can explore the great outdoors and the benefits are amazing, too.

Kids Get an Experience Unlike Anywhere Else

“When you’re on a nature hike, and you see a frog in the creek, and you hold the frog in your hands for a couple of minutes,” Devey says. “That’s so much better and nicer than seeing the picture of a frog on a screen, and it’s so much more real. Then, you can go back home, if it interests you, and look up frogs on a screen, and see all the different kinds and colors, and learn from it, but seeing that frog in real life, and holding it in your hands, and watching it jump from one rock to another, seeing how it blends in to the pine needles and the grass on the edge of a stream so you can’t see it anymore, and you have to really focus to find out where it went. Those are things screens don’t do for you.”

At camps like those at the zoo, it’s good to see the animals at the zoo and understand the conservation messaging, and how their actions can impact those same animals that are out in the wild, explains Stacey Panteck, education specialist, at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. So, there’s also the conservation piece of seeing the animals and being outdoors with them.

“It’s super important that kids of all ages get the opportunity to be outside, play outside, and see things here at our zoo that they might not be able to see anywhere else,” she says. “So, they are able to come here and be outside of the classroom, outdoors, but still learn really great things through these experiences. It also awakens a curiosity in kids. For instance, it could be them looking at an elephant close up and that will lead to a million questions, or they can see a caterpillar on the ground, and that would lead to a million questions. It could awaken something in them that’s a passion, and it will continue to be a passion for them throughout their lifetime.”

Exposure to Nature has Positive Health Outcomes

“There are so many benefits. There’s the physical health benefit of being outside, being active in fresh air and challenging your body to do more things. Right along with that is the mental health benefits. There’s so much research - CONTINUED ON PAGE C8 - that shows the benefit of time spent outdoors, in terms of brain chemistry and the neurons in your brain, helping to facilitate new connections there in that outdoor space with the sun, hopefully,” Rouse says.

“Nature is grounding and calming,” says Erin McCann Enovitch, owner and director of Earthology Unbound. “Climbing, hiking, exploring, running up and rolling down hills are all things that build confidence and self-esteem and boost brain chemistry. We know through plenty of research that the benefits of exposure to natural soundscapes and nature in general are transformative. Improved overall health and wellness, increased ability to concentrate and regulate and decreased stress and anxiety are just a few of the positives of being outside.”

Longer periods of time spent in nature have been connected to positive growth cognitively, physically, emotionally and socially. Nature provides the fuel to nurture and grow the whole child, she adds.

“One that’s probably noteworthy are the health benefits,” says Vicki Searles, director of conservation education at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. “A number of children come here who haven’t had the opportunity to be outside a lot, and sometimes that’s by choice, and sometimes that’s because of some challenges they have, but either way, we know that when kids get outside in nature in some way that it can help them tremendously if they have health challenges, if they have some attention deficit challenges, being out in nature has been proven to help that.”

A Positive Alternative to Screen Time in the Outdoors

According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in 2020, “Children and adolescents spend a lot of time watching screens, including smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, TVs, and computers. On average, children ages 8-12 in the U.S. spend 4-6 hours a day watching or using screens, and teens spend up to 9 hours.

While screens can entertain, teach, and keep children occupied, too much use may lead to problems.

The negative impact is kids are getting less exercise or gaining weight. There’s also a growing lack of interest in being outside. Electronics are everywhere and it’s causing more anxiety for many kids.

“Children spend too much time indoors, especially during the school year,” McCann Enovitch says. “They need to be outside more, and camp is a perfect way to do that. Even the most hesitant children, who claimed to dislike the outdoors, have reported enjoying their time at Earthology. We have to get them used to being outside more and for longer periods of time, their wellness depends on it.”

“Another benefit is keeping those minds active over the summer,” Rouse adds. “If all the kids do is play video games, or watch movies over the summer, they lose some of those reading skills and math skills, particularly in the younger grades. So, it keeps their minds active.”

“Every day at the zoo is different,” Searles adds. “Animals are doing different things, and you’ll see different behaviors in them, so there are campers who will repeat a theme, and they see something different every time they come.”

Outdoor Camps Broaden Kids Social Skills

Being outdoors in nature will give kids an opportunity to make new friends and it teaches them how to build relationships. At camp, kids can share stories, or sit around a campfire. They are experiencing face-to-face interaction with others, while making lasting memories.

“There are social benefits,” Rouse says. “Kids are going to camp with a group of other youth that they don’t normally spend time with. People from different backgrounds, and people from other communities and neighborhoods. So, it’s a chance to make new friends and learn about people, maybe you don’t already get a lot of exposure to.”

“Summer camp not only helps kids physically, because they use their muscles and bodies in a different way when they are playing outside, but also, it helps to boost brain power and their mental capacity, when they are outside more,” Panteck says. “I think it also adds the element of social-emotional in getting outside, interacting with others and nature. So, it’s good for their mind, body and soul.”

Devey says, often, when he talks to campers years later, he learns that many campers have made lifelong friends. Campers develop common bonds with their friends at camp, and they have an opportunity to share in new and different experiences together. He says campers also learn skills like teamwork while they have fun.