2 minute read
Summer camps provide plenty of value beyond fun
By Dan Webster Marketing Correspondent
There was a time when summer vacation simply meant freedom. It was a time when kids could stop worrying about school assignments and just focus on play –however they decided to define that. Times clearly have changed, and in many cases for the better. Because while school-age children of today may have less free time during the summer, they certainly have more opportunities in which to experience a wide range of activities.
A quick glance at, say, the City of Spokane Parks & Recreation’s spring activity guide or The SpokesmanReview’s summer camps list for 2023 will reveal as many different summer camps as can be imagined. Campers interested in water sports, for example, can learn everything from basic swimming skills to the fundamentals of lifeguarding. They can indulge, or train, in any number of team sports – from baseball to lacrosse, soccer to volleyball, football to tennis – to individual sports such as sailing. But they can also involve themselves in the arts, ranging from dance to theater, painting to writing. Preschoolers interested in science can imagine what it’s like to be an insect or create their own inventions with Legos, while older campers can learn wilderness skills. Campers can even learn Spanish in a special languageimmersion camp.
Some camps are simple day camps, while others are overnight or even weeklong camps. All, in their own way, offer participants the opportunity to enjoy themselves and be educated in a supervised, supportive atmosphere.
One extremely popular camp involves working with Legos. In particular, the Lego Challenge Camp offers elementary and middle-school students the chance to learn basic engineering by building working machines.
The national organization American Camp Association (acacamps.org) reports that 16,327 different camps are “impacting lives across the U.S.” Laurie Browne, the ACA’s director of research, is both a camp researcher and a parent. Because of that dual role, she says in a promotional video, “I know firsthand the numerous benefits kids get when they attend camp.”
“It’s in these unique community settings,” Browne says, “where children make friends from different backgrounds, build trust in themselves and others and where they cultivate communication and social skills.”
John Fazio, senior vice president of NBC Camps, agrees. He’s seen, he says, campers “leave inspired and motivated to learn more, to keep working on their skills. It’s a good way to spark that fire for the game.” In fact, Fazio says, Find Your Fire is the title of this summer’s curriculum. “We talk about goal setting, we talk about family relationships,” he says. “We’re a Christian-based organization, so there’s a mention of faith as well.”
“Again,” Fazio says, “it’s more than just a sports experience. It’s learning off-the-field life skills as well.” And, he adds, “I think it’s a win-win. It comes with an investment as well, but maybe they’re getting more out of some of those summer weeks than maybe just outdoor play.”