It’s no secret that we at the USA Camp Association love camp! Overnight summer camps are great for kids, teens, and parents alike, but did you know that teachers love them, too?
Teachers enjoy having responsible, respectful, and creative students in their classrooms, and there’s no doubt that overnight summer camps help children develop these skills and many more, year after year.
A summer spent growing and learning, far away from city life, academic pressure, and every day routines makes for an improved student-teacher experience during the academic year.
In addition, without some kind of structured stimulation, students actually lose skills over the summer that they had developed during the school year. Overnight summer camps, however, provide the stimulation they need to maintain and grow those skills that might otherwise be lost or lessened.
In many ways, students attending overnight summer camps are at an advantage, getting a head start and the opportunity to start the new school year ahead of the curve.
5 Ways Overnight Summer Camps Make Better Students
There’s no doubt that overnight summer camps are beneficial for children of all ages. But why do teachers so wholeheartedly encourage taking part in overnight summer camp programs as well?
Because there are measureable and noticeable differences in students returning to school from overnight summer camp.
It’s been theorized that overnight summer camps are more beneficial than SAT prep classes for your children. Away from the daily grind and academic pressures, kids show noticeable growth in independence, teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, and interpersonal relationships.
Students who have spent a restorative summer exploring nature, making memories, and building valuable life skills return to school refreshed, ready to learn, and displaying personal growth that makes them better students.
1. Independence
Children who attend overnight summer camps learn to adapt to situations outside of their comfort zones. During the school year, children live in the comfort of home, reliant on their parents and their routines.
Away at overnight summer camp, however, they learn to take care of themselves, make decisions for themselves, and solve problems for themselves.
An overnight summer camp experience away from home and school encourages huge personal growth in the form of independence by giving them the confidence to try, fail, and try again without pressure.
Children at overnight summer camps are given control and independence, even when it comes to organized activities and scheduled events.
The majority of time at overnight summer camps is spent outside, running around, exploring and discovering nature, and generally not worrying about what comes next. This brings us to our next point…
2. Creativity
In the race for appealing things to list on college applications, creativity is becoming less and less of a priority for schools, parents, and children.
This is despite the fact that the majority of notable academics have always pursued artistic endeavors in their personal lives. Harvard University’s Dean of Admissions, William Fitzsimmons, has even pleaded parents to “bring summer back”.
Freedom and exploration are vital in growing creativity and imagination, and perhaps nowhere else are artistic and creative endeavors as encouraged as they are at overnight summer camps.
From making friendships bracelets to participating in choirs and learning about Native American dream catchers, it’s impossible not to spark some creativity in overnight summer camp students.
3. Teamwork
In preparation for continuing on to high school and post-secondary education, students, at some point, need to learn teamwork skills. Many students don’t truly hone these skills until college (and some never do!).
Overnight summer camps encourage and teach children to work together not just in fun but in creative endeavors and problem-solving issues as well.
Through learning teamwork skills, children who attend overnight summer camps are also instilled with confidence not only in themselves but in others.
Working on teams without competition, pressure, or assessment is invaluable to a student’s well-being and continued performance in school.
4. Curiosity
Overnight summer camps are a great way for your children to disconnect from being connected all the time. They get away from phones, laptops, tablets, tv’s, and all those other screens, and they get to explore and discover the real world.
Getting in touch with nature, exploring the outdoors, and spending time with friends under the sun actually encourages and increases creativity and curiosity.
From horseback riding to kayaking and from science experiments to campfire songs, overnight summer camp offers countless activities and events for your children to get involved with.
Not only will they have a great time, make new friends, and become a more rounded student for the coming year, but they will discover new hobbies and passions as well!
Exploring new things fuels the desire for further exploration and discovery. Students returning to school from overnight summer camps display a noticeable burst in curiosity and joy for learning.
5. Problem-Solving And So Much More!
We know, we know, this isn’t one concrete list item, but bear with us – the benefits of overnight summer camps are numerous!
Overnight summer camps not only offer the perfect environment for building friendships, for learning to take responsibility and accountability for one’s own actions, and for learning valuable lessons, but they also provide children with problem-solving skills that will benefit them in school, at home, and well into their adult lives.
Summer camps help children take control of their own lives. Those experiences of self-reliance, self-care, and self-love learned at camp are experiences that last a lifetime.
These are also experiences that come with their own benefits. Children who feel in control, competent, and confident, are better problem-solvers with better interpersonal skills and are more likely to take initiative.
Wrap Up
While modern public schools are pretty far and away from the sense of freedom, community, and exploration of overnight summer camps, that’s not to say that these schools and their educators don’t appreciate and understand the benefits of those things.
Overnight summer camp teaches children that everyday life comes with responsibilities and how to be accountable. These are lessons that are invaluable to young students and lessons that send them into their new school year more rounded individuals.
To find the right camp for your family, explore our directory through our comprehensive search feature connecting you to thousands of overnight summer camps.