Smartphones, handheld video game systems, tablets, mp3 players – you name it. Kids have them. And kids love them.
And while it’s not difficult to understand the admiration that children have towards these gadgets, it’s reasonable to believe that they can get a little too much of them.
In fact, it’s more than reasonable. Studies have found that too much time spent in front of TV screens and computer monitors can impact a child’s ability to read human emotions.
What have studies determined about excess use of technology by children?
UCLA researchers found a stark difference between the abilities of camp-going kids who had given up electronic devices and their schoolmates who hadn’t yet attended the camp.
Both sets of kids were asked to watch videos of actors interacting with each other and describe the characters’ emotions.
The camp-going, electronic free group of children displayed a significant improvement, over the course of the five-day study, in their ability to read facial emotions.
The UCLA researchers determined that kids can pick up on non-verbal cues a lot better when they have more face-to-face interactions with people than time in front of TV monitors.
Connecting with people in more natural ways, it was concluded, helps for people to not lose grip of their social skills.
How does summer camp help children grow their social skills?
Quite obviously, summer camp keeps kids predominantly outside.
In fact, parents list a reconnection with nature as one of the top reasons that summer camp is a good idea. This is especially true for families who live in the city.
Because their kids grow up in environments that are detached from the natural world, they tend to gravitate toward modern technologies to pass the time.
Getting away from technology is another list-topping reason for parents who agree that summer camp is the right choice for their children.
By unplugging from the digital world, kids can immerse themselves in natural surroundings and enjoy playing with other children. This helps to enhance their ability to engage with others and grow their personalities.
What other benefits are there for children who spend time outdoors?
It grows their imagination
Experts on childrearing champion the act of getting kids outdoors because it encourages them to use their imagination.
They note that the ways in which kids play in nature has a lot less structure than most types of indoor play.
There is, of course, a multitude of ways that children can interact with the outdoor environment. By utilizing their front yards and backyards, the parks and playgrounds and the many other areas that are deemed safe to play, kids are free to come up with their own rules for games and enjoy playing them out.
Unlike with video games, for example, outdoor games aren’t structured. The ways in which they are played can be imagined and implemented by the kids playing them.
It teaches about life
Nature isn’t just about the grass, trees, flowers and plants. It’s filled with a wide variety of other living things!
Birds, squirrels, insects and worms – these are just a few of the creatures that your kids will see when they are playing outside.
Learning that each of these living things needs food and water to survive will give your child a better appreciation for all life.
This is a major reason why your children should experience nature firsthand.
It keeps kids active
You’d be hard pressed to find anyone who believes that exercise and fresh air is bad for you.
When kids are outdoors, they are most likely to keep moving. Replacing your child’s love for sitting on the couch with a love for playing outdoor sports will do wonders for his/her overall health.
Not only does outdoor exercise have physical health benefits for your children, it is also something that will help keep them focused. This is especially beneficial for kids with ADHD.
What do the experts say about the role of summer camp in connecting children with nature?
Richard Louv is the author of the book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder.
In it, he describes the modern-day “disorder” where children are preferring to be inside rather than outside connecting with nature.
He focuses on Americans born in the past two to three decades and examines how society teaches them to avoid direct experience in nature.
Camp is highly touted as a solution for nature-deficit disorder. It gives children the opportunity to see the world in ways they’ve never experienced before.
It helps them to develop connections with the natural world, as well as lifelong friendships with fellow campers.
Connecting with nature is considered a necessity for the healthy development of a child’s senses, fostering greater abilities to learn and be creative.
The list of outdoor activities for your kids to partake in at summer camp is practically endless. Soccer, swimming, hiking, tug-of-war and even various arts and crafts activities only begin to scratch the surface of the various ways in which the outdoors are enjoyed at summer camp.
The bottom line is that your kids will spend much of their time outside when they are at camp. They will interact with nature in ways that today’s modern technology often forces them to avoid.
There’s no question that summer camp gives youngsters a greater appreciation for nature!
If you’d like to learn more about the many great benefits that summer camp can provide your children, please do not hesitate to contact the USA Camp Association today! We’re here to help you find the perfect summer camp for your child!