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Preparing Children for the Summer Camp Experience

By John T. Howe

     During more than 35 years as a camp owner/director, I often received phone calls from the media asking, “What’s new in camp this summer?” Without hesitation, my answer was, “If you’ve never been to camp, everything is new!”

     For this reason, preparing your child for a first-time, resident-camp experience should be done in an upbeat and positive way. If parents are able to convince their children that they can have a great time living away from home, the kids usually adjust to camp quickly and have a pleasant experience.

     For most children, attending camp is one of the highlights of growing up. How do I know? During my career, when I was asked what I did for a living and I responded “camp owner/director,” I was greeted with one of two reactions: Adults who had not been to camp as children made jokes about unreal camp experiences that they had obviously seen in the movies. On the other hand, those who had attended camp as children invariably got around to telling me what a difference camp had made in their lives. Some even told me about lifelong friendships they made at camp.

     There are a number of benefits to be derived from a resident-camp experience. When children start camp, they are on their own, sometimes for the very first time in their lives. They have to decide what to wear, what to eat, and which activities to participate in. Counselors guide them, but the campers soon learn that they can make decisions on their own and they start to become more self-reliant. Also, good camp counselors will work toward finding something each child can do well or at least as well as his or her peers. Once this happens, children want to try other activities at which they can excel in. In school, some children don’t experience success and think of themselves as failures. Camp can be a school without failure; as a camper, just having fun makes you a success!

     Over the years, I saw most campers have positive experiences that they were able to build on when they went back to school. After the summer, parents would call my office to sign up their children for another summer at camp. In the course of the conversation, they would mention how their child’s grades seemed to improve after a summer at camp. A well-directed camp will focus on trying to make every camper experience success during the camp session.

     Another area of camp life that is beneficial to children is the development of social skills. Often, a lack of exposure makes it difficult for children to develop friendships in their home neighborhoods. Some children can’t make friends locally because there aren’t many children who are the same age or the same sex. In a camp setting, a good counselor will make sure that every camper is included in group activities and that each child interacts with the others in a variety of daily-living situations. They learn the give-and-take of group living and that they have to depend on others (and others have to depend on them) to make the group function and be happy.

     Parents often ask, “What is a good age for a child to start a resident camp experience?” My response is that you need to involve your child in the decision. Some children are ready at age 7, 8, or 9, and if they express an interest to start, they should have a good experience. Many children are hesitant to be away from home at that age; in that case, I suggest waiting a year or two. Most children start at age 10, 11, or 12. If they still are hesitant, then some parental encouragement may serve to convince them that living away from home with other children can be fun. Some of the worst homesick cases I encountered during my years in camping were teenagers. Learning how to adjust to new situations is an essential part growing up. Many children feel better if they attend camp with a friend. However, friends often come to camp wanting to be in the same cabin. This is fine but it can prevent them from making new friends, a fundamental part of the camp experience.

     John T. Howe is a former National President of the American Camping Association. Reprinted with permission from www.CampDepot.com.