Curious Parents Summer Camp Resources

Residential, Day, and After-School Summer Camps in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

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Academic Component Enhances Summer Experience

By: Greg Ackerman

     Lack of intellectual stimulation over a three month summer can leave kids playing catch up when school starts back up in the fall. The idea of trading fun summer days of play for school books can leave children lethargic and disappointed.

     However, an educational component in summer camp experiences alleviates much of the transitional stress between the seasons. When camps offer an academic aspect, their campers have their minds stimulated all year long, encouraging consistent positive growth.

     When campers partake in a hands-on learning experience – from building crafts to exploring nature to studying arts and culture – they tend to have so much fun they don’t even realize that they are learning! Creative activities and educational adventures teach an underlying lesson that learning does not always have to be associated with boring lectures and hard work. Additionally, partaking in new endeavors during the summer months gives campers the confidence to try new things, which can be applied when new school lessons are taught in the fall. A student who found success at camp baking a soufflé or building a working robot might not feel so intimidated when Algebra 101 is approached.

     Whether related to sports, crafts, or computers, programs related to team building and leadership experience build confidence and self-esteem, attributes as important to parents as they are to the campers themselves.

     These educational programs are most valuable when they are administered by a staff that is serious about working with children. The most effective counselors for a positive learning experience are potential educators who feel strongly about being role models.

     When thinking about developing well-rounded young adults, parents should consider the array of positive effects of sending children to camps with a significant educational component.

     Greg Ackerman is Director of Admissions for ESF Camps, which was Founded by Michael and Bill Rouse. ESF Summer Camps transcend the traditional idea of a “day camp,” taking sports, crafts, science, and other educational activities to another level. With 12 locations across the Mid-Atlantic region, the camps’ mission is to offer the finest camp experience.

     For more information, please visit www.esfcamps.com.