Did you know that only 25% of kids attend some form of summer camp or learning program?
For children who don’t, feelings of isolation at home during the summertime could affect their social abilities or self-esteem. It could even lead to depression or other emotional issues.
One of the things that can help kids from being depressed and having low self-esteem is summer camp. Summer camp for kids is often a formative experience. It teaches them lifelong lessons about how to both be independent and work with others.
If you’re thinking about whether to send your kids to summer camp when they’ve got self-esteem issues, your heart is in the right place. Here are five ways that summer camp for kids will surely build their self-esteem.
1. Independence
One of the best things your child can experience when at summer camp for kids is independence they don’t have at home. For kids who live in the city, there are a lot of potential dangers out in the world. Letting your kids loose in the city might not be as appealing as letting them out into the forest.
Giving your kids the chance to explore on their own, to make their own friendships, and to follow their own pursuits is essential to growth. Happy and well-adjusted adults get the opportunity to discover themselves independently. Being at summer camp is a formative experience that allows this same opportunity to kids.
Counselors will encourage students to do things on their own. They might make their own food choices at meal time, direct their own adventures, and lead teams of other students in activities. Kids who haven’t felt comfortable doing this at school might find a natural affinity for leadership in a new environment.
You never know what kinds of experiences are holding kids back at school or at home until they have the chance to be somewhere else. Summer camp is the perfect place for kids to grow.
2. Meeting New Groups of People
Summer camp gives your kids the chance to interact with new groups of people from all over the country. Homeschooled kids who participate in summer camps will get the opportunity to interact with more kids than they normally would.
Kids who come from ethnically, economically, or socially segregated areas will be able to seek out new friendships with new kinds of people. Kids who haven’t had the opportunity to explore cultures outside their own might find lots of valuable ideas from their new friends.
Most camps are open to kids of all types of abilities and socializing habits. This variety can prepare your kids for being out in the real world and meeting new people. They might even find kids with similarities to their own lives and build self-esteem by realizing they’re not alone in their experiences.
You can expect that your kids will experience all sorts of growth at the best summer camps. If you think they’ll struggle to make friends, check out our list of tips to ensure they have no problems.
3. Exploring Creative Pursuits
Most every kid’s summer camp has a wide variety of creative activities that kids can learn from.
Whether it’s painting, dance, theater, or making crafts, kids can learn new ways to explore ideas and interact with each other. With only a group of new peers to impress, they’ll be able to explore freely without the worry about what kids will think for years to come.
Kids can explore any number of wacky ideas. If there’s technology available, kids can write and direct their own movies together. They can work on writing songs or playing some of their favorites together.
When kids are in a rigorous academic environment day in and day out, they might feel too much pressure and have trouble exploring the arts. In this context, they can dive in head first and explore the things that really touch their souls and give them inspiration.
4. Mentorship with Counselors
Mentorship is one of the most important things to develop from summer camps for kids. Many kids don’t have mentors at home who are between the ages of 18 and 30. Camp counselors are closer to your kids’ ages than parents while still being responsible adults.
Because of their proximity to youth, they will be seen as cool role models who your kids will look up to. If they are strong leaders, this will inspire your children to want to be leaders like them. If they have a creative or academic talent, they will share that with your kids and inspire them to pursue their own interests.
This mentorship relationship is one of the most important elements of the camp experience. With the help of counselors, kids can see themselves in a new light and build their self-esteem in a substantial way.
5. Time Away from Screens
Above everything else, the price of entry has one major benefit to your kids and their self-esteem. They’ll be away from screens for more hours than they have been in a long time. Without that mediation, kids will experience social interactions differently.
The way kids socialize online has a unique tone that doesn’t always translate to real life interactions and vice versa. When kids get away from screens, they avoid bullying and experiencing those kinds of interactions. When kids leave the screens behind, they can see the value in differing opinions, resolve conflict, and learn to communicate better.
Your kids might return with less interest in screens than you could have imagined. This will have a great impact on their self-esteem.
Summer Camp for Kids Is Iconic
The kinds of experiences your children will experience at a summer camp for kids will create lasting memories.
The kids they meet could become lifelong friends and the activities they learn could turn into lifelong pursuits.
If you’re afraid your kids will suffer from homesickness while sleeping over at camp, check out our guide on how to prepare.
