Overnight Summer Camp gives children the opportunity to take charge
Overnight summer camps not only offer the perfect camaraderie of building friendships, but also provide the kids with problem solving skills starting from campfire to color-strategizing and free them from the household tasks of daily family life.
In fact, overnight camps are one of the best basic and fertile environments for growing leadership skills. Some kids who participate in the camps seem to naturally take responsibility of leaders, regardless of the situation. Nevertheless, some of the children are late bloomers. They blend in early on, but bloom with maturity and eventually become high school captains or presidents of a varsity team.
Children’s talents get nurtured through the nature experience
The talent for leadership is basically a combination of nurture and nature. Leadership skills typically require the building of a strong central core. Some children may be trapped in their supposed roles in the school social circle or family. There are unfamiliar challenges and new kids to befriend at the summer camp. This can greatly offer campers an opportunity to step out of their comfort zone and easily release their inner leader without having to fear being rebuked or judged.
Parents can collectively participate in developing leadership by exposing their children to reading music as well as excelling in sports. Motivation is essential, especially the intrinsic motivation which is typically one of the key qualities of leadership. Generally, all human beings are more motivated to invest their time and energy when they know that they’re an important part of something bigger than themselves.
The unique overnight camp setting is one of natural team building, with everything from hall duties to camp skits returning to a sense of group or tribe. Each group in the camp needs a leader and most of the summer camps normally rotate these leadership positions in small ways, ensuring that every voice is heard.
There are 2 key leadership qualities which can be nurtured from a very young age to ease the path to a more assertive and bold child:
Confidence
Self-esteem and confidence are inherently linked. Children who are well-bonded process information better, have less stress, sticks to problem-solving longer, and have good self-esteem.
Nowadays, capable leaders are very confident with their vision and decisions, and at the same they listen to the opinions of others without feeling threatened.
This also applies to children; a child who is more secure in his own shoes can listen to his/her own inner voice and the opinions of others without the need to dominate. Parents are also advised to allow their children to take part in the role of decision-making. This way they’ll be building that secure central core which is vital for good self-esteem in the children.
Self-encouragement
Overnight summer camps give the children the freedom of being away from the support of their family for a while. The kids learn how to fend for themselves and also settle their own conflicts.
Generally, parents constantly come to the rescue of their kids when they make mistakes, such as explaining to their teacher why a certain project wasn’t completed on time or delivering a forgotten textbook to school.
Alternatively, you should teach your child to take responsibility for his/her actions and the child will learn to be a self-starter.
Want your child or teen to have this experience, please click here to get free, professional overnight camp assistance.
