Five Educational Benefits Of Day Camp

Day camp offers children the opportunity to have fun and separate themselves from their electronic devices. Working parents love that their children can do more than attend daycare or spend their days home alone during their summer break. The fun and exercise these camps offer are important, but there are additional benefits these camps provide that may help children do better when school is back in session. 

Experiencing More Diversity

Many children live in neighborhoods and attend schools where they are very much like everyone around them. This often includes race, religion, and age. Day camps draw in children from a larger area and increase the opportunity for them to meet a more diverse group of people. There are many benefits for children that are exposed to other beliefs, lifestyles, and cultures. They have the opportunity to become more open-minded, they become more comfortable with differences, and they learn to cooperate with others that may not always see the world the way they do. 

Keeping Skills Sharp

During the summer children stray from their normal schedules, stop reading and writing as much as they normally do, and spend less time being challenged with new ideas and goals. It may take them several weeks to readjust to their role as a student when summer vacation ends. Children attending day camp are required to get up and out of the house every morning. They stay busy learning new skills, using their creativity, and being physically active. By attending several weeks of day camp or spending the last week or two of vacation there, they are more prepared for their new school year when it begins and are ready to start learning immediately. 

Discovering Learning Matters

Children that find their classes boring or think they are unimportant may have their opinions validated when they are allowed to go several months without studying. The challenges given to them at day camp make it easy for them to see that learning does matter and people should not take a vacation away from discovering something new. 

Increasing Their Abilities 

Learning new skills increases confidence. A child that spends their summer learning how to swim, learning how to build a campfire, or mastering a new craft will have pride and increased confidence. Some of these skills become useful in their life and some may never be attempted again. However, the confidence of accomplishing something that may have seemed frightening or confusing at first will let them know they are capable of taking on additional challenges. 

Improve Their Independence

School often becomes an extension of home. They are in the same building every day with all of their friends and the teachers and administrators they have come to know. It is not unusual for children to attend a day camp where they do not know anyone. This makes them have to be brave and independent. They learn how to speak for themselves and be their own advocate rather than relying on their favorite teacher or best friend. 

Day camps are the perfect alternative for children that are too shy or young to spend the night in a sleepover camp. Many of the camps offer the same classes and experience as a traditional summer camp and many others offer a unique experience. There are day camps for athletes, artists and musicians, and even aspiring astronauts. Choosing the right camp will guarantee the child will have an enjoyable summer of learning and socializing.