The Benefits of Summer Camp, For Teachers and Students Alike

My daughter just started kindergarten, so she has a few years until she gets to  a Maine summer camp, but after reading this awesome post by one of our MCE Member camps, I started thinking about all the skills she’s beginning to learn at school, and how well they will be complemented by what she learns when she one day goes to camp. They summed it up perfectly: Spending the summer at camp turns followers into leaders, shyness into confidence and laziness into responsibility. Camp teaches children how to work well with others, how to think critically and how to solve problems. It allows students to try new things, ask questions and be vulnerable in order to improve themselves. It teaches time management, organization and respect for peers and authority. The list goes on and on. Going to camp is the perfect antidote to the rigors of the school year. While kids spend their years learning new skills and expanding their knowledge base, they can spend their summers growing and developing in a whole host of ways, and even better – on their own terms. The knowledge they gain in school is complemented by less quantitative benefits – leadership, responsibility, and the beginnings of learning to think and make decisions for themselves. It’s a long process! But you can bet that kids who went to camp head off to college just that much more prepared for life on their own. I hadn’t thought before about the benefits of summer camp for teachers – but there are many! After a summer at camp kids come back refreshed and ready to learn. They have been “unplugged” for weeks, have a new-found sense of confidence, and have just spent a big chunk of time trying new things and working together with their peers. For teachers, having a camper in class means having a new perspective, one gained outside of the classroom, away from the desks, and in the fresh and cooling waters of Maine. And the best thing about all this summer camp knowledge and learning and new skills, of course … is that it’s So. Much. FUN. What is the most important lesson you or your camper learned at camp? Maine Camp Experience Resources & Tools

Looking for the perfect Maine camp for your child?  Try out our helpful tool where you can select a camp by choosing: type of camp (girls, boys or coed) and session length (1-8 weeks).  It helps to narrow down a few camps to a manageable list that includes rates.  Then you can research these camps in more depth.

Next, be sure to  to discuss these camps as well as for free, year-round advice and assistance on choosing a great Maine summer camp for your child.

You can share your own Maine camps memories & expressions of gratitude on our Memories of Camp section of our website.