Summer camp can be one of the most rewarding, unforgettable experiences in a child’s life. Camp provides children with a community of caring mentors who provide experiential education that leads to self-respect and appreciation for life. All of the outcomes—friendships, overcoming challenges, staying healthy and building character— prepare them for bigger, brighter lives down the road. In addition to great friendships and enduring memories, many important life skills are learned at camp.

Here are five reasons kids should go to camp:

  1. Play the Old Fashion Way: Video games, computers, TV, oh no! Kids get to really play and have fun with real people.
  2. Try New Things: Kids have the opportunity to do things that they do not get to do otherwise such as zip lines, rope swings and archery are experiences that cannot be taught in a classroom.
  3. Make New Buddies: Summer camp provides an environment that is relaxing and pressure free, encouraging your child to make friends with new people.
  4. Fosters Independence: Clothes to wear that day? They choose! People to sit with at lunch? They choose! Your child learns that he is responsible for keeping up with his flashlight, remembering when morning devotionals take place and what time the chow hall opens. It is a life skill children need to learn.
  5. Memories that will last a lifetime: When the summer ends, camp memories live on in children’s hearts and minds.