3 Ways Kids’ Summer Camps Help Your Children Grow

Kids’ summer camps are fun, especially if you do not live close to nature. A camp gives your children a chance to ride horses, climb rock walls, play basketball and soccer and partake in many fun activities. But fun is not the only reason millions(1) of American parents allow strangers to take care of their little ones anywhere from a few hours to days on end. 

Camps foster an interest in STEM

America’s future as the world’s leading nation will depend on how many young minds occupy themselves with STEM disciplines. As things stand now, the future does not seem very bright. 

A large number of children aged 15 or younger are more interested in using technology—video streaming, texting, file sharing—than learning how it works. Only 16 percent of American high school seniors are proficient in math and interested in a STEM career, according to the U.S. Department of Education.(2) When these children grow up, they are more likely to become avid gadget buyers than highly-paid designers, programmers or computer scientists who create these fancy products. Kids’ summer camps have the potential to stem this trend and turn your children from consumers to creators. 

In some camps for kids, instructors actively encourage children to participate in STEM activities, which are often aligned with the state’s science curriculum. These activities help your children in two ways: 

1. There is no academic slump during the summer. Instead, your children’s grades can take a boost. 
2. STEM activities can foster a lifelong love of mathematics, science and technology in your little ones: paving a way for a bright career in the fields of science.

Camps promote tolerance

Today’s America is more humane, more tolerant and more inclusive than the U.S. of 50 or 100 years ago. Racial discrimination (which was legal in several states until the 1960s) is frowned upon, women have more freedom and minorities can experience security that was unthinkable a few decades ago. Sending your children to summer camps can give them a glimpse of American diversity. 

In some camps for kids, children come from several racial backgrounds and ethnicities. Spending time with them at an early age helps them recognize that despite the superficial differences in skin color, belief system and sex, humans are very similar to one another. This understanding prepares them to be more tolerant of others when they grow up. 

Camps encourage healthy habits

In the U.S., 68.8 percent of people ages 20 or above are either overweight or obese. Even among children (between the age of 1 and 19), 31.8 percent are either overweight or obese.(3) Although some of these people are overweight due to their genetic makeup, a large number of them are obese due to a lack of exercise. Camps can help your children fight this unhealthy trend and grow up to be healthy adults. 

Usually in camps for kids, there are so many physical activities on the agenda that your children develop a love for the outdoors and exercise, which lasts far longer than the camp’s duration. One study in Massachusetts(4) found that going to a summer camp keeps children from becoming obese, even 10 months after the camp’s last day.  

Takeaway

Kids’ summer camps are not only fun, but also a great place where your children can develop an interest in science, become more tolerant of other people and grow habits which will keep them healthy throughout their lives. 

Looking for a kids’ summer camp in North Brunswick, New Jersey? Consider our programs. They are inexpensive, run by professionals with over 25 years of experience and designed to make your kids healthier, more tolerant and more interested in science.