Every first day of school, as students share what they did over the summer with their friends, teachers quietly listen in, hoping to hear those magic word- ¨I went to California Overnight Summer camp.¨ Those five words are music to a teacher’s ears and teachers all over hope to have at least a handful of students who spent the summer away at camp. Why are residential campers so desirable in the classroom? Kids who go to camp have gained experiences and skills that other children often don’t possess. These skills make students more successful in the classroom and in interactions with their peers. Check out four of the many reasons that teachers love having camp kids as their students.
California Overnight Summer Camp kids know how to be independent.
If there is one quality a teacher hopes for in their students, it is independence. The ability to work independently is important for student success in the classroom as well as for increasing a teacher’s productivity. Students who have been to camp have copious practice in developing independence throughout their time at camp. Camp challenges children to make and stick to a schedule, prepare themselves for a day full of activities, and to make choices on their own throughout the day. When children practice managing themselves and making decisions (even small decisions like what to eat for breakfast), children become more prepared to continue being self-sufficient outside of camp. Independence in the classroom allows for teachers to work with small groups, enables students to keep busy if they finish work early, and makes students more ready to work on homework or classwork with little support.
Students who spent time at camp are resourceful.
In a California Overnight Summer camp setting, kids are often forced to make something out of seemingly nothing- whether they need to plan a last minute skit for campfire or they are tapping into their creative side during an arts and crafts period. Working with limited time, supplies, or help can make campers grow into more resourceful and innovative young people that can make them successful throughout their stay at camp. This ability to be resourceful is a benefit to students in the classroom as well. Students are constantly pushed to meet deadlines and to adapt to different classroom conditions. Since kids who have been to camp understand how to think outside of the box and to make due with what is available to them, these students are more prepared to meet the demands of school.
Residential campers are able to work well in groups.
Collaborative learning is a huge part of most classrooms today, and collaboration requires students to have a wide range of social skills. Students who have spent time at a residential camp have extensive practice in meeting new people, getting along with bunkmates, and working through problems that arise between campers. These experiences translate into an ability to work with new and diverse partners or groups in the classroom and an understanding of how to make group work a success. Spending time with groups of other campers around the clock at camp can make working in groups for projects or classwork seem like a breeze.
Camp kids have heightened confidence.
Summer camp provides children with a wide range of opportunities for success. Campers learn new activities, perform skits and talents in front of peers, and form new friendships. Each of these small triumphs helps children to build confidence in themselves and their abilities. The confidence that camp inspires outlasts the child’s time at camp and is carried with that child to home, school, and beyond. Self confidence is a quality that makes students more successful at school and in their relationships with peers. A confident student is more likely to take healthy risks at school and is more able to overcome setbacks. A student with high levels of confidence is also better able to make and keep positive relationships with other students and adults.
The California Overnight Summer Camp experience at Canyon Creek has benefits that far exceed the length of the summer. Many of these benefits make children better prepared and more successful at school, as well as adored by their teachers. Although academic success rides on a wide range of characteristics and skills, the happiness and growth that can be attributed to a summer at camp is sure to make any student feel more prepared than ever to take on the new school year.
