Summer camp and teen/tween programs can be one of the most rewarding, unforgettable experiences. Tips on Trips and Camps offers the following reasons to give your child their wings and let them explore:

1. It offers a community of caring mentors who provide experiential education that leads to self-respect and appreciation for life. Overcoming challenges, staying healthy and building character prepare kids for their future. In addition to lifelong friendships and enduring memories, many important life skills are learned at camp.

2. Camp and other programs push children out of their comfort zone and expose them to new activities and experiences. Campers have the opportunity to try different things and discover new hobbies or passions. By exploring various types of activities, they have a greater chance of finding something at which they excel or that makes them happy.

3. It develops social skills. Camp and teen programs teach kids to communicate, to work together as part of a team and to be a leader. Leadership is developed by asking them to fulfill responsibilities that may not be expected of them elsewhere, while sharing resources and attention helps foster teamwork and the desire to participate.

4. To face challenges and learn the value of hard work. Because they feel safe in their program, kids are comfortable taking healthy risks, setting personal goals and realizing their dreams. They learn the importance of working hard to accomplish what they want and to never give up, all in a low-stress setting.

5. It builds character. In addition to making new friends, campers develop an appreciation for what is required to cultivate and strengthen these relationships. Camp provides the core values by teaching them about ethics, honesty, caring, respect and responsibility. Parents frequently report that after camp or a teen/tween program, their children are kinder, better understand the importance of giving, are more equipped to stand up for what they know is right and are willing to be more responsible.

6. To foster independence. Kids learn to make their own decisions with the safety net of insightful counselors and staff in a safe environment; a camper can risk finding out what works and what doesn’t. The environment provides peer support that allows them to overcome their need for constant parental dependency.