The Health Benefits of Sending Your Kid to Day Camp

While years pass and new technologies are introduced, one argument has always stayed the same: kids should be spending more time outdoors. The latter is especially true in the summer when there’s really no argument to not go outside. Since the winter months in New Jersey can be a bit of a toss-up, we’re willing to cut kids some slack when it comes to getting out of the house during the cold season. When the summer rolls along, however, it’s time to lace up those sneakers, slap on some sunscreen, and head on out the door. 

Encouraging kids to spend time outside is easier when camp is part of their summer routine. Time spent partaking in various camp activities is much more worthwhile than sitting in front of a television for hours, or better yet, glued to a phone screen. There are a number of benefits that come from sending your kid to day camp, some of which are essential to overall healthy growth. 

If you’ve been teetering on whether or not to sending your child to camp is the right choice, let’s take a look at a few reasons why camp is good for your kid.     

Days Full of Activity

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first, shall we? It should come as no surprise that camp will get your kid up and active, and keep them that way throughout the day. Regardless of whether the activity calls for physical or mental stimulation, they’ll spend their days constructively as opposed to lounging about for a majority of the afternoon and early evening. 

Also, just because activities are constructive doesn’t mean they aren’t fun! From archery to nail painting to talk radio, we have enough elective activities available to suit any child. The only real limit for campers at Black Bear Lake is their imaginations. 

In fact, a misconception those who’ve never been to camp have is that you’re stuck doing what the camp wants you to do most days. Fortunately for us and the campers, this is not the least bit true. When your child gets to structure their day with pursuits that line up with their interests, they’ll return home each day with a greater sense of fulfillment than if they hadn’t gone to camp at all. 

Allowing kids to formulate a majority of their day every day means the summer freedom to spend their time as they please is still within their grasp, which goes a very long way when getting kids on board with attending camp.    

Nutritious Lunches

No brown bag lunches here. Instead of sending your kid off to camp knowing they’re likely to pull a half squished peanut butter and jelly sandwich out of their bag come lunchtime, find solace in the fact that our lunch team here at Black Bear Lake has your kid’s bases more than covered. 

While it’s true we know all kids love a good pizza day, we also know they need a well-rounded diet to help them keep up with their activities at camp. With that in mind, we’ve structured a solid daily meal plan to keep kids both fueled and healthy. Our typical fare includes chicken tenders, barbeque, tacos, and hoagies to name a few, with your kid’s choice of dessert to polish off a well-rounded lunch. There’s also the option of constructing your own hearty salad for the kids looking to indulge in a lighter option.  

For those who have gluten or food intolerances, our food allergy liaison will ensure your child is given the options necessary to satisfy their needs. The food allergy liaison will work closely with the children who have food restrictions or allergies to ensure everything goes swimmingly with their daily lunches. We also have a snack bar available to campers throughout the entire day just in case they need a healthy pick me up, like an apple or banana, to tide them over.

At Black Bear Lake, your child will never go hungry or unsatisfied. Actually, you may find they are more excited to eat the food at camp than they are the food at home. If this turns out to be the case, we relinquish all blame!   

Camp Fosters Self Confidence

In a world where children are exposed to social media apps at a very young age, it’s highly important to do what we can to give them a solid foundation of confidence as they progress forward in life. A lot of what kids do at camp is completely separate from their usual parent led lives, which is beneficial when it comes to helping them establish their unique individuality. 

By participating in activities and going about their summer days sans parents, children are given a greater chance to learn how to make their own decisions. Being allowed to make their own choices and then stand by them helps kids outline and shape the person they’ll be several years down the road. 

Our team here at Black Bear Lake relishes in the fact that every summer, we’re helping kids become their future selves. We’re giving them the experiences and tools they’ll need to not only feel more self-assured but also much more self-reliant. Helping pull out those threads and develop them helps set up children to be their best future selves, and we’re more than happy to be part of that building process. 

Constant Social Interactions

One of the most beneficial aspects of camp aside from getting kids physically active is getting them socialized. Better yet, getting them socialized in a positive way. After all, with all the fun and exciting activities to get involved in at camp, there’s little room for negativity. 

Besides, the constant argument these days is that kids get too much screen time and too little face to face interaction. Camp flips that notion on its head. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a child glued to a screen at Black Bear Lake. 

While your child does get the opportunity to choose their own electives and shape their time at camp, they, fortunately, aren’t participating in these activities solo or only with camp counselors. A large facet of camp is working with other kids to accomplish a set goal. By developing teamwork and empathy skills, and working with other campers on activities throughout the day, your child is making big strides in building their self-esteem throughout the summer. 

Building a solid self-esteem foundation is crucial for leading an overall successful adult life, but it’s also important to learn how to deal with conflict and know how to resolve it quickly as well. Much like school and general life, all the children in the camp program aren’t going to be the best of friends. Due to this, there is likely to be some friction here and there when it comes to participating in activities. This is very normal and allows kids who don’t exactly get along to work together to accomplish a goal in spite of their differences. 

By developing these skills early on, your child is learning the fundamentals on a daily basis of how to be a more well-rounded individual. 

In Conclusion

As you can see, there’s no real reason not to send your kid to camp. From getting physically active to shaping their overall confidence levels, attending camp has a number of wildly positive benefits that are hard to ignore. If you’ve been wondering if sending your kid to camp is in their best interests, the answer is a resounding “yes!” 

If you have questions for us here at Black Bear Lake, please feel free to give us a call or contact us online. We look forward to hearing from you!