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13 | Wednesday, April 30, 2014 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Summer camp a wise choice for youth development By Stephen Fine In years past, Canadian children traditionally went to camp for a month or the entire summer. After pouring over brochures or choosing where mom or dad had gone, a camp was selected, and the kids would return summer after summer. This often led to leadership training and then a staff position. Today however, many families are unfamiliar with the benefits and opportunities offered through summer camp experiences. Additionally, kids have a wide array of summer options from which to choose. Summer camp is no longer the only game in town and many families have now adopted a buffet style approach to the array of summertime options. As a result, one-week programs have become increasing popular. Shorter program options have generally been offered as a try-out experience for very young or first-time campers. This was comfortable for kids who had never been away from home and also for their parents. But it was considered a bridge to a longer program. The traditional wisdom being that camp was a summertime immersion, something that gave everyone in the family a break and a time of growth for kids away from home life. A six-year study of camps across Canada conducted by the University of Waterloo confirms that summer camp promotes The first few days are exciting but they can also be unfamiliar. A brief period of homesickness, usually one or two days, is not uncommon. So if parents have chosen a one-week program because of perceived homesickness issues this may not give their child enough time to acclimate and have a successful time. Now multiply this pattern for each and every change in a kid's summertime agenda. The camper will have several first days to deal with, several more settling-in periods, and most importantly multiple last days of saying goodbye to new friends. Considered from this perspective the stressors associated to "sound bites" account for several unfulfilling or unproductive days -- and these lost days become significant when the timeline is already short. Time at summer camp is one of the few options that allow children to be childlike in a world removed from adult concerns and hectic schedules. As such, summer camp stands as one of the last bastions of community where young people can move through their days at a walking pace. This in itself is something that should be valued and savoured. Stephen Fine PhD, is owner/director of The Hollows Camp and Research Chair for the Canadian Camping Association. youth development in the following areas: self-confidence, emotional intelligence, social learning, physical fitness, and environmental responsibility. A key finding is that this learning successfully transfers to home, school and community. Yet today, parents often buy into what I call "sound bite" events. This being a succession of brief, diverse, "totally awesome" experiences for their kids. Why just have one flavor when you can have three or four? This kind of reasoning is really opting for the "trailer" while taking a pass on the "feature presentation." Parents should remember that a child going to camp needs time to settle in. What defines a good camp for kids Children come in all shapes and sizes, and so do camps: day or residential, specialty focus or traditional experience. There is a camp to match the needs and interests of every child, from the shyest fouryear-old to the gangliest teenager. And somewhere along the way-- between sunrise swims and s'mores after sunset--campers can also find out something about who they want to become and how they want to get there. The benefits of camp are plenty, from life lessons beyond the classroom and the value of playtime to appreciating nature and building confidence and leadership skills. Start by considering your family's priorities. Consider the following: 1.Variety and diversity As new camps join those that have been around for generations, as first-time campers join veterans returning for some of the same or something different, the array of experiences offer a key to the enduring appeal of camp. world--varying socio-economic circumstances, needs, 2. Programs and activities abilities and cultural backgrounds. Choices to suit every child's interArticle by Ourkids.net, Canada's source for camps and priest-- from extreme sports, robotics, vate schools in Canada. school credit courses, nature study, dance and performing arts to more traditional recreational activities like canoeing, hiking and swimming. 3. Single-sex or coed Although all camps have separate cabins for girls and boys, some also have separate sections or are entirely single-sex, which would your child prefer? 4. Ages Four-year-old to teenage campers look up to young adult counsellors as models who look up to adult staff as mentors--kids "grow up" in a special community. 5. Staff Often drawn from a range of fields and backgrounds--embracing and reflecting the distinctive cul ture and values of the individual camp. 6. Campers All walks of life and faces of the .com We Learn, We Build, We Play with... LEGO® Bricks for the ultimate LEGO® experience! Oakville Location: Sheridan College To view themes, please visit www.bricks4kidz.com/missoak Rona Amaral Phone: (416) 473-2043 Email: ramaral@bricks4kidz.com SUMMER CAMP