The Benefit of Day Camp for Young Children
Hidden Valley 4-H Camp
Jennifer Sweet, Camp Director, [email protected]
It is the time of year when parents begin to make plans for their children’s summer break even as weather reports share continuous winter temperatures. Local newspapers are distributing their publications offering a wide variety of day care and summer camp options for all age groups around our region. Parents of younger children between ages 5 and 7 need to know that day camp is a great choice for this age group. There are three main criteria for a great day camp program for the young camper. Examples include: making new friends, experiencing positive youth development and spending the summer in nature.
The day camp experience is a great vehicle for young children to develop friendships outside their immediate social circle of their neighborhood and school. In an article for the American Camp Association entitled “Why Day Camp” Maria Coleman states that as children make new friends, they also experience a sense of community and belonging. Day Camps provide programming that aids in developing social and emotional skills as well as a safe environment for children to “practice growing
up.” Children who attend the Hidden Valley
4-H Camp represent several counties in the Finger Lakes region, therefore day campers are able to interact with children in their own age group as well as older day and resident campers throughout the week.
Another example of what makes a great day camp is a focus on Positive Youth Development. A 4-H camp program prioritizes developing life skills through experiential learning. The New York State Cloverbuds 4-H program states that children will “develop self-understanding, social skills, decision-making skills, learning skills and physical skills.”