Why wait until age ten when the benefits of feeling connected and being able to contribute and navigate at an earlier age can be reaped? Under the supervision of inspiring guides and passionate coaches, children can feel successful and make new friends while having the time of their lives; they can experience belonging and contribution; they can have a sense of consistency and predictability in times of turbulence and change.
Day camp can begin as early as age three, and is geared to children who get to experience camp and still return home each evening! They have the best of both worlds — the camp community which is built exclusively for kids and their own home which provides the security they need at a tender age.
One day camp parent said, “While my children and I are constantly bombarded by the news which is focused on what is wrong with the world, camp is a living example of what is right.”
Day camp is a terrific first experience. Reminiscent of less complicated days, when people connected with nature, thrived on inter-generational relationships, and made new discoveries, everything is designed and scaled to ensure that children feel included, cared about, and capable. Beginning camp at an early age provides important advantages.
Camp is the best demonstration of moral and spiritual order — democracy is the core purpose. Children learn life skills and behaviors that become habits of the heart. While many then move on to overnight camp, others will be content to continue the day camp experience: after all, there is a camp for everyone — and that might well be day camp!
To learn more about camp and child development,
please visit the American Camp Association’s family-dedicated Web site: www.ACAcamps.org or call the toll-free number 1-800-428-CAMP (2267).
Marla Coleman is the parent liaison at Camp Echo in Burlingham, New York. A past president of the American Camp Association, she is a co-owner of Coleman Family Camps, which includes Camp Echo and Coleman Country Day Camp.
About ACA
The American Camp Association® (ACA) is a national organization; 9,000 members strong, it is actively working with over 2,700 camps. ACA is committed to collaborating with those who believe in quality camp and outdoor experiences for children, youth, and adults. ACA provides advocacy and evidence-based education and professional development, and is the only national accrediting body for the organized camp experience. For more information, visit www.ACAcamps.org.
Reprinted by permission of the American Camp Association © 2016 American Camping Association, Inc.