The Power of Camp
Age-by-age guidelines to help kids reach their
full potential.
by Ethan Schafer, Ph.D.
PARENTGUIDE News February 2006
When I was age 15, I was in my sixth summer
at a traditional camp for boys in New Hampshire.
One night after dinner, my counselor from the
year before, a six-foot, five-inch English rugby
player, asked me if I wanted to throw a baseball
around. We spent an hour or two playing catch
and talking about whatever came up. I don’t
remember the specifics of our conversation,
who else was there or what was going on around
us. What I do remember, and still enjoy thinking
about, are the positive feelings that resulted
from having the undivided attention of someone
I essentially worshipped.
For some reason, this particular event stands
out in my mind, though there were hundreds more
like it over the course of my camp career. As
a former counselor with 15 years of experience
and now a mental health professional specializing
in children, I am convinced that the cumulative
power of small moments like these illustrates
the unique manner in which camp helps children
realize their full potential.
Good camps help children by matching their
programs to the developmental levels of the
campers. Psychologists will often speak of
“developmental tasks” or “age-appropriate
challenges” when discussing what children
of different ages need to learn in order to
develop appropriately. Camp is one of the
few areas in your child’s life where
the program can be matched to specific needs
and developmental tasks, helping children
make the most of their natural strengths.
In my opinion, the camp experience is superior
to most schools in this regard, as camps make
no assumption that all third graders, for
example, need to learn the same things or
be treated the same way.
Keeping in mind that children of the same
chronological age can vary widely in terms
of emotional, social and intellectual development,
the following can be used as a general set
of guidelines for what you can expect your
child to get out of camp, whether your choice
is a day camp close to home or an overnight
camp in a neighboring state.
Elementary-school-age children are an entertaining
group. Their interests often change as they
are exposed to new ideas and opportunities.
Think of this developmental period as one
enormous “trial-and-error” episode,
where children “try on” all sorts
of different likes and dislikes.
Camp is a particularly good match for this
age group, given the chances to participate
in activities that are unlikely to be available
elsewhere: archery, horseback riding, hiking,
sailing, and nature exploration, as well as
more typical activities such as team sports.
The variety of activities offered at camp
accommodates this group of children, who are
often especially open-minded about trying
new things. Social development is also critical
in this period, as early friendships are formed
and the child’s individual personality
begins to express itself.
Some children are more introverted, preferring
to be in small groups or alone. Others are
more extraverted, enjoying large groups and
being the center of attention. Either way
is fine. What summer camp provides, because
of the sheer amount of time young children
spend playing with each other, is the chance
to experience the social interactions of childhood
that help them determine what kind of person
they are going to be.
Children during these years are beginning
to define their individuality. Particularly
with girls, this period of time is characterized
by great variation in physical and emotional
development. As those of you with tweens in
your house can attest, one 11 year old can
still be engrossed in cartoons, action figures
or dolls, while another spends an hour getting
ready for school and seems obsessed with the
opposite sex or who did or did not say “hi”
to them in the hallway. I have worked with
several children who have voiced the frustration
of feeling forced to “be too grown up”
on one hand, as well those who are tired of
“being treated like a little kid”
on the other.
The variety of social, athletic and outdoor
activities offered at camp address these issues
very well. If your child is still “young
for his or her age,” then camp will
allow them to spend time with other children
doing “kid stuff’ until they are
ready to move on. The more “mature”
child will have similar opportunities with
older children, without fear of being ostracized.
Whatever your tween child is ready for, camp
provides a safe, supervised set of opportunities
to explore and define individual interests
and motivations— a wonderful gift for
children as they enter the teen years.
Adolescents aged 13 and older may benefit
the most from the unique opportunities offered
through camp. One of the common myths of adolescence
is that it is somehow normal to be extremely
moody, irresponsible and self-centered. While
this is certainly the case for some teens
at certain times, it is not the norm. Unfortunately,
teens are often victims of a self-fulfilling
prophecy: when expected to behave like stereotypically
rebellious, troubled teenagers, teens may
act in ways that elicit these behaviors.
Camp represents a great way to reverse this
process. Older campers have opportunities
for service and leadership that are unrivaled
compared to most other summer activities,
such as working at the local strip malls or
fast food restaurants. At camp, teens are
often given positions where they serve as
role models for younger campers. For many
teens, this will be the first time they are
given such responsibilities, and most will
jump at the chance to prove themselves in
a positive way.
As part of a close community, older campers
also learn that they can leave a constructive,
lasting impact on the people around them,
enabling teens to make a personal connection
with the benefits of service and altruism.
Camp allows children to be exposed to a diverse
group of people, interests and activities
where they are given the opportunity to try,
fail, try again and succeed in the context
of a supportive environment. Challenges at
camp are real and require a sustained effort
to master. The sense of accomplishment children
get from mastering these challenges, at all
ages, is therefore also real and enduring.
Campers can develop a significant sense of
competence and self-confidence that will help
them be comfortable in their own skin for
the rest of their lives.
For more information about child development
and the camp experience, view the American
Camp Association Web site at www.CampParents.org.
Ethan Schafer specializes in working
with children and families. He holds a Ph.D.
in child clinical psychology and writes frequently
on topics surrounding child development and
camp.
Reprinted from CAMP by permission of the
American Camp Association; copyright 2005
by the American Camping Association, Inc.
