The Give and Take of Summer Camps - Fun and Learning - They Can Both Be Had

Odds are you're reading this article because you've explored, to some degree the idea of a residential summer camp. Whether you're a veteran at packing the kids off to summer for camp or a newbie to the whole process, there are a few thoughts that cross your mind.
First, there are a lot of camps. Second, many appear to offer the same program.
Third, they're not necessarily cheap.

Finally, for the money spent, isn't it fair that I expect a little enrichment? The answer to each thought, yes. Yes, there are a lot of camps, choosing a camp can be an arduous journey.  Yes, many appear to offer the same program, often they are not the same, again, see previous article for more details on how to filter through the offerings.
Yes, summer camps are not cheap, and neither should be the experiences your children receive.
And yes, its quite fair for you to expect a bit of grooming, a bit of educating to take place.
There are camps that offer a program that will please you as well as your children.

Ideally, it will please you unbeknownst to the children for they'll be having such a great time they wont even know it was good for them! Clearly, camps that are college prep, or that take place on a university campus with courses is going to give you the enrichment you may be looking for; however, your child may not want to go to school after just getting out of school.
Thus, you need to be a little more Agent-99, in your camp choice.
Look for a camp that references team building, a then look for what they do that builds a team.
For example, a whitewater rafting camp may point to the teamwork required to paddle a raft down the river. An adventure camp might point to the supportive environment required to hike a mountain or complete a ropes obstacle course.

See a previous article on choosing a camp for more on this topic.
Look for a camp that references activities that require people to engage one on one and in groups.

Buzz words to look for: discussions, community, leadership, evening campfire, interconnectedness, etc. These are camps that have thought enough about the benefits of communication and improving these skills. Look for a camp that speaks of experiential-education.
This is not a new term, but one that's gaining momentum.
As our schools remove programs, college entrance becomes ever more competitive, school sports becomes more about winning and less about learning how to be a teammate, the need for education through experience, experiential education, is ever increasing.

Camps that note this type of experience are cognizant of this need and are at minimum working towards providing this type of experience to the campers they host. Let's look at the whitewater rafting camp again.

If the camp is noting experiential education: teamwork is learned in each phase of a rafting trip from preparing the gear, to suiting up, to learning to paddle as a synchronized crew, learning safety techniques, and how to swim in moving water.
These skills encompass the physical, the mental and the verbal.
All of this while rafting, there are other elements to camp as well.
If you have the means, summer camping is an excellent place for your child to spend part of their vacation each year.
There is much data touting the benefits of experiential education, learning while out of doors and the benefits of learning while in an entirely new environment.

While camp is meant to be fun, if you look for the buzz words we mention above, read the guidelines in the previous article linked here for reading between the lines to find the right program, you can have your child in an environment wherein they're learning AND having fun. Both worlds are completely attainable, if you just put a little time in online.

Hey, reading this article is an excellent first step.
Happy camping!