Summer camp is filled with fun activities. At Moorelands Camp, campers can take part in swimming, canoeing, kayaking, arts and crafts, archery, rock climbing, high rope climbing—and more! But that’s not all camp offers kids. Summer camp is an important tool that helps kids build social connections, extend their learning, and develop self-confidence.
In 2013, The University of Waterloo conducted a research project on the positive effects of summer camp on youth between the ages of 4 and 18. The researchers wanted to see if kids could take skills they learned at summer camp and apply them in other areas of their daily life like family, school and in their communities.
What they found was that summer camp helps aid in the positive development of:
Social integration and citizenship → the social networks and bonds that we have with others
Environmental awareness → our knowledge and appreciation of the environment and our responsibility to protect it
Attitudes towards physical activity → participation in physical activities and understanding why it is good for us
Emotional intelligence → being self-aware, having empathy, and being able to relate to others
Self-confidence and personal development → building up our self-esteem so we’re able to take on challenges
Not only did the researchers discover that camp helps kids develop in all of these areas, they also discovered that the things kids learn at camp can result in behavioural changes at home, school and in the community.
So, even though we can’t take the canoes and campfires home with us, we can take home all of the skills and values we learn at Moorelands and we can use them all year round.
Click here to learn more about our impact.
