5 Reasons You Should Send Your Child to Camp
Hello lovelies.
The time has come for us to spring forward and away from the winter months. (PRAISE the LORD!)
For many of you parents, the idea of spring is a refreshing and glorious thought. Ah, finally better weather as the dreaded winter months in which we have been plagued with snow and rain are finally done. (Whoop whoop!) Now before you get hasty, don’t worry, I too enjoyed the snow. (For about 30 seconds.) The beauty and majesty of God’s green earth covered in the fluffy white stuff was a wonderful sight to see. And Lord knows we need the rain to keep things green. However, by day three, I was pretty much over it and ready for the sunshine to return, just like the majority of you.
With that being said, and summer coming closer every day, it is now time for all you planning parents to start thinking about summer activities for our favorite tiny humans. To be exact, we have roughly two months (or 60 days) to determine some of the highlights of our children’s childhood. (Intense!)
For some kids, the memories made during the summer months are some of the greatest times of their little lives. So, who are we to deprive them of the awesomeness that is CAMP?!
What you must know before reading on is that this article is more than just an opinion. I took not only my own thoughts, but those of two whole other people before creating this post, meaning that the information is factual and true and really not just a push to get you to sign up your kids to go to camp. (But I mean if you want to, that is totally acceptable.)
Maybe you’ve been asking yourself what you should do this summer for your kids, what can you do as a parent to enhance their lives with fun, friends and Jesus? Well Horizon fam, the answer is… SEND THEM TO CAMP!
And to make it super easy for you to decide, here are just 5 reasons (of many) why:
CAMP can literally be the highlight of a kids’ childhood.
I don’t know about you but when I think of summer, I think of a cool camp full of fun adventures like hide and seek, building sandcastles at the beach, swimming at the indoor pool, dressing up leaders in silly outfits and learning awesome new dance moves for worship. All of these things plus SO MUCH more are what kids experience when they make the decision to come to camp! Imagine the smile on your child’s face when telling the great stories of all of the fun times that they had the week that they spent at camp!
Making memories with friends is FUN.
Growing up, children create relationships with the people in which they are surrounded by, i.e. the kids they go to school with, the kids who live down the street, or even better the kids they go to church with. Most times when assigning cabins the staff does a pretty stellar job at keeping kids with their friends while still getting diversity throughout the camp. Now, sharing a bunk at camp with your best friends might sound like the greatest thing ever, but it’s so much more than that. The good times are only the beginning of the memories that will be made and because it is done with some of their favorite people, it becomes even more of a cherished memory that will last a lifetime.
Making new friends is even better.
Kids are so incredibly pliable that for most of them when stuck in the same group for more than an hour period, they tend to merge and develop new relationships/friendships. It is truly amazing to see kids grow and expand their circles when they come to camp. Forging new bonds that could potentially become unbreakable. With that being said, it also allows kids to reach out to other adults who can positively influence their lives giving them the security of an adult leader that they can turn to for guidance.
Kids can gain independence.
A funny thing takes place when kids get completely pulled out of their element and away from everything that defines them at home. Amazingly, kids regulate to what they are surrounded with, meaning even though at first they may be shy and need a little adjusting to life for the next four days in a cabin, yet the beautiful thing is that they themselves are exactly that. Just themselves. Their safety net of parents or siblings is gone, for the next four days they are generally in charge of themselves. What will they eat lunch that day, what outfit are they going to choose from what they packed, and whether or not they are going to wear the same socks two days in a row, etc. (Don’t worry, adults are always supervising your kids, they are in wonderful hands and they will always be taken care of.) But the thing is that many, if not all of the kids at camp, will be enabled to define themselves and discover just who they are individually. Who knows, maybe you won’t notice it for a while, but I can guess that you will notice a change in your child in one way or another.
Kids can grow spiritually.
Perhaps the most important of all, kids + spiritual relationship. An almost magical thing takes place when kids move out of their comfort zone and become vulnerable in the very best way. It is a time in which they grow, not just spiritually, but emotionally as well. The truth is that all children will someday grow up and become an adult, just as us parents have done. And this time in their elementary age is the most crucial at setting the pace for what their future will hold. What better place than at kid’s camp surrounded by fun and freedom to become who God created them to be, while also being able to cultivate the tender and unique relationship that they share with the Lord. I’m not saying a spiritual and intimate relationship will completely flourish and fully develop in one summer trip to camp. However, it can be the starting place.
Friends and fellow parents, our kids are in this temporary season oh childhood, and they are only going to be there once. Give them the best of the opportunities that they can have in making 2017 a summer to remember. Send ‘em to camp. And who knows, maybe you’ll be brave enough to join us for the adventure.
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