As a parent, you’ve heard a lot about all the things a child can learn at summer camp. We hope you recognize the value of those lessons for those campers. You may also be wondering how those lessons carry on following a summer spent at camp. So, what are the things learned at camp and what might it look like at school or in the household?
10 Camp Skills that Transfer to the School Year
1. Social Responsibility and Inclusion
At school, your camper may be the one to seek out new friends and create social situations to make friends for themselves and others too! Your camper might seek out the child who wants to play but is shy or not involved, and ask them to join in on an activity.
2. How to Maintain Clean and Healthy Spaces
Your camper might make their own bed in the morning or clean up their toys after they play without you instructing them to do so.
3. How to Take Responsibility for Personal Care
Your camper might go to bed at bedtime themselves, brush their teeth, or eat more balanced meals and try more new foods.
4. Personal Chores and Duties When Living Amongst Others
Your camper might offer to help load or unload the dishwasher, shovel the driveway, mow the lawn, or clean the bathroom.
5. Practical Skills for the Household, for Recreation, and for Relationships
Your camper may be able to help you build or fix something, plan a camping trip or outing, teach you how to leave minimal impact on the environment, help cook a basic meal, or be a good friend.
6. How to Cultivate and Maintain Friendships
Your camper will learn their role and responsibility in making new friends, and how to develop trust and connection with another person. They may bring that social awareness to the classroom, the household, or their sports team. They may become more of a leader within their peer groups.
7. Appreciation for the Outdoors and Spending Time in Nature
Your camper will want to spend more time outside playing and enjoying the outdoors. They may want to go on a hike or show you something about the natural world.
8. How to Recognize Conflict and Follow Appropriate Means for Resolution
Your camper will have a better sense for when someone or people are having a hard time and need some help or someone to talk to. You will find that they are looking out for others and developing close friendships and bonds with peers.
9. How to Take Responsibility for Their Actions and Apologize When Necessary
Your camper will better be able to understand if they have hurt someone’s feelings and the meaningful and sincere ways to approach that person to apologize or find a resolution. You will find that they have the tools to be proactive when solving social problems with their peers.
10. How to Volunteer and Ask, “Can I Help You With That?”
Your camper will be more apt to volunteer to help others, either at school or in the household by actually asking to help and then doing so with a smile.
