Summer Camp: The Essential Childhood Experience

By Kathryn Taleporos

April 12, 2022

The pandemic locked us all into our houses for a year, and many experts are worried about the socialization of children. Are our kids going to be socially awkward, and unable to function in a non-quarantined society? My solution is simple: summer camp. Summer camp provides kids with the socialization skills, and independence they need to thrive in life.

The smell of bug spray and dirt, the warmth of the campfire combined with the screaming of camp songs, that is what a typical night at a sleep-away camp looks like. Whether it be coming up with skits that only a few people will understand because of the chaos and inside jokes, or crying when the realization that camp is coming to an end sets in, the memories I gained at camp will last me a lifetime.

“For I only have a moment and a whole world left to see, on a trial that’s waiting out there on the loose.”

That quote is from a camp song that I learned at a Girl Scout camp, which is the same camp I now work at. In the middle of a cold, bitter winter, I often think of this lyric and of camp. The bonds of friendship that I have built from camp, still exist today, and during a time where all I am dreaming about is summer and being at camp, I am able to reach out to my friends and I know that I will always have their support.

Friendship bracelets are a symbol of camp. My obsession with making bracelets has lasted long after the summer ended. For me, I not only utilize it as a way to relieve stress, but a way to remain connected with those I met over the summer. During the pandemic, I received a letter from one of my friends that I met at camp, with the letter was a friendship bracelet. Although it was a small gesture, in this isolating time, that bracelet helped me feel more connected. Sending letters back and forth seems like an archaic way of communicating, but the small things like sending someone a bracelet, feels more personal, and helps strengthen the bonds of friendship that are made at camp.

Camp provided me with the opportunity to build friendships, and every kid should have that opportunity. The pandemic severely limited many kids' ability to socialize at school, and be with their friends. Now that we are transitioning back to normal, at summer camps, kids will have the opportunity to meet kids from different schools, allowing them to create long-lasting friendships outside of the classroom. This will make the difficult social transition to high school easier because they will know more people.

However, camp does not just provide friendships to those who attend, but valuable skills that they will utilize throughout their lives. I was the kid at summer camp whose parents worked, so I was at camp from early in the morning, to being one of the last to be picked up. I spent a majority of my summer at camp. This gave me a sense of independence that gave me confidence. I watched my counselors every day be leaders, I watched as they balanced everything from homesick campers, to conflicts between peers. Their leadership skills are what inspired me to become a camp counselor, and every kid should have the opportunity to have role models like that.

Unplugging for an entire week sounds like a daunting task; but, at camp it is the harsh reality. At first, the thought of having absolutely no contact with the outside world for a week is terrifying. However, progressing through the week the thought of going back to the digital world is more anxiety inducing. This break from technology allows campers to connect with their peers and focus on the real world. The hiatus from social media gives students of the modern world a much needed break, and forces more real-life connections.

Whether it be day camp or sleep-away camp, summer camp is essential to the childhood experience. Not only does it teach social skills that are desperately needed after this period of isolation, but it helps train the next generation of leaders in our society.