People like to think that summer is a time for kids to relax and unwind from the school year. They picture them running through the park, playing sports with their neighbors, climbing trees and swimming in the public pool.

It’s a pretty picture, but for many children across the country, these traditional summer ideals are no longer a reality. In the age of TVs and smartphones, kids are likely to spend more time in front of a screen than out in the sun.

That is, of course, unless they go to summer camp.

Summer camps provide children with the opportunity to learn, grow and explore during their summer break. Sending your kids to summer camp will help them…

Trying new things is hard for anybody of any age. It’s intimidating to stand at the bottom of the rock wall for the first time or to perform a song or dance in front of the entire camp. Summer camps not only introduce campers to new experiences, but they do it in a way that makes them comfortable to fail because they know they have their friends and counselors to pick them up when they fall.

Every day, campers build confidence in their sense of independence. Being away from home is very difficult for younger campers. Tears are inevitable, but as campers become more comfortable with their group and more engaged in their activities, they forget all their fears. Campers may not have individualized attention at every moment of the day, but that gives them the opportunity to make decisions on their own. They learn how to be on their own without ever actually being on their own. If they ever need someone, there are always people there to help.

Summer camp is all about building relationships. By sending children to camp, they have the opportunity to socialize in a fun environment that teaches values such as trust, gratitude, honesty, community and kindness. ESF’s objective is to help campers foster their talents, self-esteem and social skills through a character-building curriculum. This ensures that campers gain the communication and leadership skills they need to create successful relationships with everyone they meet each summer. 

Campers often come back to their same camp year after year, which means they grow up with a consistent support group and are able to harness the skills they used in their first years of camp to make new campers feel welcome.

Professionals choose to work with children because they want to make a difference in their lives, and camp counselors are no different. Campers form almost instant connections with their counselors as they play games, create art, eat lunch and learn together. ESF is filled with an exceptional staff committed to the development of each camper. Whether the counselors are teachers, college students, or experts in specialized fields, all have received first-rate training to comply with the camp’s rigorous safety and behavioral standards.

Counselors aren’t just there to maintain order (because with children, is that ever really possible?). They are there to encourage, mentor and ensure the safety of everyone in their care, which is something the campers will remember long past their childhood.

They aren’t in school anymore, but that doesn’t mean learning stops. Research suggests that children lose some of their knowledge and skills over summer break, but camp keeps their school lessons alive by creating fun, interactive ways to learn about subjects like science, history and language arts. ESF staff works year round to develop innovated curriculums that keep campers engaged.

Not only can campers brush up on the skills they learned in the classroom, but they can also discover a new passion, hobby or interest when introduced to a variety of activities. No matter what they love to do, they can always learn more during their summer experience at ESF.

At lunch, campers talk to the friends at their table instead of texting. Instead of sitting at the computer, they do arts and crafts. Camp allows children to explore the physical world around them without added distractions.

Campers don’t want to sit around— they want to play! Campers spend their days playing football, doing martial arts, practicing fencing, dominating the gaga pit, swimming in the pool, and running after their counselors. Camp helps promote a more healthy, active lifestyle, which helps increase physical fitness and combat childhood obesity.

However you child chooses to spend this season, they can experience the joy of summer fun at ESF.