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Hailey Eisen, Our Kids Go to Camp 2012
Camp Life Skills :
1. How to Make More Friends 2. How to Overcome Challenges 3. How to Get Fit 4. How to Love the Earth 5. How to Lead
A generation ago, bike rides around the neighbourhood, skipping rope and outdoor games till sunset were a big part of childhood.
As children today tend to spend more time in front of TV and computer screens, nature-deficit disorder has become a modern ailment linked to obesity, anxiety and a decreased sense of environmental stewardship.
"Children need nature for the healthy development of their senses, and, therefore, for learning and creativity," writes Richard Louv in his book Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder.
An effective cure for this outdoors aversion? Camp.
According to findings from the Canadian Summer Camp Research Project, camp teaches youth how to live more environmentally conscious lives. "We found that familiarity with and appreciation of nature promotes environmentally friendly habits in kids," Glover says.
At camps like Camp Frenda - a Christian overnight camp on Lake Rosseau near Port Carling, Ont. - exposure to nature is a fundamental part of the experience. "Most young people who live in the city don't realize that such beautiful natural surroundings can be found right here in Ontario," says director Glenn DeSilva, whose picturesque camp is on a pristine lake surrounded by tall pine forests and stunning rocks. "And we're right in the middle of it."
Nature is not just eye candy at camp. Campers learn the rules of nature and their part in it. "They're responsible for cleaning the grounds around their cabin, sorting waste into recycling and compost after each meal, and learning the process of water purification while taking care of the lake that provides the camp's drinking water," DeSilva says.
Instead of hamburgers and hot dogs, the camp supplies kids with healthy and tasty fare from its vegetarian kitchen. "We are stewards of the earth and believe it puts a lot less pressure on our planet to live a vegetarian lifestyle," DeSilva explains. "And, whether they think they will or not, kids actually love the food we serve and realize how easy it is to live without meat."
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