The following is a general guide only, but it will help you to explore the links between the stages of development and the ways camp can help a child to grow and learn.
When choosing a camp , be realistic about your child's physical, intellectual and emotional development levels and their limitations. Every child develops at a different pace and in a unique way, but all can find a place in the sun at camp.
Ages and stages
Ages 4 to 6
Their world
Sponges for information, questioning and curious
Learning to reason and understand their environment
More aware of the feelings, actions and motivations of others
Focusing more on how peers see them
Stronger physically, more co-ordinated and agile (conquering the monkey bars, learning how to throw and catch a ball)
Learning to read and write
Their concerns
What camp offers
Children learn to take part in more structured activities, such as crafts or field trips
Learning to take turns, to share and to consider the feelings of others
Encourages trust in adults other than parents
Increases confidence and comfort level about being apart from parents
Teaches children to take care of themselves, such as keeping track of the contents of a backpack
Some overnight camps offer short, partial-week stays as a gentle first experience for their youngest campers
Ages 7 to 9
Their world
Becoming more of an individual, exploring likes and dislikes, expressing particular personality traits
Developing specific interests (sports , music , drama , computers )
Friendships become increasingly important, as does socializing in groups
Developing a more sophisticated sense of right and wrong, understanding codes of behaviour
Their concerns
How they compare with others
Question rules and structures
Looking for role models outside of family
What camp offers
A chance to test out a wide range of activities and also to focus on specific interests and talents
A supportive environment in which to take on physical, emotional and intellectual challenges
A safe place to explore capabilities and limitations
Promotes the setting of appropriate boundaries
Encourages children to take responsibility for their own actions
A chance to make new friends outside of home or school
Ages 10 to 12
Their world
Torn between childhood and adolescence : sometimes rushing to be grown up, other times yearning to remain a kid
Looking for role models
Questioning the rhyme and reason of the worldaround them
Friendships and peers gain greater importance
Their concerns
Looking for more independence from parents
Worried about fitting in with peers
Want to define their unique personality
What camp offers
A good outlet for the independence preteens crave; boundaries are expanded, but in a supervised and nurturing environment
Campers are given greater responsibility and encouraged to solve problems themselves
An environment where they are able to acquire and master skills at their own pace
Many athletic , social, and recreational activities allow preteens to find a fit, master a skill and gain more self-esteem
Campers learn teamwork
Counsellors and camp instructors act as role models
A diverse environment that encourages tolerance and acceptance
Ages 13 to 15
Their world
A concerted push for independence and autonomy
Seeking out roles, including leadership ones
Want more responsibility, but also to set own rules
Friendships start to overshadow family
Testing their limits
Their concerns
Defining their place in the world
Being listened to and heard
Wanting to be understood and accepted, particularly by their peers
What camp offers
Chances to build leadership skills
A safe environment for taking positive risks
Skills for working both independently and with others
A sense of self-esteem through mentoring younger campers
An environment that fosters building deep and abiding friendships
Chances to challenge their physical abilities and master new skills and gain self-confidence
A sense of belonging
Ages 16 and onwards
Their world
To find their adult selves and their niche in the world
Challenging and exciting experiences to test their limits
Mentors they can respect and admire
Friends who understand them
To define themselves beyond the parameters of their parents
Their concerns
Shedding childhood roles
Gaining greater independence
Figuring out who is looking back at them in the mirror
Future job opportunities
What camp offers
Greater opportunities to practice leadership
Positive role models
Adult mentors
A deeper sense of who they are as individuals and the effect they can have as part of a community
Heightened physical and mental challenges to test what they're made of, particularly through advanced adventure trips like extended canoe or hiking expeditions
Extended camp sessions for a month or longer
Skills that will help them at school and at work, as well as in life
Camp offers work-world preparation
Life and career skills such as planning, time management, team building, co-operation, effective communication and conflict resolution
Specialized leadership and counsellor-in-training programs
As former campers, often preferential hiring for summer employment as counsellors
Competency and certification in specialized areas, such as lifeguarding or first aid
Training in how to support, guide and lead others, whether peers or younger kids
Confidence-building for more adult responsibilities
Personal goal setting and drive to better your best: a mindset that supports future education and career achievements
In the spotlight:
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