by Sally Treadwell

Camp used to be all about sailing, hiking, camp songs around a bonfire and the unspeakable joy of getting incredibly dirty without your mother shrieking at you. Many parents still think that’s the way to go, and many kids agree with them, counting the days until they can completely disengage from academics and the routines of home.

For others, a classic outdoors-oriented camp would be a refined torture. They see summer as time to try something that isn’t available to them during the school year or as time to immerse themselves in robotics, perhaps, without other distractions.

The key is to know your child and find a good fit. Consider your child’s temperament and personality, fears and strengths, as well as the program. If you choose an academic-style camp, make sure the camp provides balance with physical activity, dreaming time and outdoor fun, psychologists say.

And look at your own intentions, advises Lynn Coward, LMFT. “Does your child really want a challenge or need remedial help, or are you pushing them towards something that doesn’t really fit them?”

Whichever camp you choose, the benefits can be tremendous.

Expanding their world: At camp your child will make new friends—lots of them, often from different backgrounds—and they frequently stay in contact after camp ends. Developing healthy relationships with other adults is a plus. Your child may also find new interests and try things that normally wouldn’t have been available to them; they may discover a new side of themselves. An interest or skill that the kids at school think is dorky might wow a new group of friends, and a child that has fallen into the role of “that shy kid” might seize the opportunity to sparkle.

Building self-confidence: An independent survey sponsored by the American Camp Association recently found that 74% of campers said that they had done things that they were afraid to do at first, and 70% of parents said that their kids came home with increased self-confidence. Coincidence? Not at all. It’s those “I did it!” moments, trying and succeeding at an intimidating ropes course or a tricky knot, that send children stepping confidently into new worlds and new challenges.

Learning life skills: Interacting and co-operating with other people who may not share their ideas helps your child to develop character. The strong role models they will find at camp will also help them to develop leadership skills, flexibility, understanding, initiative, responsibility, and respect and appreciation for a diverse community. And getting wet, lost, homesick or apprehensive and surviving it is a great lesson in handling adversity.
Discovering independence: In an increasingly nervous world it’s hard not to be a micro-managing ‘helicopter’ parent. Camp can be helpful for the whole family, says Kelly Wiley, LMFT. “Parents can be reassured that the child can be O.K. without their constant supervision, and kids can see that they can manage fine without Mom or Dad around.”

Connecting to nature: An enduring love of the natural world begins early and provides untold lifelong benefits, including the ‘sense of wonder’ so eloquently celebrated by biologist Rachel Carson. One counselor recalls a camper stepping out of her tent to find it surrounded by wild ponies, grazing quietly. “We must be the luckiest children in the world,” breathed the little girl.

Unplugging: Most experts and camp leaders suggest or require that you unplug ‘em for camp. The Kaiser Foundation found that the average child spends 6.5 hours every day focused on electronic games, TV, social networking sites, iPods and so on, and that’s not even counting time with a cell-phone welded to their ear.

“It’s not that those things are bad in moderation—but if that’s all you do, it can really limit brain development,” says Lynn Coward, LMFT. Wiley agrees. “All those rapid-fire images can actually change brain circuitry,” she says. “Unplugging for a while gives them the chance to be creative in a very different way.”

Staying healthy for life: Most camps have overhauled their cuisine and offer children regular and nutritious meals, encouraging lifelong healthy habits. Kids also learn that exercise isn’t all about soccer drill or P.E. class—who knew: wind-surfing’s a blast, and orienteering puts a whole new slant on hiking!

With the multitude of both day and sleep-away camps available today—specialty camps, wilderness camps, classic outdoor camps, academic camps—your child may or not come home with the traditional bag of reeking and filthy clothes. But if you and your child together have chosen wisely and prepared well, the one thing they should bring home from this gift of a summer is a huge and blissful grin.