Many beautiful things happen in summer, and summer camp is one of them. If you are an adult, chances are that you have your fond memories of summer camp. Back in the days, summer camp was basically camping.
However, since technology advanced, things took a different direction. It is not just technology but also people are more enlightened. People realized that things don’t have to be done in a particular way. Just because our parents or grandparents did something and it worked for them doesn’t mean that even we have to do the same.
More often than not, the things people do are situational. Kids today are addicted to technology not because technology is addictive but because that is their situation. If our parents or grandparents had the same kind of technology we have today, they would react the same way kids are reacting to smartphones, social media, Virtual Reality and Space X. Conversely, if it happened that we were in the same situation our parents and grandparents were in back in the days, chances are that we would do the same or similar things as the ones they did.
Millennials, unlike baby boomers, prefer smaller families. I don’t know whether you’ve noticed, but most educated people have only two kids, and if there is a third one, chances are that he or she was an accident. Owing to the preference of small families, summer camps have been experiencing a reduced enrolment. Why enroll your kids for summer camp when you can either do it yourself or do some other activity together. After all, one of the reasons for going for a smaller family is so that you can manage it accordingly.
Nonetheless, summer camp still has its place. Most adults recall the impact summer camp had on them (assuming it was a good experience. Sorry, for those who had an unpleasant encounter) that they wonder about how to start a summer camp to give their kids a similar experience. Kids today can experience the same; in fact, even better. Technology has introduced new possibilities that make summer camp something a child can look forward to every year.
In the former days, summer camp mostly involved physical activities like hiking, setting up campfires, and ghost stories – a good one can frighten a few calories away. Today, there are summer camps for almost anything kids are into. As a parent, it is wise to determine what your kids like (a good parent already knows) and enroll them to a summer camp that reinforces that activity.
Summer camps are mostly educational and informative. Kids get to learn new things, do new things, have new experiences (some of which they keep to themselves), and most of all, they get to interact with other interesting and like-minded individuals. School is fun, but summer camp is more diverse and exciting. For instance, if your kid is on the LGBT spectrum, where else do you think he or she will learn about his or her individuality, better than an LGBT camp? I know there are other options like the internet, books, and speakers hired to their schools to speak to them for a day or two, and I know there is also the shrink whom you may trust, but seriously, they can’t beat a summer camp dedicated to this purpose.
Technology makes it possible for summer camps to provide other services or to provide particular services exclusively for their campers. There are academic camps, adventure-oriented camps, arts, family, religious, scouts, military, theme, sports, technology and even special need camps. Kids get to code, draw, paint, climb mountains, or spend time with their families as they please.
Thanks to technology, you can discover any of these camps through the internet and compare prices. Furthermore, kids are much safer in summer camps because the technology to facilitate their safety is readily available and more affordable than ever. There are apps, and alternative equipment like CCTV, big screen TVs, and alternative camping equipment that make summer camps more enjoyable. If you thought your experience thirty, or forty years ago was something, it’s nothing compared to what kids stand to enjoy today.
