7 Benefits of Sending Your Child to Sleepaway Camp

By Richard 'Woody' Woodstein, Owner & Director of Camp Robin Hood
Posted Jan 21, 2019 Summer Camp Parenting

This is the first installment in a series of articles written for CertifiKID by Richard ‘Woody’ Woodstein, the Owner/Director of Camp Robin Hood located in Freedom, New Hampshire. Camp Robin Hood holds a special place in the CertifiKID family, as our co-founder spent many years there as both a camper and counselor. His children have carried on the tradition and now spend their summers there. Join us at camp! Save 45% off two weeks of camp at Robin Hood! 

You might be asking yourself, “What’s the benefit of sending my child away to camp for a summer?” Well, I could spend all day expounding all the reasons why sleepaway camp is good for kids today. A summer at camp can provide so much more to a child’s development than they traditionally receive at home or school.

Getting a child away from their normal routine at home, out of their comfort zones, and away from hours of screen time can significantly change them in a positive way. At home they might not feel comfortable making new friends, speaking in front of others, or trying new activities - at camp they get all of that just in a morning!

Physical Activity.  Camp by its very nature is full of physical activity. Campers spend their days outside playing and learning team sports, swimming, hiking, and having fun. There’s never a dull moment at camp!

New Experiences.  We encourage all of our campers and even our staff to try something new every day and to challenge themselves. That can be anything from putting a new birdhouse together in woodshop, throwing some pottery on the wheel in art, or jumping off the tower at the waterfront for the first time. Camp allows kids to try new things in a safe and structured environment with support from staff and fellow campers.

Self-Confidence.  Along with new experiences comes self-confidence. Outside of camp, many kids admit to feeling pressure to be like everyone else and don’t focus so much on themselves and their interests. At camp, kids are encouraged to be who they are and they are appreciated and celebrated for it. Many camps are brother/sister camps meaning the boys and girls activities are totally separate allowing girls to be girls and boys to be boys without trying to impress the opposite gender and enjoy their summer!

Independence.  Camp is a great place for kids to develop and grow independence. Away from mom and dad a child quickly learns what they can do without them to make decisions in a safe, nurturing environment. It’s amazing to watch campers decide what they want to try or when they find a new passion without their parents' influence.

Social Skills.  Living with 25 other campers and camp staff can be a challenging environment and it requires everyone to learn how to handle tough situations and varying personalities. With the help of their counselors, campers can learn healthy conflict resolution if and when a disagreement arises and how to come to a mutual understanding.

Tech-Free.  Many camps have moved to a tech-free environment and at camps like Camp Robin Hood this means no screens at all. No phones, tablets, smart watches, or computers to distract from all the amazing new experiences that happen at camp. They don’t feel the pressure to post on social media or spend their day watching viral videos. Campers don’t miss their phones, they don’t have time to!

Lifelong Friendships.  One of the best things about camp are the friendships that are formed! Without the outside pressures of school and other social expectations, kids are able to make friends easily and more unconditionally. They bond in just a short amount of time over their shared experience at camp. PLUS campers have friends all around the country and world they are able to keep in touch with or visit!

There are so many camps in the world today that provide these same benefits plus so many more. We encourage you to do thorough research on the camps, even touring them the summer before your child is old enough to start, talk to directors one on one and ask for referrals to hear directly from other parents. At Camp Robin Hood, our staff is available year-round to answer any questions or concerns parents have - everything from the nerves of sending your child away for the first time to what a day is like.

Do you have a skill you learned while at summer camp? Do you have a favorite memory? Leave us a comment! We'd love to hear from you!

Richard ‘Woody’ Woodstein has been the owner/director at Camp Robin Hood in Freedom, New Hampshire, for boys and girls, for 15 years. He began his camp career at Robin Hood in 1973 as a camper, then counselor and group leader to eventually leading the camp into the 21st century. Woody knows what it’s like to be a camper and a camp parent providing a unique resource for families to give their kids the best summer experience year after year. 

Check out CertifKID's summer camp deals to save up to 50% off day camps and sleepaway camps for boys and girls.

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CertifiKID was founded by a mom with a passion for helping parents provide the best experiences for their children on a budget. From outings to adventures, classes to camps, theater to sporting events, amusement parks to getaways, CertifiKID provides the best family-friendly experiences at unbeatable prices. Sign up for family-friendly deals in your area and start saving!