At Canadian Adventure Camp, we like to keep up-to-date with summer camp discourse – it keeps us sharp!  A recent article in Camping Magazine about the advantages of a full-season camp stay got us talking.  We have campers who make C.A.C. their home for the full 8 weeks every summer; however, this is not as common as it once was.  Interestingly, the Camping Magazine article highlighted the increasingly positive feedback from prospective camp families regarding extended camp stays for their children after developing an understanding of the advantages a longer camp stay can have. 

Camp is an ideal place to foster the healthy risk taking that helps build belonging, trust, responsibility and feeling capable – all of which are extremely important to a child’s biopsychosocial development.  I believe that camp is such a great place because I know that the safety of the campers is of utmost importance to everyone working at camp, yet there is still space for risk-taking.  Just going to overnight camp and spending time away from parents and friends is a healthy risk.  It may be daunting for your child to go somewhere by themselves, but luckily at camp they will be surrounded by staff who are trained to help children successfully build friendships and learn to live with other people.  Camp, particularly overnight camp, certainly develops a sense of belonging and the friendships that are established help children gain confidence in their ability to enter a situation without knowing anyone and come away with friends. 

Some information about the value of the camp experience.

This article gives a little information about the importance of biodegradable toiletries, and will hopefully make your pre-camp shopping trip a bit easier by providing examples of biodegradable personal care products and where to find them... 

Sometimes it might be difficult to know what questions you should be asking to ensure that your child ends up at the best camp for them.  This article answers the "Top 10 Questions Parents Should Ask Before Choosing a Summer Camp", as recommended by the Ontario Camps Association (OCA), with regards to Canadian Adventure Camp. 

This article provides some information about homesickness, and contains some suggestions about how you can help your child feel more prepared for camp.

Here are some ideas about what you should pack for camp, and what items are better left at home...