For years, if you’d asked me why camp matters, I’d have shared five different answers than the ones you see below.

The old list would have included the magic and the traditions and the memories that last a lifetime.

All of those things are still true.

But for someone who never went to camp, that list might sound like a nice story about someone else’s childhood.

I’ve got a new list now. These five ideas do a better job of describing what campers actually gain at camp.

Each one is linked to a longer article, but consider this the highlight reel:

Camp is the best preparation for college

Independence is a skill we build in steps, and the steps run in 3’s:

• Three hours with a babysitter.
• Three days at the grandparents’ house.
• Three weeks at camp.
• Three months away during their first semester of college.

Kids climb these rungs as they grow up, except that many jump straight from a long weekend as a young child to three months away when they’re 18.

Not many options fit in that gap, but a few weeks at camp is the perfect missing rung.

College is a big leap into independence. Summer camp is how we give kids a running start.

The Independence Ladder

Camp gives kids their attention back

Speaking of working in 3’s, doesn’t it seem like life reaches kids in three-second bursts now?

Those bursts appear all day long. Apps, social media clips, and games give quick hits of stimulation, one right after another.

The infinite scroll devours their attention in an unprecedented way.

Camp is phone-free, which means it gives kids their attention back. Attention to their friends, the world around them, and whatever adventure is happening right in front of them.

This is why camp is such a healthy place for kids.

Reclaiming Eight Hours Each Day

Camp runs on real fun

There are two types of fun.

Real fun is something you do. Fake fun is something you consume.

Real fun has people, places, and stories. Real fun creates memories we still talk about years later.

Fake fun feels entertaining in the moment, but you’re usually just watching someone else have the experience.

Camp is a couple of weeks of real fun.

Real Fun vs. Fake Fun

Camp keeps a little grit

We’ve become remarkably effective at removing friction from everyday life.

Getting directions, ordering food, or finding the answer to something is just a click away.

But we’ve also lost some of the opportunities for kids to practice dealing with things that don’t go their way.

Camp keeps just enough friction around. Cold lake, bugs at the campfire, a disagreement with a cabinmate.

Little challenges give kids a chance to practice figuring things out, so they’re better prepared when bigger challenges come along.

Adults hate friction. Kids need it.

Camp builds durable skills

Every child (and adult) needs skills that travel with them wherever life goes: communication, collaboration, resilience, flexibility.

We call them durable skills because they work in any situation, in any group, and with any technology.

But knowing these skills matter doesn’t mean we’ve practiced them. We need reps.

We build these skills like muscles, and camp is the gym.

Camp Builds Durable Kids

Camp does all five at once

That’s it. Five things, and camp delivers all of them in the same couple of weeks.

If you are reading to the bottom of a bi-weekly camp newsletter, you already get it. The next time someone asks why camp matters, I hope one of these five ideas helps you explain it.

Every child should get a camp experience before they leave for college or their next step into the real world.

Not because every kid needs to love summer camp.

Because growing up takes practice, and camp helps kids practice all five things before life puts them into action.

Erec Sir