Camp Builds Healthy Kids

Camp is one of the best places in the world to be a healthy kid.

In fact, just about every piece of health advice out there describes a day at summer camp:

10,000 steps per day
30 minutes of sunlight after waking
Consistent sleep schedule
Limit screen time, especially before bed
30 minutes of exercise per day
Consistent social/community activities each week
Prioritize laughter and joyful interaction
Balanced diet and consistent meal schedule

Here are some of the hallmarks of a healthy day at camp:

Phone and screen free

Perhaps the most important in the 21st century is that camp is tech-free. Technology isn’t going anywhere, but we know that it is useful to have a break away from it. Most overnight camps are phone-free, and what better way to demonstrate to a child that they have power over their devices instead of the other way around.

Building Friendships

Building friendships is a core part of the camp experience, and also of building social and emotional health. Especially in a world that is increasingly online, camp is a place where kids get to practice the skill of making real in-person friendships. At camp, they get to practice looking each other in the eye, listening while someone else is talking, and even resolving conflict without relying on a device as an intermediary.

Exercise

Yeah, camp has that covered. It’s hard to imagine a place where kids can have more fun staying as active as they do at camp. They also get to do most camp acitvities outside, as opposed to spending the majority of a school day under flourescent lights.

Consistency

Most health experts say that consistency is a critical part of a healthy lifestyle, and that’s exactly what kids experience at camp. There may be variation in the schedule from one day to the next, but every day will include outdoor activity, laughter and joyful interaction, and separation from digital media.