It’s not easy to send your teen away for a week, but the built-in benefits of overnight camp are hard to deny.
I achieved a parenting milestone last year: My daughter attended her first week long overnight holiday camp. My wife and I celebrated this child-free overlap with some much-needed couple time. We shipped her off selfishly—for a break that involved wine tastings, meals out and hikes together—and we were doubly thrilled when she returned home a better version of her original self. We discovered that our notoriously shy daughter became more confident and had slept in an army tent with other girls for the first time. She came back cheerful and helpful, sharing stories about new friends, adventures and foods she’d tried.
I was a camp kid back in the ’80s, so I remember the magic of sleep-away camp—the pranks and campfires and songs—but I’d forgotten about all of the benefits of camp that can be harder to measure: the growth in confidence, responsibility and resilience born of mastering new skills, tidying cabins and, occasionally, failing at an activity but learning to try again.
These outcomes are backed up by research. A 2018 study out of the University of Stellenbosch, found that teens who attend overnight camp experience positive development in self-confidence, social integration, nature appreciation and emotional intelligence skills such as empathy. What’s more, they develop healthier attitudes toward physical activity—evidently; river rafting is more fun than running laps.
Sleepover Camp Boosts Confidence
For many teens, overnight camp is their first time away from home. “It gives them an opportunity to flex and build that self-confidence they’re going to need in life,” says David Allen, a renowned leadership coach and program director of Village Camps, which runs camps in KwaZulu, South Africa and Leysin in Switzerland. Allen sees teens gain confidence after just one week of camp.
He attributes it to “firsts.” A child’s first time paddling a canoe, swimming in a lake and, especially, being away from their parents for an extended period of time all qualify as big self-esteem boosters.
“Those things push them out of their comfort zone, all while being supported by counselors and staff in a safe environment.”
David Allen
Sleepover Camp Builds Resilience
At the same time, teens have opportunities to build resilience by occasionally struggling when they try new activities. “You get to take chances and risks,” says Tony Wake, program director of Camp Genesis. “You might not be good at everything, but you can try everything. And you might fail — you might not get the part in the play or make the soccer team. That’s a different type of first and an important lesson.”
Learning to handle failure and try again might be a function of parental absence. Counselors don’t have a vested interest in whether a teen is good at drama or scoring goals or shooting a slingshot—so with parents sidelined, so to speak, there’s no pressure to get a bull’s eye. And chances are a bunch of the other campers have never tried some of the activities before either.
In fact, it’s this idea of being in the same metaphorical (and sometimes, literal) boat with other teenagers that helps build camp friendships. My daughter says she bonded with the girls in her cabin almost immediately, and I am still friends with people I met at camp in the ’80s.
Teenagers Make Friends and Boost Their Social Skills
Durbanville mom Kim Barnard loves this aspect of holiday camp—the fact that she can send her son and daughter away for a week and know they’ll find buddies. And because camp draws teens from all over, she likes that they get to meet friends from diverse backgrounds and learn to navigate those new relationships on their own. “You get that exposure to different kids, and dealing with people you like and people you don’t like. Any opportunity to expose kids to those moments is a good thing,” says Barnard. She says it sets them up for making their own decisions. “If Mom’s not here and Dad’s not a phone call away, how am I going to handle this situation?”
The social dynamics are also easier to maneuver without phones and screens, and most overnight camps promote a kind of organized “unplugging.” Wake says having real face time and in-person group chats around a campfire are important for building social skills. It’s also inclusive — counselors work hard to ensure all campers are part of the fun, so they get away from the anxiety of how many friends or likes they have on social media. “You’re disconnecting from that, and you’re also connecting with nature. You realize you don’t need 50 different apps — all you need is a group of friends and a path to walk,” says Wake.
It’s the combination of unplugging the phone while plugging in to the natural world that Kim Barnard loves most about sleep-away camp. “For me, the number one benefit is my kids being in the outdoors for a week,” explains Barnard . “They’re completely immersed in nature, and they’re removed from screens, phones and televisions.”
A New Child Comes Home
Camp seems to be the right salve for Barnard’s kids’ psyches—they return changed for the better. “When they come back, there’s just a level of enthusiasm about them. They’re happy; they laugh; they’re full of stories and songs,” she says. She notices they trade in their jaded school tone for a fresh, positive outlook that sets the stage for the rest of the school year.
The Objections
Though some camps are subsidized and others offer financial assistance for families in need, sleep-away camp—especially when compared to day camp—can be prohibitively expensive.Not every mom fist-bumps her spouse as they peel out of the camp parking lot. For some, letting go can be hard… Thanks to smartphones and tracking apps, parents are accustomed to knowing where their children are and being able to reach them at all times. Letting go and handing over their children’s safety to strangers is a big step. Parents worry about their child getting lost. They have concerns over diet if there’s a food allergy, or about medication being administered properly. And they fret about their child not fitting in or making friends. It can require a leap of faith. Parents have to trust the camp and that the camp staff knows their stuff.
Less common are what Wake calls “middle of nowhere” concerns. Parents sometimes worry about rustic cabins (will the kids be warm enough?), safety with activities such as lake swimming and river rafting, and even wild animals. Some parents have never spent time outdoors and haven’t had those experiences. Wildlife encounters are covered during orientation on day one. We have high supervision levels for all of the activities.Part of what makes parents have misgivings is what makes Camp Genesis awesome. Teens give up a nice bed for a bunk bed. They trade air conditioning for an Army-style tent or dormitory. They disconnect from the familiar and embrace new friends, foods and activities. It builds character. And for the most part, they love it.
Here Are Some Ways to Deal with a Homesick Child
It’s normal for children to miss their bed, parents, dog or favourite meal while at sleep-away camp. With the help of trained counselors, new friends and fun activities, those feelings usually resolve, say camp directors. But there are a few things parents can do to keep homesickness at bay.Make a pact with your child that they’ll stick it out. “Don’t give them an out—make the commitment,” says Wake. Knowing they’re in it for the duration goes a long way toward them making the most of camp. (If they really hate it, they don’t have to return next year.)Send children with pictures of home and family.
They can look at them when they’re feeling lonely.Sign up with a friend from school, sibling or cousin. Having a familiar face at camp can help the first time go more smoothly.Have a chat with them. Camp Genesis allows teens to call home during their downtime. In Wake’s experience, after the call, most children forget about homesickness completely.To find out more about Camp Genesis programs, click here.