Why Teens Need Opportunities for Self-Discovery

Written by Jarrod de Jong

If you’ve been to a teen camp, you’re not surprised to hear about the benefits. Experiencing life at camp yourself as a teenager, you know the profound positive effects that still matter to you as an adult, and you also know that you want something just as important for your own children. But if you didn’t go to camp as a teen, you may not realize just how good the experience is for children. You may not know why so many parents are committed to sending their teenagers to a holiday camp.

Each year, thousands of children attend overnight camps, whether independently or through their school, that promise to deliver fun and important growth experiences. Children tend to outgrow the camp experience as they enter adolescence. When this happens, their thinking is on a higher level than that of children. They go through many changes (physical, intellectual, personality and social developmental). They are in one of the best stages of life. Adolescence is a difficult time, but it can also be very exciting as they discover themselves, exploring who they are and who they are not.

NOW is the time to uncover their uniqueness and find out how to express that uniqueness to the world. Considering a teen camp like Camp Genesis gives them the ideal opportunity to do a little investigating about where their interests might take them and what makes them tick. Attending a teen-only camp can have profound and lasting positive effects on the young adults in our lives. Here are just a few of the many benefits of choosing a camp experience for your teens:

Teen-Focused Activities

It’s important to recognize that teens are physically, intellectually, and emotionally more mature than younger campers, and we believe that many teens prefer camp activities and social engagement with others their own age. Because our enrollment starts at age 12, all activities and events are specifically teen-focused. From team-building games to white water rafting, all activities and events at Camp Genesis are designed on a level that is more physically, intellectually, and emotionally engaging for teens. Still, keeping campers safe on the outside AND on the inside is always paramount. While they face their own unique challenges, we think that teens tend to better understand and engage with activities when those experiences are shared with other teens rather than constrained by the limitations of younger campers.

A More Effective Learning Environment

Teens at a camp designed just for them can enjoy days full of physical activity and social fulfillment, and because they can maintain their focus for longer than younger campers, counselors can emphasize skill development and engagement in outdoor activities. Being active is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle, and new experiences at camp may also help teens stay curious and find new hobbies or passions. Teen camps can uniquely promote this double attention to physical and mental wellness in a fun and social way. Whether your child attends a teen sports camp, a teen adventure camp, or a discovery and leadership camp like Camp Genesis that offers teens a little bit of everything, they will learn new skills and develop positive habits of social interaction in an environment cultivated for their success.

A Focus on Inclusivity

At camps with wide age ranges and hundreds of campers, it can be difficult for a teen to be included in a social scene comprised of campers who may have known each other for many years already. At a camp just for teenagers, it’s easy to be a first-time camper because everybody is around the same age! Camp Genesis has a more inclusive approach which is why we only accept a maximum of 120 campers per camp, and our narrow age range help campers to feel at home here easily. Returning campers are kind and welcoming, our staff is enthusiastic and friendly, and our Program Director creates an atmosphere that is exciting and inclusive.

Responsibility, Accountability and Independence

Camp is a great place for teens to learn how to do things on their own. When parents aren’t there to remind them to brush their teeth, eat healthy foods, or wear sunscreen, life at camp becomes a great exercise in the everyday responsibilities we learn as we grow up. Sometimes, hearing these reminders from a counselor or director helps the message to sink in, and even the most dependent teen can learn independence and self-reliance away from parents. Furthermore, teens often return home with an improved attitude towards performing daily chores, tasks, and responsibilities independently. Additionally, staff members keep campers accountable for their actions regarding behaviour and interactions with their peers, yet campers will often model this behaviour of acceptance for each other! That’s a big part of the effectiveness of small teen-oriented camps like Camp Genesis.

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

A good teen camp program offers much more than activities and a place to sleep at night: it offers a strong community for your teen to join that is centered upon shared values like acceptance, accountability, and curiosity. While away at an overnight camp, your teen will learn to work with other campers, having fun and developing skills with other teens from a diverse range of backgrounds. Campers at Camp Genesis work together to keep their tents and dormitories clean, to accomplish community service projects, and to teach each other new skills like paddling a canoe or belaying a climber. Campers at a teen camp must learn to work cooperatively, collaborate with peers and adults, and be an effective member of a team.

Friendship, Friendship, Friendship

Even if your child has been to an overnight camp before, it can be difficult for teens to feel comfortable when they don’t know the other campers. Yet, a good program will make it easy for teens to make friends quickly, and there’s nothing that forms friendships quite like living together at camp! It’s not always easy for a group of teens to share a small space together, but it forms essential life skills and emphasizes an appreciation for a diverse community of people. Indeed, many campers will return home feeling closer to their “camp friends” than to their “school friends!” A camp friendship may last a lifetime and offer teens the opportunity to branch out from their regular circle of friends and learn to connect with others in positive ways.

Appreciate the Small Things

A week away from the comforts of home may help your teen appreciate some of the things we all may sometimes take for granted: a refrigerator full of snacks, a bathroom of one’s own, television, etc. This may help your teen to understand that life at home isn’t so bad, and that all they really need to be happy are a warm bed, healthy food, a few good friends, and a caring adult.

It’s especially easy for teens to take parents for granted, but a teen that spends a week away at camp may learn to appreciate all that parents do. You might find that little things like making your teen’s favourite meal or driving them to and from rugby or netball practice may suddenly be appreciated!

Attending a teen camp like Camp Genesis can be beneficial to the social, mental, and physical health of growing tweens and teens. In fact, the whole family may benefit from a teen’s time at camp!

To find out more about Camp Genesis programs, click here.

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