Kidsday: The Benefits of a sleepaway camp

Sleepaway camp prepares kids for being adults. At home, kids usually have a parent with them. At sleepaway camp, kids a lot of the time have to make decisions for themselves and deal with problems, such as not being able to sleep or having a messy bed. As a result, by going to sleepaway camp, kids get a head start into adulthood.

At sleepaway camp, kids can make new friends. When you go to camp, you sleep in a bunk along with a group of kids you probably have never met before. While at camp, kids bond with those around them. This is great for kids, because when socializing you can reduce shyness and stress. You can find your inner self.

Kids can learn new activities at sleepaway camp. For example, when Owen went to sleepaway camp, he learned how to ride a quad bike. Yes, he did crash a few times, but in the end, he won a race against one of his cabinmates.

Noah learned many new things in his camp, too. He learned wakeboarding, water skiing and sailing.

At sleepaway camp, kids can learn traditions. For example, Noah's favorite camp tradition is color wars. For this, the camp is split into two teams, and the teams play each other in sports and other fun activities within their age groups. Whoever has the most points at the end of color war wins.

Finally, you have a voice. On the last day at camp, Owen said the staff asked for suggestions on how the camp could be made better. All the kids were able to submit their ideas.