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Displaying items by tag: Teen camp

Often when we speak with parents we get the qustion "Is my child to old for camp" We then tell the parents why camp is good for children at any age. Below I found this article that I think really hits home of the benefits of overnight summer camp can benefit Teens. At Swift Nature Camp we have added a Leadership Program for campers that are 16 & 17 giving them hands on skills that will alst long into the 21st century.

 

10 Reasons Why High School Students Will Get A Lot From Summer Camp

  by
 
Teenagers sitting around a campfire at camp.

Theodore Roosevelt reportedly said, “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” While Teddy was likely speaking of deciding issues far weightier than what to do with high school students during the summer months, with the advent of spring, it’s a topic of discussion around more than a few family dinner tables.

My answer? The best thing to do is send high school students to summer camp!

While there are many reasons, I will focus on two important ones: favorable youth outcomes and developmental progress. For good measure, I’ll also throw in some important questions parents should ask when choosing a camp for teenagers.

 

The Top 10 Outcomes of Experiential Learning at Camp

“Camp is an experience every child deserves,” according to the American Camp Association (ACA), which accredits more than 2,400 camps serving more than 7.2 million children and teens. Specifically, ACA points to the "joy" kids experience when they make new friends and the inherent value in unplugging from their electronic devices, enjoying being out of doors, connecting with other young people, and learning about themselves.

And the ACA adds that, from a quantifiable perspective, the outcomes of a summer camp experience include the following.

  1. Friendship skills: Make friends and maintain relationships.

  2. Independence: Rely less on adults and other people for solving problems and day-to-day activities.

  3. Teamwork: Be more effective working in groups of peers.

  4. Family citizenship: Gain attributes important to being a member of a family.

  5. Perceived competence: Believe that they can be successful in the things they do.

  6. Interest in exploration: Be more curious and eager to learn new things.

  7. Responsibility: Learn to be accountable for their own actions and mistakes.

  8. Affinity for nature: Develop feelings of emotional attraction toward nature.

  9. Problem-solving confidence: Believe they have abilities to resolve problems.

  10. Spiritual well-being: Develop purpose and meaning in life.

Camps are also being recognized as incubators for the highly valued non-cognitive or “soft skills” and as places to hone leadership and social entrepreneurship skills.

Top 10 Questions Parents Should Be Asking About Teen Camps

Even if you’re convinced of the value of a summer camp experience for your teen, you may wonder, “How do I find the right one?” While there is no one-size-fits-all, there are summer camps that do not serve teens, camps that serve teens exclusively and camps that serve children and teens. When it comes to the latter two, here is some advice from the Better Business Bureau as to what to look for and what to ask.

  1. Visit a camp before paying a deposit so you know where your child will be living, eating and sleeping. Check if the recreational facilities are in good repair.

  2. Ask about safety, training and background checks for the staff.

  3. Make sure you understand about any extra fees for activities or special trips.

  4. Ask about two important stats that might give you a hint of whether the camp is a good spot: the camper return rate and the counselor return rate. If few kids or counselors are returning, it might be a red flag.

  5. Check into background of the director and other leaders. Do they have the experience to deal with teens?

  6. Ask about medical facilities and the procedure for emergencies.

  7. Ask to see proof of appropriate insurance coverage.

  8. Make sure you and your camper are comfortable with the rules on communication with home. Ask about strategies for combating homesickness.

  9. Ask to talk to other camp parents or to campers. Don’t depend on the official line.

  10. Look for camps that are certified by the American Camp Association and have to meet up to 300 nationally recognized standards.

Armed with the facts and the myriad of things to consider, you’re now ready for a moment of decision that will likely result in a life-changing summer for your teen.

Stephen Gray Wallace is president and director of the Center for Adolescent Research and Education

So You are Thinking what have past SNC Campers been saying about the cool Adventure Trips?
Take a look!

So You are Thinking what have past SNC Campers been saying about the cool Adventure Trips?
Take a look! Taking these adventure canoe, hiking and biking trips are the Best Summer Camp experience.Adventure Trips

As parents we love our children and we want the best for them. Yet, what is our goal? As much as we love them its to get our kids out of the house. Yes, we need to launch them into the real world. In order to make this happen successfully we need to raise independent, self-sufficient human beings. Accomplishing this goal requires prent to always be thinking. What is the best route to take between helpless...
Independence is best built gradually. We want to build such skills as making sound decisions, caring for one's own needs, taking action to meet goals, being responsible for one's own actions, and seeking out the information we need to guide choices. None of these things will develop magically or over night, however. Kids need a range of experiences, from simple to complex, in order to learn these skills. Let's take a quick look at each of these areas.
Wise decisions begin with baby steps. We wouldn't dream of turning our young adults loose in a car with out training and supervised practice. So why would we not do the same in decision making. Small children need to be allowed to make decisions as soon as they are capable of choosing between two things. This can with guided choices "Do you want your striped pants or your green pants today?" or "It's your turn to choose what veggies do you want for supper." Now here is the important part. What do you say after the decision? Do you process the results from their decisions? Point out the advantages and disadvantages of each choice, and then allow your child to choose. Be sure you are intentional and only suggest acceptable choices sot here is no chance of making a wrong choice. As kids grow open the door to making choices.
Children need practice and experience to make good decisions. After all, humans tend to learn more when things don't go the way we expected. A common error for parents is not to give children practice in making mistakes. Often because it is quicker or easier. Yet, we need to give our children responsibilities. Spent time to teach your children how to do personal and household tasks. Kids will try very hard to learn these skills. Plus, when the child does finally become proficient, you will have eased your own burden in many ways and they feel satisfied in their accomplishments.
Children's Summer Camp is a wonderful place that challenges your child to become responsible for their stuff and actions. At camp children are supervised but not coddled so clothes left on the floor need to be picked up, their is no maid service. Parents often tell us that the true benefit of summer camp is the increased self confidence and initiative to get chores done around the house.
Findi aSummer Camp at SummerCampAdvice.com
Swift Nature Camp is a Overnight Summer Camp for boys and girls ages 6-15. We blend Traditional camp activities with that of a Science Camp.
infancy and independent adulthood?
Often Parents are curious if Swift Nature Camp has specific programs for certain aged children. Are SNC programs better for young children- a first time at camp, middle school- looking for new activities or teenagers- searching for teen adventure. Since we feel we do so well in all these areas let us give you a few reasons why.
 
  • First off we have a Discovery Program that is only for children who have never been to camp before. For this camp we shrink the amount of children at camp making sure that we can give individual attention to each child. We have about 6 children for 2 counselors in each cabin. This program, since it is everyones first time creates a level playing feild for everyone. And since we know it everyones first time at camp we are constantly on the look out for homesickness or other areas of concern.
  • For our 3 week programs, again our small size allows us to give individual attention to all, with around 90 children (45 gals, 45 boys). Our children are divided by gender and age group. So a cabin of 10 children will have lets say 9 & 10 year olds. We limit the age groups at camp so that we get an even distribution of campers , younger to older. Then each age group will participate in age appropriate activities and adventure trips. For instance the younger girls may take a canoe trip to a nearby island while the older girls may go to the Apostle Islands for 3 days.
  • So you can see how Swift Nature Camp meets every age and gender. If you would like to talk more please give us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Camp is so different than home because often at school children hangout with kids that are homogeneous. Thats right all the same, same age, same gender, same community and more. Opportunities to make friends are not much more than others in class or down the block. However, at Swift Nature Camp kids get an opportunity to spend time with others, both younger and older and from different parts of the country or world. It is interesting how often the older teens become natural leaders for the younger kids, by “adopting them”.Not only is this true with campers but also for counselors as well. Our staff are generally college aged folks studying to be teachers. They truly look at SNC as a learning opportunity. They are camper centered making them great role models for todays youth. Then consider the SENIOR staff at camp...the oldsters do round out a super community which entices children to make new friends. 

So when you are thinking about camp it is easy to think about all the activities. However, Summer Camp is so much more! Children’s summer camp is more like the real world, the social benefits of this multiage, multicultural experience are significant. 
Research has shown getting children ready for multiage, multicultural world only helps them be more successful in life. Camp provides less competitiveness making it much easier to make and keep your summer camp friends.

Ask any camper what makes Swift Nature Camp so special and they will tell you it’s “the new camp friends”. But ask them why any? And they will tell you it’s because they accept me for who I am often unlike my friends at home. I can do stuff at camp that I can never tell my friends back home about.

 

Now is the time for all of us to be thinking Summer and CAMP. As our hearts turn to the warm days and clear skys of the Northwoods you probably are wondering :what does the Camp shirt of 2009 look like?”
Well now you can Vote to help make it come true. At the time of this writing the “tree” shirt was in the lead. So 
VOTE

 

Now is the time for all of us to be thinking Summer and CAMP. As our hearts turn to the warm days and clear skys of the Northwoods you probably are wondering :what does the Camp shirt of 2009 look like?”
Well now you can Vote to help make it come true. At the time of this writing the “tree” shirt was in the lead. So 
VOTE

 

Often Parents are curious if Swift Nature Camp has specific programs for certain aged children. Are SNC programs better for young children- a first time at camp, middle school- looking for new activities or teenagers- searching for teen adventure. Since we feel we do so well in all these areas let us give you a few reasons why.
permalink=”http://www.swiftnaturecamp.com/blog”>
 Often Parents are curious if Swift Nature Camp has specific programs for certain aged children. Are SNC programs better for young children- a first time at camp, middle school- looking for new activities or teenagers- searching for teen adventure. Since we feel we do so well in all these areas let us give you a few reasons why.
  • First off we have a Discovery Program that is only for children who have never been to camp before. For this camp we shrink the amount of children at camp making sure that we can give individual attention to each child. We have about 6 children for 2 counselors in each cabin. This program, since it is everyones first time creates a level playing feild for everyone. And since we know it everyones first time at camp we are constantly on the look out for homesickness or other areas of concern.
  • For our 3 week programs, again our small size allows us to give individual attention to all, with around 90 children (45 gals, 45 boys). Our children are divided by gender and age group. So a cabin of 10 children will have lets say 9 & 10 year olds. We limit the age groups at camp so that we get an even distribution of campers , younger to older. Then each age group will participate in age appropriate activities and adventure trips. For instance the younger girls may take a canoe trip to a nearby island while the older girls may go to the Apostle Islands for 3 days.
  • So you can see how Swift Nature Camp meets every age and gender. If you would like to talk more please give us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Camp is so different than home because often at school children hangout with kids that are homogeneous. Thats right all the same, same age, same gender, same community and more. Opportunities to make friends are not much more than others in class or down the block. However, at Swift Nature Camp kids get an opportunity to spend time with others, both younger and older and from different parts of the country or world. It is interesting how often the older teens become natural leaders for the younger kids, by “adopting them”.Not only is this true with campers but also for counselors as well. Our staff are generally college aged folks studying to be teachers. They truly look at SNC as a learning opportunity. They are camper centered making them great role models for todays youth. Then consider the SENIOR staff at camp...the oldsters do round out a super community which entices children to make new friends. 

So when you are thinking about camp it is easy to think about all the activities. However, Summer Camp is so much more! Children’s summer camp is more like the real world, the social benefits of this multiage, multicultural experience are significant. 
Research has shown getting children ready for multiage, multicultural world only helps them be more successful in life. Camp provides less competitiveness making it much easier to make and keep your summer camp friends.

Ask any camper what makes Swift Nature Camp so special and they will tell you it’s “the new camp friends”. But ask them why any? And they will tell you it’s because they accept me for who I am often unlike my friends at home. I can do stuff at camp that I can never tell my friends back home about.
permalink=”http://www.swiftnaturecamp.com/blog”>
Camp is so different than home because often at school children hangout with kids that are homogeneous. Thats right all the same, same age, same gender, same community and more. Opportunities to make friends are not much more than others in class or down the block. However, at Swift Nature Camp kids get an opportunity to spend time with others, both younger and older and from different parts of the country or world. It is interesting how often the older teens become natural leaders for the younger kids, by “adopting them”.Not only is this true with campers but also for counselors as well. Our staff are generally college aged folks studying to be teachers. They truly look at SNC as a learning opportunity. They are camper centered making them great role models for todays youth. Then consider the SENIOR staff at camp...the oldsters do round out a super community which entices children to make new friends. 

So when you are thinking about camp it is easy to think about all the activities. However, Summer Camp is so much more! Children’s summer camp is more like the real world, the social benefits of this multiage, multicultural experience are significant. 
Research has shown getting children ready for multiage, multicultural world only helps them be more successful in life. Camp provides less competitiveness making it much easier to make and keep your summer camp friends.

Ask any camper what makes Swift Nature Camp so special and they will tell you it’s “the new camp friends”. But ask them why any? And they will tell you it’s because they accept me for who I am often unlike my friends at home. I can do stuff at camp that I can never tell my friends back home about.
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Winter

25 Baybrook Ln.

Oak Brook, IL 60523

Phone: 630-654-8036

swiftcamp@aol.com

Camp

W7471 Ernie Swift Rd.

Minong, WI 54859

Phone: 715-466-5666

swiftcamp@aol.com