parenting

Sneak peek: The benefits of summer camp for kids’ development are amazing. However, research points to one clear tip when it comes to technology at camp. I vividly remember my first experience at sleepaway summer camp as a child. I was in about 4th or 5th grade and it was my first time away from my parents overnight (except for sleepovers at grandparents’ and friends’ houses). I went with a close friend and even her older sister was there with us. But…I was homesick. I cried every day of the week-long camp. Although my friends and family had tried to share a lot of summer camp tips with me, the benefits of summer camp were lost on me. My mood improved somewhat through the week but overall, I did not enjoy it much. Nowadays, kids experiencing feelings like mine at camp might have quick access to a cell phone to call or text their parents. This might be especially the case if they’re attending summer camp without a friend. As a child development researcher, I’ve spent years looking at how kids grow — and summer camp keeps coming up. A new study from C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital considered how access to smartphones might change the benefits of summer camp. The researchers interviewed officials at 331 camps across the U.S. and Canada. The results were both enlightening and a little disturbing. Key TakeawayResearch shows that summer camp benefits kids most when smartphones are left at home. Studies find that screen-free camp improves emotional intelligence, builds resilience, and helps kids form deeper friendships — benefits that are diminished when phones are present. Should kids bring phones to summer camp? The camp officials pointed out that they did see some advantages to kids having access to technology at camp. Kids could, for example, take pictures and create slideshows of their favorite memories. Other times, technology was used for entertainment during “downtime,” like video game tournaments or music for dance parties. Related reading: Distracted by Your Device? This Parenting Research Will Change Your Perspective {plus a printable mantra to help} The Downside of Technology at Camp: Many of the camp officials, however, reported downsides to kids having access to technology and the internet at camp. As you might expect, many kids became so immersed in texting and social media that they would not participate fully in camp events or bond with their fellow campers. One respondent even wrote, that campers are “more worried about their phone than the poison ivy bush they’re about to step in.” One of the more concerning (and sad) consequences of technology at camp was the fact that counselors reported that kids did not want to participate in activities like talent shows or dance parties where videos of them might be taken and posted on social media. The fear of embarrassment was just too much. What does research say about screen-free summer camp? There was one encouraging note in the research on summer camp and child development, too. Many officials reported that once teens recovered from the initial shock of having no phone for a few days, they were actually eager for the technology break. They said they felt more relaxed without the pressures of social media comparison. New research backs this up as well. One study found that pre-teens who spent 5 days in an overnight camp without phones, TV or computers had better skills in reading emotions in facial expressions than a same-age control group who did not attend camp. Of course, it’s hard to tease apart whether these emotional benefits resulted solely from lack of screen time, time in nature or a combination of both factors. Nevertheless, one big summer camp tip that’s clear: kids get the most benefit from summer camp without screens. Related reading: Kids’ Emotional Intelligence: Why Low-Tech Skills are the Key to Success in a High-Tech World Besides the obvious emotional benefits, summer camp can also build a sense of resilience in kids as well. Researchers who study resilience have shown that kids who experience tolerable risk gain skills in coping and identity formation that stick with them for years. Summer camp offers just this type of tolerable risk as kids take on new physical challenges, make new friends, and cope with unpredictable circumstances. What are the benefits of summer camp for kids? I can definitely relate to these benefits of summer camp. Remember that horrible first camp experience? A couple of years later, I went back and had a blast. What would that first experience have been like if I had a phone to call or text my mom every day? Here’s an even more important question: what would that second camp experience have been like if I had the chance to call or text every day on the first trip? You can probably guess my answer. If I had been tied to technology on that first trip, I probably would have never made that second trip. The experience of homesickness, as difficult as it was, made the second trip possible. “If I had a phone that first trip, I never would have gone back — and the second trip was the one that changed me.” Growth Mindset Journal for Teens As with many things in life, the challenges and struggles are often what make the subsequent happy experiences so wonderful. Put in child development terms, the coping skills and resilience I learned through that week of homesickness are what made me feel confident enough to handle going back to camp the next time. The second camp trip I remember just like a scene out of The Parent Trap: cabins with lots of tween girls chatting, camp activities that forced us to get beyond our awkwardness like canoeing, archery and yes, even a camp dance. Those are the skills and memories that live on long after the week of summer camp. Benefits of Screen-Free Summer Camp (Research-Backed): Better emotional intelligence and reading facial cues Reduced social media anxiety Stronger peer relationships Greater resilience and coping skills More participation in camp activities How long does it take kids to adjust to no phones at camp?Most kids adjust within 2–3 days. Research and camp counselors consistently report that once the initial withdrawal passes, kids often say they prefer the break from social media pressure. Is screen-free summer camp better for mental health?Yes, according to research. Kids at phone-free camps report feeling more relaxed and less anxious. The absence of social comparison and the fear of being filmed appears to free kids up to actually participate and connect. What if my child has anxiety about going to camp without a phone?Acknowledge the worry without dismissing it — then reframe it as part of the challenge. The discomfort of being phone-free is often where the growth happens. Talking through what camp will look like ahead of time can ease a lot of anticipatory anxiety. Related Resources Growth Mindset Challenges Kit Perfect for Pinning

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