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s ummer
camp
is often a place to send elementary-aged kids so they aren?t sitting around the house bored, and so they?ll make friends
and learn new
things while having fun. as children grow out of their ?little kid years,? we sometimes forget that they still need those experiences they had when they were younger, just in a different form. maybe you don?t think your tween needs summer camp. your tween should be babysitting, mowing lawns, working at the pool, or hanging around with friends, right? well, sure! but why not send them off for a week or more of summer fun and learning this year for a break? here are some great benefits for tweens attending summer camp. learn how to plan and build a house for someone who is in need. 2. making new friends. it?s important to continue to grow and change, and adding new friends to one?s life enriches it at any age. some tweens attend the same camp or camps every summer and might find the same friends there, year after year. many are attending for the very first time and need to hone their social skills to make new friends and get to know other tweens in their age range outside of a school setting. being in close proximity for days or weeks helps them get closer, faster. 3. learning new things. whether your tween attends a camp to learn more about horses, adventure, a specific sport, or anything else, they have an entire day, week, or longer to focus on that one activity and really immerse themselves in it. who knows? your tween might find a new passion that he never thought of before that could be helpful in his educational or work life later on down the road. 4. deepening their faith. if your tween enjoys church youth groups, a church or other religious camp is an option. the day might begin with a church service, followed by breakfast, a hike, and some time spent in the cabin with friends memorizing bible verses for a competition at the end of the week. later, there could be singing songs around a bonfire while roasting s'mores. 5. developing a hobby. when your child is disconnected from the tv, video game console, or smartphone, he can really focus on developing a hobby in a creative way. it seems like these days there?s a camp for pretty much any interest your child has. there are camps for horse and other animal lovers, sports lovers of all types (think developing soccer skills, swimming, football, volleyball, baseball?anything!), boy scout 1. learning how to give back. community service camps offer a great chance for tweens to make a difference and help out in the community, while also learning skills that will carry them through their lives. tweens get to spend their days helping others, which just feels good to everyone involved. maybe your tween will learn how to pack food for the homeless, teach kids how to read, or work on a project that will benefit the community, like cleaning up a playground or fixing equipment. they could even learn how to paint a house, care for a yard for an elderly person who is unable to do so anymore, or they may even 9 benefits of sending tweens to camp by kerrie mcloughlin 4 4 b r p a r e n t s . c o m | m a r c h 2 0 1 9
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