The much-awaited summer season is here and our kids are out of school for almost two months. Unfortunately, with so many screens and gadgets around, it can be difficult to get the youth of today out of their seats and into the great outdoors. Here are some activities that kids and teenagers will love to spend their time on this summer.
Sun, Sea, and Surf
If you live by the coast or are planning an extended vacation, surf camps are a fantastic option to keep youth active and occupied for the summer. Surf camp participation can be as short as half a day or multiple weeks and children and teens between the ages of 5 to 17 are welcome. The best surf camps have low student-to-staff ratios to ensure the highest level of safety.
Surf camp students are given the chance to let loose and have fun in a protected and guided environment. Complete beginners or advanced surfers can enroll and be assigned instructors that match their skill level. As your kids work on the mastery of their surfing skills, they learn how to be resilient and stay the course despite falling and wiping out.
Aside from honing essential surfing skills, quality surf camps also help youth to grow as people. They do this by providing positive role models and teaching respect for others and nature. Surf camp participants build self-esteem and confidence, learn responsibility, practice independence, and make meaningful connections with their peers from all around the world.
Just Dive In
Another fantastic watersport for youth is scuba diving. Kids from the age of 8 can try scuba diving and those 10 and above can train to become certified scuba divers. Scuba diving camps are also known as sea camps. Most sea camps will include basic certification courses and several days of diving afterward. Some sea camps are even conducted while living aboard a boat.
Learning to dive is a way for your child or teen to get out of their comfort zone and learn not to fear the unknown. Apart from experiencing the amazing feeling of weightlessness underwater, scuba divers become more educated about the marine environment and its inhabitants. They also learn to calculate risk and be responsible for their equipment and safety.
Sea camp options vary. Most sea camps cater to families who are traveling together and only schedule camp activities during the day. Participants in these sea camps will return to their off-site accommodation after camp hours and parents may even be able to join them when diving. Other sea camps cater solely to their participants. Such sea camps with older participants may organize group travel to other countries like Costa Rica.
Magic Mountain
It is hard to go past traditional nature camps when it comes to the quintessential summer activity. Most of the popular summer camps in the US are bordered by majestic mountains and lakes and offer a myriad of outdoor games and activities to keep your kids busy for days. Choose from camps that are as short as overnight or as long as seven weeks.
Certain camps are single-gender but the majority of camps for youth are co-ed. That said, cabins are almost always divided by gender and age group with older camp counselors bunking in with participants to provide extra guidance and support. Some camps have 24-hour electricity while others turn off the lights at night so that participants can enjoy campfires and be fully immersed in the peacefulness of nature.
The perk for parents when it comes to land-based camps is that they can rest assured that their children are taken care of for days or weeks. After all, the kids may be on holiday but parents still have to work. During the time they are at camp, participants will foster independence and responsibility and try their hand at a variety of activities like archery, cooking, kayaking, rock climbing, and sailing.
Back to Nature
Should you prefer a program that is closer to the basics, a wilderness camp is a good alternative. While wilderness camp participants still take part in active sports like canoeing, biking, and swimming, much of what they do involves observing and interacting with nature. Trails and hikes feature heavily in nature camps and participants are taught to respect and appreciate the environment.
Wilderness camps help to heighten the sensory awareness of participants and connect them with the world that they live in. Creativity is encouraged and children are taught to create crafts such as jewelry, woven baskets, and wood carvings from natural materials. Campers can also make their own nature journals to record and store their daily thoughts and press the flowers and leaves that they collected during their explorations.
Youth is a time of endless wonder and boundless energy. Give your kids the opportunity to shine over summer by choosing an outdoor activity that feeds their curiosity and sense of adventure. Whether it is surfing in Santa Monica or going off-grid in Vermont, there is no better time for young people to go outside and play.