February 4, 2020
We all know the term “happy campers,” and recent research shows that campers really are happy!
Though we’ve known this anecdotally for years at Outpost, this study reports an increase in children’s happiness and social skills following just two weeks at camp.
- Over 80% of parents and children reported that the camper was “a little happier” or “a lot happier” following their time at camp.
- Both parents and children endorsed positive social skills changes. Examples included “understanding friends’ emotions” and “choosing people who would be good to be friends with.”
The most common parental concerns I hear as a camp director and psychologist relate to social cues and children’s selection of friend groups. At camp, helping children facilitate positive friendships is one of our primary goals and areas of training for our staff – for the sake of their fun at camp and their well-being and relationships beyond camp!
Sincerely,
Dr. Kelly Jones
Executive Director, Outpost Summer Camps
“We don’t have to do all of it alone. We were never meant to.” Brené Brown
