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When it’s time to take a break from the 3 Rs for the summer, it might be time to think about another type of education for your daughter – an overnight summer camp in the great outdoors.

Almost all the lessons to be learned at summer camps are fairly obvious – skills in hiking, horseback riding, swimming and other sports activities. However, there are additional, less tangible rewards:

•    Learning new skills in social interaction

•    Building self-esteem

•    Becoming more self-sufficient

•    The advantages of friends working together

There is a wide selection of camp experiences to choose from across the country, from sports-centric to theatre arts to technology; but if your young camper is happiest simply enjoying outdoor activities with her friends, then the classic program is her ticket to a wonderful summer filled with physical activity, time in nature and lasting friendships.

Sleep-over summer camps for girls typically run two to eight week sessions, though programs can be as short as one week and as long as the entire summer. While each camp sets its own age criteria, girls aged seven to seventeen come together in an instant community of young women who play together in team sports such as baseball or soccer, and individual sports like tennis, swimming or hiking. Depending on the facility, there may even be culinary arts instruction more sophisticated than assembling s’mores or roasting marshmallows. Quiet times often include arts and crafts – and let’s keep in mind the traditional campfire in which the whole camp typically gathers in the evenings for activities and story telling. Learning eco-responsibility is a large part of most camp programs as well.

The question of whether it is advisable for best friends to attend the same camp or even bunk together is worthy of frank discussion. A camp that fits one girl might not be a great fit for her best friend. Administrators of sleepover summer camps for girls tend to make bunk assignments according to age and grade level in school. When it’s time to organize activity groups, camp counselors oftentimes sort girls by their ability levels. The objective is to provide a supportive and enjoyable environment for all, and to mix up the girls so they get to know more kids during their limited time. Most camps will accommodate requests to keep friends or sisters together, if this arrangement also works well for other girls and advisors.

Part of the maturation process is to learn to interact socially with the opposite sex. One way to allow for this in a safe and structured setting is to attend a camp that has a brother/sister relationship with a boys’ camp nearby. The boys and girls can enjoy each others’ company under adult supervision at dances, campfires or other coed activities.

Another factor to consider in choosing a summer camp is the degree of structure in the program. If your daughter responds well to days jam-packed with planned activities, then a more casual camp featuring lots of leisure time may not be the ideal choice for her. This is where some give and take between parent and child is a good idea in order to make the best placement decision.  The majority of camps offer a mix of both structured and free time, which seems to work best for most young ladies. They even allow the girls to choose what their structured time activities will be.

All in all, an over-night summer camp can be a wondrous time of learning, friendship and self-discovery. It is not uncommon for girls to want to return to the same camp every year as the memories and friendships made there can last a lifetime.

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