I love playing Ping-Pong. I always have.
If I play with someone I don’t know, this stranger instantly becomes a friend. Win or lose, I feel energized and am in a great mood. Friends tell me that this mood is contagious. I also find myself to be not only more motivated and creative, but also excited to try something new.
You probably relate to these experiences when you reflect on activities that you enjoy. Recognizing how positive experiences affect us is a great way to gain insight into the value of camp.
Parents who did not attend summer camp themselves sometimes ask me to explain why camp is important. Some recognize abstractly that a great camp experience fosters children’s social skills, encourages new interests, develops a love of physical and creative activity, and builds confidence. And parents who had great camp experiences not only enthusiastically share wonderful memories, but oftentimes describe their camp experience as a defining source for their personal development.
So how exactly does camp accomplish all of this? By providing an active, social environment filled with fun and excitement – a place where many children are happiest. But how does fun translate into learning?
As Barbara Fredrickson of the University of North Carolina has demonstrated, positive emotions have an important purpose. They not only make us feel good, they help us “broaden and build” social resources and personal strengths. In a happier state we are motivated to form friendships. We become more aware of subtle social signals. We engage in exploration. We develop resilience. Positive emotions enable us to build a broad foundation for individual and social success.
Now take another look at the cascade of changes that occur as I play a game of Ping-Pong with a stranger: my enjoyment of the game fosters good feelings. This elevated mood causes me to seek out a new friendship while it increases the interpersonal awareness and empathy that can make this friendship stronger. Because this stranger and I are engaged in an activity, we are focusing on the fun of play rather than on ourselves, making it even easier to connect. Is this beginning to sound a bit like camp?
Led by great counselors, camp creates shared experiences that are exciting and diverse. As campers have fun – a lot of fun – they build neural pathways that foster sociability, empathy, and even optimism. Studies at Harvard University and elsewhere have shown that these benefits are cumulative and lasting, and that they affect others in a virtuous cycle. What’s more, children in a happier state bounce back from setbacks more easily, and develop confidence in their ability to do so.
Because positive moods promote positive associations, children at camp are not only more motivated to try new things, but also are more likely to enjoy these new experiences and carry forward their positive associations.
Each year, children spend more and more time in front of screens of all types at the expense of cultivating the social and personal skills that form the foundation of strong relationships, success and happiness. Summer camp is the best environment I can imagine to nurture these critical life skills. And, at camp, perhaps your child will even learn to play Ping-Pong. •
Ken Schainman is the director of Mohawk Day Camp, White Plains, NY.