Summer Camp Games for Kids – What are the Benefits?

• Team games like tug-o-war
• Mental games like charades
• Treasure hunts
• Hide-and-seek
• Water games like water gun tag and water balloon toss
• Ball games like basketball, dodgeball, and soccer

1. Games improve physical development in a child

Probably the most obvious benefit of including games in summer camp is to keep the children fit and healthy. Physical games strengthen their bodies and improve their gross and fine motor skills. It also enhances their reflexes and stamina and allows them to remain in good form for all of the summer despite it being the time to indulge in good food. Activities like ball games can improve their hand-eye coordination and water games like water gun tag can help them improve their reflexes.

2. Improves Intellectual development

Aside from the subjects they learn in class during summer camp, summer camp games for kids can also have features that can improve their intellectual development. Some relay games in summer camp activities use puzzles, maths or prompt the children’s problem-solving skills. They can also have games like treasure hunts where kids would need to decipher hints and codes to look for the treasure. There are a lot of ways they can incorporate brain-stimulating games in camp.

3. Improves Emotional development

Playing games with friends and bonding with them will surely open your child up to different emotional cues from other children. At a young age, they tend to observe and imitate their peers. By spending time with them and getting close to them, they also develop a sense of empathy. Emotional development is important for a child because this dictates how they will react to situations as they grow older.

4. Improves social development

Summer camps consist of different ages from children campers, adult mentors or teenage volunteers. Being in the camp environment and playing summer camp games for kids can make your child become more social and develop their communication skills.

5. Teaches teamwork and cooperation

The main benefit of playing summer camp games for kids is to build teamwork and cooperation between the children. They acquire a sense of individuality and with it; they also see more of what is going on around them. They will observe other children, be put into teams for games and will learn how to cooperate. In summer camps, games usually offer competition with rewards and playing with teams will definitely bring them closer and work towards the win. Even children that are shy would be motivated to participate during team games and this will teach them how to get along with others during a different range of games at summer camp. Challenging games are also something that will make them feel more resilient by working with children towards a common goal. Their takeaway from all this will be a newfound sense of cooperation and teamwork.

6. It enhances self-confidence

Camps are something new for children and it is an environment away from their school peers. As they bond with other people and feel productive with all the daily activities they do, they establish a sense of pride and independence for being able to allow their skills to improve during the camp. As they tackle all the activities, bond with friends and create meaningful experiences, they will feel a lift in self-confidence.

7. Brings them out to nature

Summer camps are a refreshing change to a child’s daily life. They get to see more of the outside world than what they would when there are classes. Not a lot of people have enough time on their hands to get back to nature and appreciate the little things in life. The young people, especially, do not have much interest in going out, especially in our modern times now with all the gadgets and different technology. Bringing them to summer camps and enjoying outdoor summer camp games for kids with other children will make them appreciate nature better.