Liberty Lake Day Camp

By Andy Pritikin, Director/Owner of Liberty Lake Day Camp, as published in The Tri-Town News, Moorestown Sun, Haddonfield Sun, The Princeton Packet, Messenger Press, Register News and others (2006).

We love our kids. We give them everything we can, determined to give them a better life than the one we had. Our homes are places of love and support, as well as state-of-the-art media centers with big screen TVs, high speed internet, vast libraries of entertainment, and more toys than a child could ever need. But for over 10 million children every Summer, the best thing that their parents do for them is to actually get them OUT of the house, away from their cushy suburban lives of luxury with their parents watching their every move, and into some real-life excitement at Summer Camp! While this liberating freedom may seem daunting (mostly to parents), the facts show that today’s children truly need Camp.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

The saying goes: "IQ is what gets you through school, EQ is what gets you through life". Watching the recent fight between pro basketball players and sports fans was a sad display of how easily adults with low EQ can be emotionally hijacked to the point of violence. Studies show that EQ (empathy, managing emotions, handling relationships, self-motivation, self-awareness,) is three times more the predictor of success than IQ. Leadership (self-confidence, team skills, social awareness) accounts for 90% emotional intelligence. The various group settings and activities of camp provide a virtual classroom for this kind of social development, teaching children and young adults the important skills of making friends and maintaining relationships.

EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION & ENRICHMENT

While more and more advanced countries have gone to a model of year-round education, many American families continue to keep their children at home all Summer, allowing their minds and bodies to go on a two-month hiatus. Today’s Camps offer a wonderful mix of experiential education: Athletics, Fine Arts, Performing Arts, Boating, Fishing, Hiking, Science, Nature and more. While some stay-at-home Moms take on the challenge of entertaining their children themselves, “Camp Mom” rarely can compare programmatically or socially to a real Camp experience. Camp is a magical place for doing things that you could never do at home- Rock Climbing, Horseback Riding, Rocketry, Gymnastics, Ceramics, Theater Productions, to go along with Camp “standards” like Color War, Campouts, Jello Wrestling, Water Slides, and Simon Sez with 300 kids!

HEALTH AND FITNESS

Remember back before the days of “playdates” when we used to play outside all day- in streets, parks and neighbor’s backyards without a care? Today, even in the safest suburban developments, most parents can’t feel comfortable unless their children are within total view. Technological advances coupled with media-enhanced fears for safety have influenced us in raising the most out-of-shape, sedentary generation of children ever. The Federal Centers for Disease Control estimates that 16 percent of people ages 6 to 19 are obese, compared with 4.4 percent 40 years ago. A Department of Education study declared 40% of California middle school children unfit and 25% overweight. Today’s parents are busy, don't have time to cook, and many stop at fast food restaurants several times each week.  According to the Federal Department of Health and Human Services, by the time our kids are adults, obesity will most likely become this nation's No. 1 killer, and will surpass tobacco use as the leading cause of preventable death. Yikes!

Currently, New Jersey schools are mandated (but not enforced) to give all students 150 minutes of health, physical education and safety per week- and it rarely happens. My daughter’s “blue ribbon” elementary school gives children phys. ed. for two weeks every two months- on rotation with music, art and computers- and only 10 minutes per day of recess after lunch. After school there is homework, plus countless obligations which leave little time for the physical activity necessary for a healthy child. The programs and inherent set up of Camp require the kind of outdoor physical activity that children used to get on a regular basis.

MEDIA-FREE!

Children spend more time watching television than any other activity except sleep. In addition, TV has dramatically decreased the amount of time that families spend talking with each other. 40% of American families watch TV while eating dinner, and on average, American parents spend only 38.5 minutes per week in meaningful conversation with their children, compared to the three to four hours daily that many children spend in front of a TV or computer screen.

And what are our kids watching? The war in Iraq, violent cartoons, and Disney Channel shows which focus on teenage dating? Who are their role models? Eminem, Paris Hilton and 50-Cent? Good Camps and good Camp directors create controlled, ideal communities with an alternative, more traditional vision of what it means to grow up. A camp can control its value system, maintaining a magical environment that can inspire children to imagine anything is possible, and that their potential is limitless!

                 RESEARCH CONFIRMS

Philliber Research Associates, a nationally reknown firm specializing in the evaluation of youth development, health, and education programs recently completed a three-year study which confirms that Camps build skills necessary to prepare children to become successful adults. Parents, campers, and camp staff independently reported growth in areas such as self-confidence, independence, making friends, exploring and learning new activities, and spirituality. Camp provides growth experiences for youth that benefit them through adulthood.

Campers Say

• Camp helped me make new friends. (96%)
• Camp helped me to get to know kids who are different from me. (93%)
• The people at camp helped me feel good about myself. (92%)
• At camp, I did things I was afraid to do at first. (74%)
  

 Parents Say

• My child gained self-confidence at camp. (70%)
• My child continues to participate in some of the new activities he or she learned at camp. (63%)
• My child remains in contact with friends made at camp. (69%)

For those who went to Camp as a child, these statistics come as no surprise. For generations, Camps have been creating experiences and memories that most of us can’t provide at home or in our neighborhoods. Camp is a step back in time, giving our children the opportunity to be happy, healthy kids in a warm, safe community of friends and role models. We all want the best for our children, and now more than ever, our kids need the Camp experience!

Other Published Articles By Andy Pritkin-

The Lasting Positive Impact of Summer Camp

Friendships: Get Them While You Can At Camp! 

Why Camp? 

Let The Children Play!

How to Choose a Summer Camp 

Economic Spotlight on Childcare 

Interview with Andy Pritikin from "SNJ Business People"

CALL TO SCHEDULE A TOUR TODAY ~ 609.499.7820