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Camp experiences promote social development, sense of place and environmental stewardship
Planting the Seeds at Summer Camp
Camp experiences promote social development, sense of place and environmental stewardship.
By Jen Graham, Public Programs Coordinator
Summer is a season of plenty. Life proliferates under logs and inside tree cavities. Prairies and gardens burst into color, and native pollinators enjoy a buffet of sweet nectars. The low rumble of bullfrogs ripples through murky ponds; the cheerful whistle of migratory birds hangs on the wind; and the rustling of chipmunks and garter snakes in the leaf litter causes us to pause and listen. With all its sensory wonders, summer is the perfect season for children to explore, and there is no better way for young nature lovers to get to know their environment than through a summer camp experience.
Although schoolbooks will be returned to the library and binders will be stored away, children never stop learning. For over a century, summer camps have invited children to connect to a world outside their familiar homes and schools and “build character” through challenging activities and fun outdoor games. Campers often return home feeling refreshed and confident, brimming with tales of wild adventure. However, the many benefits of these camps were largely anecdotal, passed down through smiling faces in photographs and nostalgic stories. It wasn’t until 2005, when the American Camp Association (ACA) conducted a study of summer camps across the United States, that significant statistical evidence arose to support summer camps as spaces of social and intellectual development.
Indeed, the ACA study found that children who participated in just one session of summer camp saw substantial growth in a variety of areas, including self-esteem, independence, social skills, risk assessment, decision making, sense of place and personal values. Notably, this growth was often reported to persist beyond camp and into children’s daily lives. This data corroborates the long-held understanding that summer camps provide unique learning experiences, tailored to support social-emotional growth. Under the guidance of dedicated camp counselors in beautiful natural settings, campers develop important tools to help them succeed, even after they return to their regular routines.
From a social perspective, summer camps present an excellent opportunity for children to practice making new friends and developing relationships. The goofy games, silly songs and creative crafts of camp foster an environment where children can feel safe to experiment, relax, open up and be themselves. When everyone is learning a new skill together, campers are encouraged to work as a team, manage disagreements, share successes and persist through disappointments. With the care and support of respected camp counselors and new
friends, children grow more comfortable taking risks and take pride in their achievements, leaving with more confidence in themselves and their social networks.
Additionally, because most summer camps offer a unique outdoor experience with counselors serving as stewardship role models, children also show significant growth in their ability to appreciate, connect to and care for the environment. Free from the constant demands of technology and screens, campers begin to exercise their imaginations and pursue new interests. Their senses activate their learning, making the lessons deep and impactful. They absorb facts about nature, not because they must, but because they are hungry to learn more. Fresh air and sunshine promote calm and focus. Exploring the outdoors through structured and unstructured play is essential to developing a sense of wonder and comfort in nature.
At Holden Forests & Gardens, stewardship is a top priority in our camp experiences. Not only will campers forge friendships with each other, they’ll also forge friendships with box turtles and pine needles, with roly-polies and milkweed. Indeed, summer camps are an invitation for children to emerge and engage
with nature. The sun on their skin serves as permission to sing with the cicadas, to touch the sparkling waters and admire the abundance our planet offers. Whether beneath the trees at Holden Arboretum or amongst the flowers at Cleveland Botanical Garden, campers will learn to view nature as a wonderous and joyful part of their lives. By exploring all aspects of the natural world through science, storytelling, adventure and art, summer camps at Holden Forests & Gardens seek to cultivate in campers a strong sense of themselves as part of the planet — as habitat heroes, planting the seeds for the future.
Summer camps have a long history of providing essential learning experiences for youth in nature, and the camps at Holden Forests & Gardens are no exception. With experiences that range from full-week camps to one-day “microcamps,” we invite your children to join us for a summer that will excite their creativity, pique their curiosity and help them feel at home in their habitat. The season of plenty is right around the corner, and the earth is calling. It’s time to get up and grow.
“Directions: Youth Development Outcomes of the Camp Experience.” 2005. American Camp Association. https:// www.acacamps.org/resource-library/research/directionsyouth-development-outcomes-camp-experience.
Cleveland Botanical Garden Summer Camps: Holden Arboretum Summer Camps:
Habitat Hunters
Explore the incredible and diverse habitats of the Ohio woodlands, the Madagascar Spiny Forest, and the Costa Rica Cloud Rainforest all in one week!
Date: June 13 – 17: Rising grades 1 – 3 August 1 – 5: Rising grades 1 – 3 Time: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Price: $300 members/$325 nonmembers
EcoArts Camp
Come be inspired by nature! Let your creativity and imagination flourish in this week-long camp, designed to explore our biosphere through the eyes of an artist.
Date: June 27 – July 1: Rising grades 3 – 5 July 18 – 22: Rising grades 3 – 5 Time: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Price: $300 members/$325 nonmembers
Little Naturalists Intergenerational Camp
Parents, come adventure with your preschooler as they blossom into little naturalists at Cleveland Botanical Garden! During this three-day, intergenerational camp, your little one will learn all about the plants and animals that call our gardens home.
Date: Pre-K Session 1: June 21, 23, 25 Session 2: July 11, 13, 15 Time: 9:30 a.m. – Noon Price: $165 member/$190 nonmember Price Includes 1 Child + 1 Adult, $40/Additional Child
Greatest Hits Microcamp
Whether you’re new to Cleveland Botanical Garden or our biggest fan, you’ll love this one-day summer camp sampler that explores all the Garden’s greatest hits.
Date: June 8: Rising grades 3 – 5 July 28: Rising grades 1 – 2 Time: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Price: $60 members/$65 nonmembers
Secret Garden Sleuths Microcamp
Solve puzzles and take on new challenges in this day-long microcamp designed to test your brain power and teamwork skills.
Date: June 20: Rising grades 1 – 2 July 8: Rising grades 3 – 5 Time: 9 a.m – 3 p.m. Price: $60 members/$65 nonmembers Trail Blazers Survivor Camp
Do you have what it takes to survive in the wild? Meet us in the woods for a fun week of challenges and activities designed to test your knowledge, teach new skills, and help you feel at home amongst the trees.
Date: June 20 – 24: Rising grades 3 – 5 July 25 – 29: Rising grades 5 – 7 Time: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Price: $325 members/$350 nonmembers
Canopy Camp
Explore like never before from above the treetops! Campers will experience life from a new, lofty perspective as they learn to climb trees using ropes like tree industry professionals, experience the view from the top of the Emergent Tower, practice tree identification, and explore the Arboretum’s neighboring Red Oak Camp throughout the week for select activities.
Date: July 18 – 22: Rising grades 4 – 6 Time: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Price: $325 members/$350 nonmembers
Wild and Wonderful Woods
How many plants and animals can you find in one week? Join us for a whirlwind of exploration in Holden Arboretum as we hit the trails on the hunt for creepy crawlies, beautiful birds, tall trees, and fantastic flowers!
Date: June 6 – 10: Rising grades 1 – 3 July 11 – 15: Rising grades 1 – 3 Time: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Price: $300 members/$325 nonmembers
Greatest Hits Microcamp
Whether you’re new to Holden Arboretum or our biggest fan, you’ll love this one-day summer camp sampler that explores all the Arboretum’s greatest hits.
Date: June 16: Rising grades 3 – 5 July 7: Rising grades 1 – 2 Time: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Price: $60 members/$65 nonmembers
Pond Pals Microcamp
Calling all frog friends and aqua adventurers! This one-day camp will bring you up close and personal with the wet and wonderful habitats at Holden Arboretum.
Date: July 1: Rising grades 3 – 5 August 2: Rising grades 1 – 2 Time: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Cost: $60 members/$65 nonmembers
MEET THE STAFF
Jen Graham is the Public Programs Coordinator at Holden Forests & Gardens. She studied women’s history at Oberlin College, where she also developed a passion for plants, herpetology and connecting people to place. Before coming to HF&G, Graham worked as an educator at an outdoor education center, various local history museums and a park nature center. She enjoys helping communities celebrate their stories and grow in relationship to the environment. Her favorite moments teaching are when a student exclaims, “Wow, I never knew that!”
