When our son was in kindergarten and our daughter was in preschool, my wife and I started looking into summer camps. Neither of us had had positive experiences with camp, but we knew others who swore by summers spent hiking, swimming and singing songs around a campfire — and we’d heard there were lots of such programs in Vermont.
After scouting out several of them, we chose camps that were reasonably affordable for us and within a short drive of our Winooski home.
Now that our “little ones” are 16 and 19 — and preparing to return to their respective camps this summer as counselors — I can honestly say that sending them away every summer was one of the best decisions we made. I know they would agree.
If you’re considering whether sleepaway camp is worth the (considerable) expense, or nervous about your children spending a block of time away from the safety and familiarity of home, it might be helpful to hear from a once-skeptical parent who’s been through that separation.
In my experience, here are some valuable things your kids will have a chance to do at sleepaway camp:
1. Meet new friends and role models — among campers, counselors and staff.
Our daughter stays in touch with her camp buddies all year long. Our son used to look forward to reconnecting with peers and trusted adults at the start of each session. Both of them practiced starting new friendships, managing conflicts, saying goodbye and reconnecting with the people who matter most.
2. Become more confident
and independent.
Being away from familiar faces and places can be scary, but conquering those fears can give your kids a confidence boost. It’s a good way to work up to the idea that they’re going to leave home someday. Many camps also offer kids choices about the activities they pursue or other aspects of their experience, giving them a taste of how liberating and exciting it can be to exert control over their lives.
3. Develop new skills and hobbies.
Our kids went to traditional sleepaway camps, so skill building wasn’t the focus, but right away they both came back with new interests: making elaborate friendship bracelets, for example, and playing the card game Magic: The Gathering. On family camping trips, our son introduced us to “cabin chat,” the practice of discussing our days after lying down in bed and turning off the lights. We often still do that when we’re traveling together.
4. Put down their digital devices.
Most sleepaway camps ban or limit the presence of internet-connected devices during sessions. This is a huge selling point for lots of parents I know. Kids, too. Ours never once complained.
5. Try new things — and fail.
For the week or two — or four — they’re away, campers aren’t bound by the expectations people have of them at home. They can experiment with new nicknames, step outside their comfort zones and attempt new activities. If it doesn’t go well, the stakes are much lower at camp than they are at school.
6. Be goofy.
I haven’t seen my kids in action at camp, but the way they crack themselves up describing chants or songs or silly traditions delights me. Our daughter loves spending her birthday at camp every summer, in part because she gets to skip around the dining hall. This is the same teenager who loves Eminem and Billie Eilish. ‘Nuff said.
7. Be part of something
bigger than themselves.
At camp, kids become part of a group, whether that’s a cabin, a village or an entire community. Some of these units gel, some don’t, just like in adult life. But when they work — when kids see how their actions affect others, especially if they’re able to score the winning point in a camp-wide game or nail a solo in a group song — it’s magic. Plus: After campers wear themselves out playing games, they often come together as a group and reflect on a motto such as “Help the other fellow” or on core values such as “Respect, Trust and Unity.” Those moments might not be as memorable as a favorite camp song, but hopefully they’ll help shape the adults our kids will someday become.
The original print version of this article was headlined “Great Escape | Seven things kids get to do at sleepaway camp”
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This article appears in 2025 Camp Guide.
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