Top 4 Reasons Why Teens Love Summer Day Camp
Teens across the country are counting down the days until the last day of school. Summer means freedom and fun, and the memories that teens make during those few months tend to be some of the best they’ll make all year long. Years ago, teens didn’t have many options on how to pass the days when school was out. Outside of traditional day camp, teens could choose to visit their local pool or nearby beach to pass the long summer days; some might even get a summer job.
These days, however, between travel opportunities, immersion classes, sports camps, and internships – teens have a plethora of options on how they want to spend their sweet summertime. Something that we find year after year, however, is that, despite so many options, teens still choose to spend their summer days with us at Frogbridge Day Camp.
We’re always listening to our campers at Frogbridge Day Camp. What we’ve learned is there are some common reasons why teens love summer day camp.
1. Teens Make New Friends at Summer Day Camp
Hundreds of families across New Jersey continue to send their teens to summer day camp at Frogbridge. Teens get to interact and spend time with others their age who they might not have ever met while attending their local school. Teens are engrossed in new sports, games, and activities that only happen at summer camp, like Rock Climbing and Zip lining and exciting games of laser tag. Teens lean on each other to learn and grow, which builds the foundation for strong friendships – many of which will last a lifetime.
2. Camp Allows Teens to Develop New Skills
Teens who spend four weeks or more at summer day camp are immersed in a world of electives and activities that they might not get to experience any other time of year. Frogbridge allows teens to pick which electives and activities they want to spend time on. That way, teens are in control of how they spend their days at summer camp, and they can select what piques their interests most. Having so much time to dive into new skills that they learn through these activities and electives allows teens to acquire new skills. Some of the skills that campers learn at Frogbridge include driving a motorized go kart, creative arts, working on computers or painting, and thinking/improvising on their feet during improv with Performing Arts.
3. The Combined Freedom and Structure of Camp Helps Teens Grow
The teenage years are ones where kids are becoming more independent and learning to trust their instincts. When teens go to summer day camp, it’s a test of their self-sufficiency and allows them to make decisions based on their own best judgment. Mom or dad isn’t telling them what to choose to eat for lunch, when to clean up after themselves, and how to manage their free time. When teens are at summer camp, they learn to make decisions independently, which allows them to grow. Teens come to understand the thought process for making a good decision and learn more about themselves in the process.
4. Fun Field Trips for Teens Only
Summer camps have travel options and field trips that are for teens only. For campers who have spent years in summer camp as they’re growing, they look forward to finally becoming a teenager so they can participate in these excursions. At Frogbridge Day Camp, for example, we offer a travel program for 8th graders, called S.C.O.R.E., and a more extended Teen Travel Program that’s only open to 9th and 10th-grade campers (14-15 years old). Throughout the summer, campers can participate in as many as 32 travel days and six travel overnights. Some of the trips that teens have traveled to in the past include the following:
- Hershey Park
- Busch Gardens, Va.
- Boston, Mass.
- Baltimore, Md.
This travel time helps teens continue to feel more confident as they grow in their independence. When the school year begins again, they can return feeling refreshed from a fun summer and ready to tackle their classes.
Discover All the Fun That Your Teens Can Have at Frogbridge Day Camp
If you’re still unsure about how your teenagers will feel about summer day camp, bring them for a visit and find out first-hand all the fun to be had! Located on 86 acres in Central New Jersey, we encourage you to visit and see for yourself! We offer personal tours daily throughout the year at Frogbridge Day Camp, and our Open House events take place on select Saturdays throughout the winter. To schedule an appointment, fill out our online contact form, or call our main office at 609-438-8275.