Summer Camp in the City

The rain has receded. The sun has returned for an extended stay. The sky is bright blue, the birds are singing. School is a few days away from closing for summer break. The school year will soon be a memory, and summer camps will open.

What does the arrival of Summer mean for your program?

Summer camps in the U.S. gained popularity in the early twentieth century. The camp movement created an opportunity for children in the city to get back into nature. Some traditional camps still exist with canoeing, fishing, and archery, but the camp movement evolved over the last century. Summer camp now includes activities like computers, academics, and many sports.

The camps I have participated in for the past 22 years take place in city parks, schools, colleges, and community centers. Summer Camp extends our school-age program and offers a chance to continue our work with the children. New children also join the program during the Summer to explore the world of co-learning and project work. 

Summer camps in the city spend time in nature. We take trips to various educational and local historical spots and go to fun places like waterparks and carnivals. We also enjoy cultural excursions with museums and children’s theatre visits.

Do we get to sleep in a cabin, fight off mosquitoes, and try to keep the bears out of our trashcans in the city summer camp? No! But there are many benefits to this time of year.

Summer camp in the city gives us more time to work with the children. In school-age programs, our work time is short. In Summer, we enjoy extended work periods inside and outside. Educators and children can explore our questions with no pressure from the clock. In city summer camp, we offer an environment of slower pacing and deeper thinking with more detailed work opportunities that elude us when school is in session.

Summer camp in the city brings children from different parts of the city together and fosters collaborations between schools and children who have never met or worked together. Combining schools in one location during the Summer creates new opportunities for social development in work and play. Every Summer, I see new friendships develop. Children in our program learn new skills from children who live in another part of the city. The collaboration creates a rich exchange of ideas that benefits the growth of the learning community.

Summer camp in the city also brings together educators from different locations and creates opportunities to learn from each other. Educators can become comfortable with our teaching methods when working in one school for an extended time and forget that other educators have different views and practices that vary from our own. Many educators come together for the first time during summer camp and learn new teaching methods.

Summer is a time for renewal. It is when classroom teachers recharge their batteries for the upcoming year. For school-age educators, it is a time to enjoy, embrace the sunshine, and spend more time outdoors. Summer camp is a time to sing songs and create new connections with the children and our colleagues. Summer camp is a time to get in a water fight or two, become more active, and experience longer days with the children.

What is your favorite childhood memory of Summer? Did it involve a summer camp?