Why Summer Camp? When most people think of camp, they think of outdoor cabins, smores, horseback riding, and lots of sweating and dirtiness. While they exist, there re so many other types. There is computer camp- where like-minded computer geniuses get together for a coding and design adventure. There is art camp- where creative friends work together and let their imaginations soar. There is camp for adults, camp for children, and even camp for the smallest of kiddos... there's also The Little Gym. We offer camps for ages 3-12 years old over the summer with morning and afernoon options. Come as many days as you want! You may think. Camp is for older kids! You are supposed to leave home and fight to learn and achieve on your own without parents... making friends, working together, gaining confidence, and basically FIGURING OUT WHO YOU ARE! This isn't CAMP!" In reality, camp at The Little Gym does for small children what camp in the great outdoors did for me- just in a different way! An article posted by a Summer Camp for girls in North Carolina called Rockbrook talked about why camp is so important for kids.. They list reasons why parents should choose camp for their kiddos and as I was reading it I realized that camp is camp- no matter how big or how small. This article can relate to kids who are away for two week at rocking climbing camp just as much as it can relate to a four year old attending day camp at The Little Gym. Camp creates camp people... that's what is important. Below is a portion of the post from Rockbrook. I hope you understand that no matter what, camp DOES SOMETHING GREAT for kids. Camp is WONDERFUL and I hope you all have the opportunity to give this gift to your children some day. At camp, children... - Spend their day being physically active – As children spend so much time these days inside and mostly sitting down, camp provides a wonderful opportunity to move. Camp is action! - Experience success and become more confident – Camp helps children build self-confidence and self-esteem by removing the kind of academic, athletic and social competition that shapes their lives at school. With its non-competitive activities and diverse opportunities to succeed, camp life is a real boost for young people. There’s accomplishment every day. Camp teaches kids that they can. - Gain resiliency – The kind of encouragement and nurture kids receive at camp makes it a great environment to endure setbacks, try new (and thereby maybe a little frightening) things, and see that improvement comes when you give something another try. Camp helps conquer fears. - Unplug from technology – When kids take a break from TV, cell phones, and the Internet, they rediscover their creative powers and engage the real world— real people, real activities, and real emotions. They realize, there’s always plenty to do. Camp is real! - Develop life-long skills – Camps provide the right instruction, equipment and facilities for kids to enhance their sports abilities, their artistic talents, and their adventure skills. The sheer variety of activities offered at camp, makes it easy for kids to discover and develop what they like to do. Camp expands every child’s abilities. - Grow more independent – Camp is the perfect place for kids to practice making decisions for themselves without parents and school teachers guiding every move. Managing their daily choices in the safe, caring environment of camp, children welcome this as a freedom to blossom in new directions. Camp helps kids develop who they are. - Have free time for unstructured play – Free from the overly-structured, overly-scheduled routines of home and school, life at camp gives children much needed free time to just play. Camp is a slice of carefree living where kids can relax, laugh, and be silly. At camp we play! - Learn social skills – Coming to camp means joining a close-knit community where everyone must agree to cooperate and respect each other. When they live in a cabin with others, kids share chores, resolve disagreements, and see firsthand the importance of sincere communication. Camp builds teamwork. - Make true friends – Camp is the place where kids make their very best friends. Free from the social expectations pressuring them at school, camp encourages kids to relax and make friends easily. All the fun at camp draws everyone together— singing, laughing, talking, playing, doing almost everything together. Everyday, camp creates friendships. There's still time to get signed up!