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Summer camp is more than just a place for children to enjoy the great outdoors — it's a transformative experience that helps kids develop crucial life skills. Among the most valuable of these are social skills and team-building abilities, which play a critical role in a child's emotional and intellectual growth.

Summer camps are more than just a way to keep children busy during their school break. They offer a unique environment where kids can learn, grow, and develop essential life skills that are beneficial in their schooling years and beyond. Here’s a look at the crucial skills children learn at summer camp and why they are so important.

Today, kids ages 8-18 have an estimated 7.5 hours of screen time per day. In light of this digital lifestyle, the allure of the great outdoors is an essential and grounding force for the younger generation. Nature's classroom offers invaluable lessons and experiences, contributing significantly to a child's physical, emotional, and cognitive development. In this article, we’ll explore the multifaceted benefits of nature for children and how summer camps like Camp JCC serve as a gateway to these enriching outdoor experiences.

“10 for 2” is a classic saying we have in the summer camp business. The saying means that campers wait ten months out of the year just to be at camp for two. To make the 2 happen, I am locked in the office world of sending emails, writing purchase orders, building excel spreadsheets, attending meetings, interviewing and hiring staff, calling field trips vendors, and all of the things that I never thought about happening in the background when I was a summer camp counselor in 2021! In fact, the start of my first off season in 2022-23, I looked out to the after-school care programing happening outside of my office with nostalgia for all the meaningful time I used to spend with kids as my main responsibility. Now it’s my second year as an assistant camp director! So why am I doing this again? Why am I doing the hard work of the 10 for the benefit of the 2?

Does the idea of sitting at a desk all day make you feel physically sick? Are you happiest when spending time outside, being active, with other people? Do you enjoy working with a team of supportive, like-minded people? Are you a student looking for a seasonal job that is both enjoyable and will make a good addition to your resume? If the answer to any of those questions is "yes," then a job as a camp counselor might be the right fit for you. As a member of a summer camp staff team at a place like Siegel JCC, you'll get to experience a truly unique opportunity to grow as a leader and a person—while also having the time of your life. 

In the summer of 2021, I quickly learned the power of collective persuasion children possessed.

For parents of adolescents and pre-teens, the question of what to do with your kid over the summer can be a stressful one. Kids at that age are too old for daycare, but too young for a job. And while some older kids are trustworthy and mature enough to be left at home alone, many parents worry that leaving them to their own devices will keep them on their devices all day, every day—not a great way to spend a summer. 
Even as they mature, kids can still benefit from structured, positive activities, time to socialize, and supervision by trusted adults. If you're looking for something that checks all those boxes, summer camps for older kids offer all that and more. Here, we've outlined a few of the benefits of summer camp for teens and adolescents.

Ahh, summer. Between the warm weather, the long days, and the opportunities for family vacations and activities, what's not to love?

If you're a parent, however, it's likely that the prospect of summer is the source of some anxiety for you, too. In addition to looking forward to swimming and time outdoors, you might also be wondering, what am I going to do with my kids? This is especially true for parents who have jobs and need to find childcare when schools are out of session. 

For parents who find themselves in this situation, summer camps for kids can be an attractive alternative to hiring a babysitter or signing kids up for daycare. In addition to keeping your kids safe and cared for, there are a slew of benefits of summer camp—both for your kids, and for you!

An update for Camp JCC families from Camp Director Carrie Kee

An update for Camp JCC families from Camp Director Carrie Kee

We are continuing to monitor the developing situation regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Please see below for updates on Camp JCC for Summer 2020.

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At Camp JCC, we get a lot of questions that fall under one of two umbrellas: WHAT and HOW. For example: “What should my child bring for lunch?” and “How does the pick-up line work?” These are the standard questions that ...

When I was 8 years old, I considered myself a “mutt” - my mom was Christian, and my dad was Jewish. Neither were religious, and there were no expectations for me to be, either. My cultural upbringing was a menorah on Chanukah and a tree ...

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Having worked at summer camps since I was 14, I have discovered that there are certain things a child will only learn while having FUN. Never is this more present than at Camp JCC.