“Camp is one of the most lasting, rewarding experiences parents can give their children. It builds self-esteem, gives kids a sense of independence and allows them to take a breather from the day-to-day.” — T Bar M Camps
2015 summer camp season is right around the corner, and we’re so excited to partner with T Bar M Camps yet again! {Check out what we had to say about them last year here.} Nestled in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, T Bar M Camps is a non-denominational Christian sports and adventure camp with locations in New Braunfels and on Lake Travis {near Austin}. They are deeply committed to the power of play, the value of sports, the healing benefits of nature, and to the importance of bringing out the absolute best in each and every camper.
We at Houston Moms blog are thoroughly in love with the idea of camp, as there are so many benefits that it brings to kids and parents alike. And today we are sharing just a few {out of the hundreds} of reasons why…
1} Fun
Summer screams fun, right? We can’t think of anything more fun than a session of camp. A place to shed expectations, play, and explore. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends one hour of outdoor play time per day for America’s youth. With T Bar M Camps providing water activities, a wide variety of outdoor games and sports, zip-lining, and a number of obstacle courses, one is sure to get in ample amounts of outdoor activity in a super fun environment!
2} Time to Unplug
We live in a society that is largely dictated by technology these days. Children are learning on computers, iPads, and other handheld devices at school. Many young children and teens now have cell phones – whether it be for fun, safety, or just communication purposes with their parents. As an adult, intentionally taking time to turn off my phone or my computer opens up a sense of freedom that I didn’t realize I was missing. Can you just imagine how thrilling that must be for a child or teen? Unplugging from the overstimulation of technology, and plugging into friendships!
3} Overcoming Homesickness
As a parent, my first reluctancy with sending my child to camp, especially for the first time, would be whether or not my child would experience homesickness or have any distress about being away from home for the duration of camp. At T Bar M Camps, they understand that most children will suffer from some degree of longing for home while away at camp. They understand this is normal, and they also understand that this is more than just a longing for home as it also includes some fear of the unknown. They realize that this is an important lesson that most kids will overcome very quickly especially with trained staff on hand to help the campers learn coping mechanisms and teaching them to find comfort in themselves. That is more than just a camp lesson — that’s a life lesson in itself!
4} Resilience
Whether it’s overcoming homesickness, climbing a telephone pole, or finding compromises with their bunk mates, camp will most definitely help campers learn adaptability and flexibility. T Bar M Camps love to help their campers learn new tasks and even help them overcome some of their fears. All of these little blocks of autonomy can aid in the making and shaping of a confident and independent person. Undoubtedly, our children will face challenges in all aspects of their life, and I love that T Bar M Camps are dedicated to teaching true self-sufficiency and personal ownership for their campers.
5} Role Models
Campers will make many choices during their stay at camp. What to eat for breakfast? To swim or go canoeing? Eat a snack or take a rest? Camp offer kids the chance to make choices for themselves in a safe and structured environment with trained counselors, called coaches at T Bar M Camps, who are dedicated to guiding campers in the right direction. Most are college students, in their 20s, who have benefitted from camp themselves. They’re not so far removed from childhood that they don’t remember how it feels, but they’re mature enough to guide and mentor our campers. T Bar M says, “Our coaches are cooler than you, but they often send your kids the same messages that you would. And because they’re cooler than you, your kids might actually listen.”
6} Freedom
Camp exposes kids to activities and ideas that they might never experience otherwise. Many times we don’t know we love something until we try it. With numerous activities available at T Bar M Camps, campers are bound to find a new hobby or sport or task that they enjoy doing. The best thing about camp in my opinion, is that it can free kids from established social expectations. At school, kids find their niche in a peer group, which for better or worse, likely operates under prescribed roles, attitudes, and behaviors. At camp they experience a new peer group, freeing them form said social expectations they find themselves in all year. It’s like finding new ways to bloom — an opportunity to set kids out on a safe path to explore the world in unexpected ways.
Hopefully, you’ve been able to see the benefits of sending your child away to summer camp. And if not, maybe you will consider T Bar M Camps as the place where your child grows this summer. It’s an experience they’ll cherish for a lifetime. But we have to warn you – the most popular weeks at T Bar M Camps are filling fast, so we strongly encourage you to lock in your spot now! You can check out their dates and availability for all of the info.
T Bar M Camps
Phone :: 830.620.4263
Email :: [email protected]
Please Note :: While this is a sponsored post, all thoughts and opinions about T Bar M Camps are my very own.
