By Sandy Muñoz-weingarten
I continue to argue that the most important educational gift we can give children and young people is not more information, though information is important, but more experience, especially nature experience. The role that camps — nature-focused and some other kinds of camps as well — can play in this is substantial, and many of us hope it can be expanded. ~Richard Louv, author, Last Child in the Woods
Every summer, thousands of children are sent away or dropped off to attend camps of all kinds. With themes ranging from ballet, science, art, sports, computer and music, and programs ranging from ½-day to multi-week, overnight adventures, the possibilities are endless. Parents must consider, among other things, schedules, costs, availability and, of course, which camps will bring the most fun – and benefit – to their child.
Many of us who were children in the 1950s or beyond have fond memories of going off to camp each summer, sometimes for weeks at a time. Others may remember attending day camp programs offered at the local YMCA or through a scouting group.
Summer camp, as defined on the Web by the Encyclopedia Britannica, is “any combined recreational and educational facility designed to acquaint urban children with outdoor life.” The earliest camps were started in the United States about 1885 when reaction to increased urbanization led to various back-to-nature movements.
Despite the fact that these first camps were created more than 125 years ago, there is a similar back-to-nature movement currently taking place in our country that has led to an increased interest in nature camps. Nature camp is defined as a program through which campers are invited to explore the world around them through hands-on, outdoor, experiential learning, and there are many compelling reasons for choosing a nature camp.
Many of these reasons have been expressed by author Richard Louv who was the first to coin the term ‘nature deficit disorder’ in his 2005 groundbreaking book, Last Child in the Woods. Louv writes: “Research suggests that exposure to nature can improve all children’s cognitive abilities and resistance to negative stresses and depression.
More than 100 studies reveal that one of the main benefits of spending time in nature is stress reduction, and other studies indicate that nature can be powerful therapy for such maladies as obesity and depression.
Fascinating recent studies at the University of Illinois show that direct exposure to nature relieves the symptoms of attention-deficit disorders. Certainly camps, when sufficiently focused on the nature experience, bring such benefits to countless children.”
This spring, as you are making plans for your child’s summer adventures, consider one of the many camp offerings on the following list. And for those of you who long to recreate (or create) those golden memories of summer camp adventures from your own past, there are some camp options on the list for big kids too.
Arizona Museum of Natural History Camps
53 N. Macdonald St., Mesa
Rock N Roaring and Prehistoric Preschool camps explore millions of years of fun. Programs will feature an exciting combination of science, fun facts, crafts and activities.
480-644-2230 azmnh.org
Arizona Science Center
600 E. Washington St., Phoenix
Discover the science of the ocean, robots, sports, film, chemicals, animals, and survival at the Arizona Science Center’s week-long day camps. Before care and after care are available.
602-716-2000 azscience.org
Arizona Sonora Desert Museum
2021 N. Kinney Rd., Tucson
The Arizona Sonora Desert Museum has drop-off Museum Explorers Camps for elementary school students. Camps include animals, crafts, science experiments and more. After-camp care is provided for a fee. They also have an overnight Earth camp for middle school students.
520-883-2702 desertmuseum.org/center/edu
Arizona State University
Students experience a wide variety of programs involving writing, astronomy, athletics, archaeology, film production, expressive arts, and education located on one of the ASU campuses.
480-965-6060 eoss.asu.edu/summerenrichment
Becoming an Outdoors Woman
933 E. Friendly Pines Rd., Prescott
The Arizona Wildlife Federation’s program is a three-day workshop for women to learn outdoor skills such as angling and marksmanship, and classes including wildlife photography and bird watching. Held at the Friendly Pines Camp in Prescott.
480-644-0077 azwildlife.org
Camp Broadway
Mesa Arts Center
1 E. Main St., Mesa
For boys and girls ages 8 through 15, this summer program inspires children to think artistically and build self-confidence through participation in music, dance and acting, at the East Valley Children’s Theatre.
480-644-6500 mesaartscenter.com
City of Tempe Summer Camps
Youth and teens ages 5 to 18 looking for a chance to get active, build new skills and make new friends will love trying a Sports Camp like Hoops Star Basketball or Volleyball. Want something a little different? Try a special interest camp such as dance, MagicWorks!, Play-Well Technologies® LEGO® Engineering, Spanish, theatre and more.
Registration for most summer camps starts April 1.
480-350-5200 tempe.gov/brochure
Cooper Center for Environmental Learning
5403 W. Trails End Rd., Tucson
Students will experience nature at its best as they learn about and enjoy the wonders of the Sonoran Desert. Campers will learn about the adaptations of plants and animals, ecosystems, and the flow of energy in food chains.
520-743-7422 coopercenter.arizona.edu
Camp Zoo
455 N. Galvin Pkwy., Phoenix
Students will have the opportunity to explore nature and the Phoenix Zoo with lessons beginning with basic care giving and art projects for younger children and progressing to animal training, visitor education, and zoo careers for middle school students.
602-273-1341 phoenixzoo.org
Environmental Education Center
4050 E. Chandler Heights Rd., Chandler
Children ages 7-12 will explore the natural world through games, activities, experiments, hikes and crafts. Each week is themed to fit various topics that relate to our natural world. Camps are held primarily indoors, with short trips outside at Veterans Oasis Park to conduct experiments and activities.
480-782-2895 chandleraz.gov/veterans-oasis
Desert Botanical Garden Camps
1201 N. Galvin Pkwy., Phoenix
The Desert Botanical Garden has camps for students, and classes and trips for adults. Topics include recycling, desert seed diversity, desert wildlife and more.
480-481-8188 dbg.org
Hubbard Sports
Hubbard Sports Camps get children ages 4 ½ to 13 moving with lots of physical activities including volleyball, archery, field sports, swimming and more. One-week sessions allow campers to meet new friends and be engaged during the summer.
602-971-4044 hubbardsports.com
Road Scholar
Road Scholar educational adventures for adults and seniors feature more than 8,000 programs in our 50 states, and in more than 150 countries. These are all-inclusive adventures that feature expert tour-guides and different traveling and housing opportunities to get the most out of your expeditions.
800-454-5768 roadscholar.org
YMCA Camp Sky-Y & Chauncey Ranch
Prescott National Forest and Mayer
While engaging students in the themes of western, safari, space, and superhero weeks, Camp Sky-Y focuses on growing individuals in the values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility. For ages 7-16, Chauncey Ranch provides outdoor activities, basic introduction to horses and a trail ride.
1-800-660-1385 azycamps.org
