Camping gives kids an endless world of good - Research: Update - American Camping Associations

Parks & Recreation, Nov, 2001 by Karla A. Henderson

Similar results were found related to how campers with disabilities participating in inclusive camps gained better social communication skills through camp (Brannan, Arick, & Fullerton, 1997). Improvement in the skills included time spent in appropriate peer interaction and the development of a respect for others. Dworken (1999) also found that campers felt they were learning "people skills" at camp that would be helpful to them in other aspects of life. These campers commented that the skills they learned at camp such as leadership, communication, organization, and decision-making were critical to being able to work with other people.

Physical Outcomes

The health and safety of campers is a primary concern of the camps accredited by the American Camping Association. Healthy physical outcomes associated with camps have not been documented extensively, but a growing awareness of the many issues exists.

A collaborative summer program with a camp component undertaken in rural West Virginia focused on physical, self-esteem, and academic components (Jones, 1996). Evaluation was conducted, and although the results were not conclusive, adjustments were made to ensure that this summer camp experience did address physical dimensions to a greater extent.

Research conducted with inclusionary camping programs (Brannan et al., 1997) showed that camp enabled individuals with disabilities to perform recreational skills at relatively high levels of independence. Further, recent research by Dworken (1999) found that young people thought camp was a safe environment because safety was emphasized. Campers in Dworken's study said they also felt they were healthier when they were at camp because they ate better, exercised more, were outside in the fresh air, slept better, and enjoyed the pace of life.

Spiritual Outcomes

Spirituality can be defined broadly. In simplest terms, religion is defined as an organized and institutional group experience with accepted faiths and beliefs, and spirituality is a personal belief in something greater than oneself (Henderson, 1993). Spiritual development is also described as a personal, inner sense of the world and the role people have in it (Friedman, 1997). Spiritual well-being may be an outcome that might occur in recreation activities such as camping (Heintzman, 2000). Separation of church and state has been commonly accepted in the United States, yet the tenets of moral guidance needed by young people in particular are important. Although day camps run through public parks and recreation organizations may not have a religious focus, the emphasis on personal and environmental ethics as well as community involvement can be outcomes of camp.

Much of the outcome research about spiritual development in camp comes from personal stories. Techniques can be undertaken in camps to address spiritual concerns related to the natural environment (Henderson, 1993) and the way that people live together (Friedman, 1997). These outcomes should not be overlooked in examining the benefits of camping for young people.