There are a host of great reasons to enrol your children in extracurricular summer camps – here are just a few.
For many children, their experience at summer school is filled with fond memories. Some parents might have heard about summer schools via a recommendation from an education professional. Others will have heard from parents who advocate them as a productive opportunity for your child while providing you with a well-earned break. But the benefits don’t end there.
Life-long friendships
If children attend summer camps year-on-year, they often find they click with other students who are just a tenacious and outgoing as they are. Taking a break from their usual school environment allows youngsters to experience being away from home and gives them an opportunity to make new friends from across the country and around the world. Meeting people from different backgrounds helps your child to foster a cultured and well-rounded view of the world.
Confidence
Being away from home at a young age forces children to learn how to integrate. In the adult world, summer school attendees often stand out as vocal, bright and confident speakers who are able to hold a conversation with colleagues and peers at all levels. What’s more, when higher education interviews roll around, your child will is more likely to be calm when faced with people and situations outside their comfort zone.
Beat the summer ‘brain drain’
On average, students lose two months of reading skills over the summer. By enrolling them in educational summer camps, you ensure that they return to school as sprightly and engaged as when they left. What’s more, regular physical activity can lead to better fitness, increased concentration and engagement – all things which have been shown to improve exam performance – so keeping them off the technology and taking part in new activities has benefits across the board.
Experience a new subject
Summer schools have the luxury of being a little more flexible when it comes to subject choices. Students can benefit from a wider range of subjects than their current school might be offering and they’ll get an opportunity to explore certain aspects in greater depth. From architecture to business, computing to law, students get the chance to broaden their horizons and zone in on subjects they might want to study later in life.
Higher education boost
Whether your child is applying to a new secondary school, sixth-form college or university, having a diverse range of extracurricular skills will stand them in good stead. Universities, in particular, seek out applicants with a passion for their chosen subject, a positive attitude towards studying and the ability to work independently – all key skills that are nurtured at summer school.
Increased independence
Especially for older children and young teenagers, living away from home can give them a sense of future independence. Although parents don’t like to think about it too often, a break from their parents can give children an opportunity to focus on their own future, without worrying about whether it conforms to what’s expected of them. Being responsible for themselves and their actions in a less structured classroom environment offers children the chance to really mould themselves into the young adults they hope to be. Residential summer camps also require children to be responsible for their own living space – keeping it tidy and organised – a valuable skill that’s much appreciated when they return.
The benefits of enrolling your children into summer schools are numerous. But perhaps the most important reason is that the majority of children enjoy the experience and can reminisce on a summer well spent. Long summer holidays, while fun in the short term, can quickly become boring and stale. So even if your child has their doubts about the experience, don’t forget to emphasise the fun.
If you’d like to know more about the wide range of summer schools available, please take a look at Oxford Royale’s course list.
