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Summer Camp: Experiences to Remember

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By Ami Lin, 4-H Youth development agent

Video:Rock Springs 4-H Camp

4-H camperHow much time do you think you spend interacting with nature in any given week? How about your child? 

We know the benefits of being outdoors. But with our modern day work and school schedules, adults and youth are spending less time for unstructured activities outdoors. 

To this day, one of my most memorable childhood memories are the camping trips where we spent the whole day exploring nature, sharing meals with friends, singing silly camp songs and passing out exhausted in the cabins to prepare for the next day. 

In an article in the journal, Frontiers in Psychology, associate professor Ming Kuo conducted a literature review showing the value of exposure to nature through camp experiences, nature-based curricula and more.

Kuo points out how contact with nature promotes the following:

  • Increased concentration
  • Reduced stress levels
  • Increased self-discipline
  • Motivation, enjoyment, and engagement
  • Higher levels of physical activity and fitness
  • Calmer, quieter, safer contexts for learning
  • Warmer, more cooperative learning environment

In turn, this leads to better academic achievement, personal development and stewardship for the environment.  

Source: Kuo M, Barnes M and Jordan C (2019) Do Experiences With Nature Promote Learning? Converging Evidence of a Cause-and-Effect Relationship. Front. Psychol. 10:305. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00305

Help your child experience camping and create lasting memories

4-H youth climbs rock wall at summer campFantastic 4-H Camp is a great way for youth ages 7 – 12 to enjoy four days at Rock Springs 4-H Center interacting with the beautiful Flint Hills. Since the first Rock

Springs 4-H Camp in 1946, the camp offers opportunities to connect with nature through:

  • Camp songs by a campfire and smores
  • Swimming
  • Variety of nature-based programs
  • Canoeing
  • And more

Your child does not have to be a member of 4-H to have fun and experience the great outdoors in a safe, supervised environment. 

Register your child today for Fantastic 4-H Camp — as a camper or a counselor.

Or call 913-715-7000.