Worried that your child will suffer a serious hankering for home during their first camp experience this summer? While homesickness isn’t unusual, a proactive approach now can minimize the blues later.
Summer camp offers all kinds of fun and character building experiences for kids of any age. Whether you’re looking for a few hours of entertainment or weeks of intentional skill building for your child, you can find it at camp.
Parents spend a lot of time trying to motivate their kids. We use chore charts, checklists, reminders and rewards to get them to feed the dog, clean their rooms and complete their schoolwork. But these techniques don’t change behavior long-term. Real motivation must come from within.
ummer camp is often a place to send elementary-age kids so they aren’t sitting around the house bored and make new friends and learn new things while having fun. As kids grow out of their ‘little kid years,’we sometimes forget they still need those kinds of experiences they had when they were younger, just in a different form. Maybe you don’t think your teen needs summer camp. Your teen should be babysitting, mowing lawns, working at the pool, hanging around with friends, right? Well, sure! But why not send your teen off for a week or more of summer fun and learning this year for a break?
Page 26 of 35
Calgary’s Child Magazine © 2026 Calgary’s Child