If your child is like most children, he or she tweets their way through breakfast, texts at lunch, likes, comments and Snapchats through dinner, post selfies to Instagram before bedtime and wakes up to do it all again the next day. No wonder they stay up late and want to sleep until noon…  They’re busy.

Research shows kids spend up to 7.5 hours A DAY with their eyes glued to a screen and their fingers frantically pecking away at keyboards. Kids growing up in an age of widely accessible and socially acceptable technology can get lost in the sea of text messages and status updates. Social media can be a welcoming environment for bullies, as it’s easy to become detached from empathy and consequences when you’re behind a screen. Kids do and say things they wouldn’t normally do or say when they’re plugged in. When kids only speak their mind anonymously or try to be someone they aren’t to impress others, they’re lacking opportunities to develop self-confidence and character. They may have 1,000 friends or followers on social media, but are slowly losing the ability to walk up to someone and shake their hand or settle conflict in a responsible and socially acceptable way. Social media isn’t bad in itself, it’s a great tool to keep connected and learn about the world.  But, when we let it take the place of our child’s social development, we’re doing them a huge disservice.

Which is why, at Laurel South, we’re unplugged. Campers leave their cellphones at home and enjoy a summer without texting, emailing or using social media. At first, campers may consider this unfathomable, but as they dive deep into the activities that Laurel South offers, they will reevaluate their dependence on technology. They will interact with others in a meaningful way. They will improve their written communication skills by writing letters home to loved ones and feel the excitement of receiving a handwritten note from friends and family – a feeling you just don’t get when you check your inbox. Without a phone in their pocket to tempt them, they will be able to really focus and listen to what other campers are saying. In turn, when they’re sharing a story or experience, they won’t be talking to a group of friends preoccupied with their screens.

Campers who arrive shy and a little reserved will leave with new found  confidence based on their accomplishments over the summer. They’ll be able to look back on the summer when they learned to swim, conquered stage fright, made new friends and discovered their love for a new activity. Campers will be able to apply that self-confidence into their lives back home. They’ll no longer need to hide behind a screen in order to communicate with their peers.

As a parent, you can find comfort in the fact that while your child is away, they’ll be learning valuable life skills that don’t involve how many words they can text a minute, or how many likes they can get on their Instagram picture. The skills they learned while they are unplugged will stay with them for a lifetime, and that’s better than being retweeted by a celebrity.

A wise old man named Albert with crazy hair and a mustache once said: “Creativity is contagious; pass it on.”

At Laurel South, we’re focused on following the advice of Mr. Einstein by fostering our campers’ love of and enthusiasm for creativity. By giving campers the opportunity to express themselves through art, music, dance and theatre, we’re uncovering hidden talents and gifts that all campers have – and many have no idea they have it.  In a world where kids are trying so hard to be “cool,” they can quickly lose their sense of wonder and imagination, and their creative side can be stunted. These days, as we know, younger children trade coloring books for iPads, or choose to create an Instagram account over choreographing a dance in the living room. What a plain and boring world we’d live in if the imagination and creativity of our children is not encouraged and embraced!

Laurel South gives campers a wide range of activities and options to explore their inner artist. Campers can try their hand at Studio Art or Arts and Crafts, or even Culinary Arts and Music. For those who have already discovered their creative strengths, experienced staff help campers hone their skills and allow them to spend time doing things they love. For campers who feel that they’ve never been good at a particular art form, camp is a safe place to try without fear of failure or embarrassment. It’s also great for children’s self-esteem to try something new and to succeed. There are many other forms of creative expression, such as Musical Theatre and Hip-Hop, Jazz or Modern Dance. These options combine music, physical movement and artistic expression, and allow campers to conquer stage fright by performing in front of an audience. Class clowns may find a creative outlet by trying improv and comedy, while the more “techy”, behind the scenes kids will enjoy working in lighting, costuming, make-up and stage construction and design. Each of these Inter-Arts activities combines the unique, personal and intimate aspects of creative arts, while also encouraging campers to work together as a team and as a support system for each other.

Regardless of how each camper expresses his or her self, there is a creative outlet at camp where campers may flourish.

When a camper makes something from nothing, whether it’s a ceramic mug, a work of art or a new dance, they gain self-confidence and feel a sense of empowerment that’s hard to find anywhere else. It’s possible that the strengths and gifts they discover within themselves at camp can launch them into a hobby or even a profession they might enjoy the rest of their lives. They also learn how to appreciate the unique creativity in other people, which results in more accepting, well-rounded and open minded individuals

Discovering, understanding and expressing creativity does wonders for the growing character and sense of self in a young camper. When campers realize that it’s cool to be creative and expressive, a whole world of opportunities is open to them. We can only hope that once campers tap into their own creative side, they pass it along to their friends and peers in the outside world, causing a chain reaction of imagination, artistic expression and creativity: just as good ol’ Albert suggested.

As parents, you want to teach your child the importance of hard work, patience and help them achieve the priceless feeling of accomplishment after a job well done. You want to raise your children to work hard so they can play hard. What better way to start this concept than by rewarding your hard working and dedicated child with a summer camp experience of their dreams?

By having a goal in sight, your child will have something to think about, focus on and strive for throughout the school year. Kids who are passionate about athletics can look forward to fine-tuning their skills through intercamps, skill clinics and recreational programs. Future movie stars will be itching at the chance to shine in various acting classes and musicals. Whether your child is a music aficionado or adventure seeker, animal lover or athlete, the Laurel Camps have specific activities and programs geared toward your children’s favorite activities. Whatever it is that gets your kids excited, they can focus on those activities while at camp. When kids have something to look forward to, they are more likely to stay on track, complete their responsibilities and make good choices. When they are working toward something, they truly appreciate the end result.

If you’ve been thinking about giving your child the gift of an unforgettable camping experience, a great time to start talking about it with your child is at the end of summer vacation. As your child starts to get excited about the upcoming school year, take some time to talk about your expectations for them. Let them contribute to the conversation by listing what goals they have and what expectations they have of themselves. Introduce the idea of summer camp, and there is no doubt your child will be through the roof with excitement at the prospect of unlimited athletics, water sports, camping, hiking, and the vast activities summer camp has to offer. Together, come up with an agreement based on what is expected of your child that will enable them to experience camp. Write down the expectations and keep them somewhere for you and your child to look back on throughout the year.

When the excitement of the new school year dies down and your child falls into the routine of school, a simple reminder of the thrilling ropes course or the opportunity to sail, wakeboard and fish on the beautiful lake can be just the boost they need to stay focused and meet their goals. A countdown on the refrigerator is a great visual reminder to keep kids excited about how close they are to a summer they’ll never forget.

By letting your child be a part of the goal setting process, they learn that hard work pays off, and by putting in the time and effort now, they will reap the rewards in the future. This is an excellent skill for children to have, especially in a world of “I want it right now.” Prolonged satisfaction makes for hardworking, patient and determined individuals, qualities that every parent wants to instill in their child.

If you are ready to help your child experience the priceless feeling of working hard and earning something on their own, get them involved in goal setting and give them something to look forward to. Their reward is not just a summer away at camp; their reward is new friends, new experiences, and learning things about themselves that they will use for the rest of their lives. And as a parent, THAT is something to look forward to.

“Screen time” is a common buzzword. It describes the time that we spend looking at and using electronic screens – phones, tablets, computers, televisions, etc. With the steady rise in screen time usage, there has been extensive research on how this is affecting our children.

A recent study published by UCLA, “In our Digital World, are Children Losing the Ability to Read Emotions?” outlines how our kids are falling behind in their social skills due to extended screen time. The study used two groups of middle school students and tested their ability to read other boys’ and girls’ emotions. One group remained in their typical habitat, engaging in screen time as desired, while the other group went to a summer camp where electronics were not allowed. The difference in results were significant, with those at camp being able to read others’ emotions almost 33% more effectively after only five days away from screens. UCLA professor Yalda Uhls says the results are clear: “If you’re not practicing face-to-face communication, you could be losing important social skills. We are social creatures. We need device-free time.”

Significant results were achieved in a five-day period; imagine the boost in social skills children achieve through weeks at summer camp with hundreds of their peers!

A child’s time at camp allows them to grow in so many ways, but one way that’s increasingly important is disconnecting and engaging in social settings. Campers have face-to-face interaction with their peers around-the-clock for weeks at a time.

When campers return home from the summer, parents know their children will rave about their experience, but one thing they may not expect is how much more engaging they are. Camp teaches children how to successfully navigate social interactions.

Of course, a summer in Maine  is memorable, but what may be even more impactful is a camper’s increased social growth without electronic devices by their side.

That’s always the question when everyone starts school: What did you do this summer? And it’s always hard to answer with a simple: “I went to camp,” because camp means so many things to so many people.

Lots of kids go to camp. In fact, more than 10 million children across the country go to some kind of camp during the summer. It could be scout camp for a week; day camp for two weeks; baseball camp for a month; or even chess camp at the local elementary school. We think spending the summer at camp is the very best way to spend the summer for any child. It teaches children how to spread their wings, navigate differences, make good choices and grow into healthy and independent young adults.

So, when campers are asked what did you do this past summer, they really can say: “Everything.”

They made friends and made their bed. They swam in a lake and swam in a kiddie pool of jello (If they were in Chaos!) They got up on waterskis and sang songs. They learned how to live in a cabin with five, eight or even 12 other campers…and they learned to share.

They hung out around a campfire and made s’mores. They probably played in some kind of intercamp, tournament or performed on stage in front of the camp. They cheered and ran their hearts out during Spirit Days. And they even found time to write a letter — with an actual pen and paper — to their parents, grandparents or friends at home.

As we fall back into soccer practice, dance class, music lessons, fantasy football, the World Series and the fall holiday season… campers always have much to say about what they did last summer: Camp. It’s a constant. It happens every year. You can almost touch, smell and feel the great memories.

We always tell our campers to hold tight to the memories of camp in Maine. It’s truly the best place in the world to go to camp. And to never forget the clear blue skies during the day, the loons at dusk and the crisp, starry nights.

We can’t wait to see everyone again in 10 short months on the shores of Crescent Lake.