See Kids In Their Natural Habitat!
There is some serious playing going on at New England Base Camp.
Base Camp is not about providing entertainment; rather it is about
providing an urgently needed environment for children, young adults
and families. It is about health. In the outdoors, parents and caregivers
don’t have to “make” their children curious or “push” their children to
learn. It happens very naturally. In today’s world the effects from nature
deficiencies coupled with a sedentary lifestyle has serious implications
for the long-term health and well being of our Nation’s children. Several
scientific and medical studies predict that the next generation of
children is expected to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents.
Being outside and playing in an unstructured environment plays a
pivotal role in childhood development. According to the American
Academy of Pediatrics playtime is important to the healthy development
of the brain: Undirected play helps children learn how to work collaboratively, to share, to negotiate, to resolve conflicts, and learn self-advocacy skills;
When play is child-driven, children practice decision-making skills,
move at their own pace, discover areas of interest on their own, and
ultimately engage fully in the passions they wish to pursue;
When adults control play - such as in organized sports - children have
to follow adult rules and concerns (like winning) and lose some of the
benefits play offers them, particularly in developing creativity, leadership
and group skills.
Play offers parents a wonderful opportunity to engage fully with their
children,
Play offers an unscheduled time that allows for peer interactions an
important component of social-emotional learning; and Free, child-driven, creative play protects against the effects of pressure and stress.
That’s why there is a New England Base Camp