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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.

We had an amazing summer!  The campers and staff built friendships and created memories that will last a lifetime.  We only wish it didn’t go by so fast.

While we’re sad to see the season come to an end, we’re already counting the days until the 2015 summer arrives!

Thank you to the most incredible staff and awesome campers anywhere. Thank you, also, to our camp families for trusting us with their terrific children.

We will keep you updated throughout the year about our many new projects and program ideas.  Until then, have a great school year and keep your Laurel South memories alive.  Before you know it, we’ll be reunited on the shores of Crescent Lake.

Yesterday was our final “S” Day of the season, and Funtown USA certainly lived up to its name!  The entire camp enjoyed the rides, the games, the food, and, of course, time spent creating memories with friends.  The 4th Annual Moose Bowl more than lived up to the hype, with the Rattle Snakes edging out the Black Bears in a well-played, hard fought contest.  Today was our awesome Laurel South 5K Color Run, and this afternoon will be our first ever Crescent Lake Swim Challenge.

The next two days are our final Program Days of the session, filled with shows and exhibitions to demonstrate skills learned in just a few short weeks.

Just because we are close to the end does not, for a moment, mean the fun is over.  After our younger campers dazzled us with their performance of Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory on Wednesday, tonight is our older campers turn in the spotlight with their performance of Thoroughly  Modern Millie.  Tomorrow night is our Lobster, Steak and vegetarian Lasagna Final Banquet.

We may be nearing the end of the session, but the fun continues in Casco, Maine!

We may be heading down the home stretch, but there’s still a ton of fun left to be had in the 2014 summer!  Tonight is our 4th Annual Moose Bowl.  The Rangeley men will battle it out on the field, displaying athletic prowess along with great Laurel South sportsmanship.  The entire camp will be involved:  from the tailgate cookout dinner to the campers performing the Star Spangled Banner (with campers’ rockets launched at the conclusion) to the t-shirt slingshots and halftime dance show.  This event truly has become one of Laurel South’s favorite traditions.

Tomorrow night will be our presentation of Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, with Thoroughly Modern Millie taking the stage on Friday.  Sandwiched in between will be our annual excursion to Funtown USA.

We may have just a few days left, but we’re going to have as much fun as we can.  The fun never ends at Laurel South!